<Dr. Whitecar, an oncologist for 34 of his 68 years, says he's "frustrated and angered" by the need to dislocate his patients, but he says he doesn't have any choice. He says his practice is now solvent after being as much as $2 million in debt to his drug supplier.>
<One result: After almost a decade of rising salaries, oncologists' median income was roughly flat in 2006 and 2007, at about $360,000.>
<While drug companies stress their financial aid programs for needy patients, oncologists say navigating these programs can take weeks of paperwork and phone calls. Wayne Keiser of the Redwood Regional Medical Group of Santa Rosa, Calif., says his practice hired three dedicated "financial counselors" whose job is to handle the bureaucratic process and paperwork needed to obtain free or discounted cancer drugs.>
A lot going on here but I won't get our my hanky just yet for all the onco. No doubt things are changing. No doubt there is more work for the dollar for the onco. No doubt a few oncos are really being financially hurt. That is I think may just be the general trend for all health care. Like try being a GP.
But if things are really as bad as the tone of the article, all the patients would be getting their drugs some place else other than the onco office. I guess the docs didn't mention that the branded drug companies really hate it when they tell them "Help me or I am going to stop prescribing your drug". And maybe that is partially how those million dollar accounts get figured out at the end. So is this article about having to do more work for the same dollar? Sounds like most working people these days.
If I had an onco practice, I would LOVE to have enough business to be able to afford 3 dedicated financial counselors. :)
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Not long ago I found out an old friend of mine was killed in a place no one cares about, with people who are yesterday's news. I think she was doing more work for the same dollar too.
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These are the days of the open hand
They will not be the last
Look around now
These are the days of the beggars and the choosers
This is the year of the hungry man
Whose place is in the past
Hand in hand with ignorance
And legitimate excuses
The rich declare themselves poor
And most of us are not sure
If we have too much
But we’ll take our chances
Because God’s stopped keeping score
I guess somewhere along the way
He must have let us all out to play
Turned his back and all Gods children
Crept out the back door
And its hard to love, there’s so much to hate
Hanging on to hope
When there is no hope to speak of
And the wounded skies above say it’s much, much too late
Well maybe we should all be praying for time
These are the days of the empty hand
Oh you hold on to what you can
And charity is a coat you wear twice a year
This is the year of the guilty man
Your television takes a stand
And you find that what was over there is over here
So you scream from behind your door
Say what’s mine is mine and not yours
I may have too much but I’ll take my chances
Because God’s stopped keeping score
And you cling to the things they sold you
Did you cover your eyes when they told you
That he can’t come back
Because he has no children to come back for
Its hard to love there’s so much to hate
Hanging on to hope when there is no hope to speak of
And the wounded skies above say its much too late
So maybe we should all be praying for time
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Just some song lyric. Nothing a cup of coffee can't cure. :) |
