Efforts in the name of efficiency and cost reduction have unintended consequences. When I was in practice, I admitted, or at least followed, all my patients in the hospital. There were no issues of aftercare, because I discharged them with appointments to see me within a day or two (rarely more). I knew what medications…
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The Danger of Silence
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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