Some people think that the solution to better-supported primary care is in DPC/salaried physician payment models. I don’t think it is the best answer. I realize money is not the only motivator explaining why people perform work. Meaningful work matters too. But meaningful work that is not respected and paid for...
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In a very unique study, researchers have tabulated how often family physicians provide patient care that is not covered with a CPT code. This is a little complex, for the non-physicians and even for many physicians to grasp, so I will provide a little more background first. CPT stands for Current...
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The Medicare Payment Advisory Committee (MedPAC) just released its annual report on Medicare expenditures. Congress technically votes on the fees that Medicare pays, but it created MedPAC to serve as its primary advisor. If MedPAC sounds familiar to some, it may be because of reports in the past of the American...
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First, we are all so thankful that our family physician colleague Kent Brantly seems to be recovering from his Ebola infection. When his family left Liberia, they had to leave all of their possessions behind, which should have been burned by now. If you would like to donate to help him...
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I’m continuing my series on the reasons there are so few family physicians in the U.S. and why the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is a root cause of this deficit. My conclusions are based on recent research on the topic. Have you ever wondered why doctors tell you...
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I’m continuing my series on the reasons there are so few family physicians in the U.S. and why the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is a root cause of this deficit. My conclusions are based on recent research on the topic. In my last post, I showed how the...
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For the next several weeks, I’ll try to explain to non-physician readers why the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) billing rules create the horrid lack of primary care patients experience when they simply want to find a personal physician. My conclusions are based on recent research on the topic....
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OK, it’s really called the American Medical Association, but it most often represents the world view of ologists not primary care. The House of Delegates of the AMA is 80%-85% ologists. When there is any conflict between the views of primary care vs. those of the ologists, guess who usually prevails....
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