UnitedHealthcare dropped thousands of physicians nationwide from its Medicare Advantage programs. They’ve been silent on the reasons. What do you think they are? Evil insurance company, bad physicians, high charge physicians who wouldn’t accept low rates, great physicians who wouldn’t accept low payments? Don’t jump to conclusions (JTC). It’s easy to do. Depending on your…
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Health Information Exchange-a 21st Century Upgrade Opinion
Not long ago, I injured my knee and discovered something else in the process: a severe sprain in the medical information system. Here’s the story: The emergency room took X-rays and an MRI and referred me to an orthopedist. He reviewed the tests and sent me to a specialist. But my specialist—an expert in his field—suddenly…
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Why the fuss over observation status? A typical conundrum
This post was originally published on 8/14/2013 This is an example of why observation status has caused such headaches for physicians and patients. You’re a hospitalist at Joe Smith County Health System. At 5 p.m. Monday, you hear this from an ER doc: “Hi, this is Gus in the ER. I’ve got a patient for…
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6 Ways Physicians Can Avoid ‘Buyer’s Remorse’ When Switching Jobs
As studies show, it’s a physician’s market. When you are in demand, and there are more jobs than there are physicians, the competition for you is going to be vicious. Whether you are completing a residency and getting ready to become an attending, or have been around for a while and looking for a change,…
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