Dr. Laura David, AMCNO President Appears on WKYC to Address the “Changing Face of Healthcare” |
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Dr. Laura David the President of the AMCNO was invited to interview on a recent
WKYC “In Focus” segment to discuss how local doctors and patients are taking a
new look at how care is delivered in our community. The interview addressed
recent reports which have shown that health care reform is impacting small
physician practices – with some studies showing that more physicians are joining
group practices or aligning with large systems to cut costs by combining
administrative and technical resources. Others are opting to work part time or
are walking away from their medical careers because they are frustrated by
regulations, smaller insurance reimbursements, high costs and liability. Another
trend, concierge medicine, has begun to surface in some parts of the country
with physicians seeing limited numbers of patients who pay annual or monthly
fees.
Dr. David noted that running a small private practice is like running a small private business and it can be quite challenging with the cost of liability and malpractice insurance and the general costs associated with running a business. Reimbursements have continued to go downward as costs and reimbursements are adjusted to the Medicare and Medicaid levels. In addition, she cited generational factors as one of the reasons physicians are joining large groups. She noted that many young physicians who are trained in hospitals and who have limited shifts and are used to the resources of a big hospital with billing, accounting, always having supplies available etc., want to step right out into a similar practice setting without incurring a lot of debt. Dr. David briefly noted that a shift from the private practice to a large group setting may not be a huge challenge for patients in the community and with the onset of electronic medical records many patients may find that it is somewhat a seamless adjustment. However, some older patients and patients with very long term serious illnesses might feel a little uneasy if they have to see a new or different doctor. Dr. David briefly addressed concierge medicine noting that it is a small
movement in the country and it may be an answer for some patients with specific
needs. To view Dr. David’s entire interview go to: |
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