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To: i-node who wrote (199733)	5/2/2009 8:33:06 PM
From: John Chen	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 306849

"Payors like BCBS, CIGNA, AETNA, UHC, HUMANA -- have highly efficient systems that the government could never match" While that maybe true, what is covered and what is not is something of a myth.

To: i-node who wrote (199733)	5/2/2009 9:09:57 PM
From: John Chen	Respond to of 306849

"c) Most medical jobs pay very well. As they should. " 100% agree. The 'investment cost' is tremendous and the time it takes. Compare to 'normal college graduate', they are about a quarter of million BEHIND, by the time they get to be paid very well. EDIT: heard that one country's story. An engineer was tired and didn't want to work or something like that and she was told why don't you go to the hospital and work there as a doctor.

To: i-node who wrote (199733)	5/2/2009 9:12:48 PM
From: neolib	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 306849

The payment system is fine What other major form of commerce in the USA do you use where you the consumer don't have a clue as to the price of what you are going to buy until after you've made the purchase? Why would you consider such a system "fine"?

To: i-node who wrote (199733)	5/2/2009 9:15:35 PM
From: Secret_Agent_Man	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 306849

I object, and I deal with both medicare and medicaid as well as bcbs uhc humana etc. if claims are coded correctly payment is within 2 weeks electronically for medicare and medicaid in missouri with the insurers games are played on a weekly basis and they have 45 days before they have to pay and they will take it- right now bcbs has farmed out their claims processing to perot systems here in missouri- claims submitted near the end of the month and quarter or that are due to be paid around those times always get delayed, this has been the pattern for the past 8 yrs or so and about 3 yrs ago all went to payment of claims at a medicare rate for primary care which sux btw and as a physician there is little bargaining power to be a preferred provider- but i digress what was the question? oh yeah, the biggest costs is not in the systems but in administrative costs, i.e. bean counters figuring out how not to pay claims to increase bonus payments to themselves- does that sound familiar? I'm all for a single payor where claims are submitted and paid and cut out the middlemen syphoning off profits and bonuses for themselves based on how many claims they dont pay- I could go on really but i think you fell me on this one- and no I dont want socialized medicine per se- just cut off the leeches

To: i-node who wrote (199733)	5/2/2009 9:19:48 PM
From: neolib	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 306849

This argument that payment processing is part of the cost problem is just silly. I already gave the example. I visit the Doc, he bills my insurance $60 (paper work required) they modify the price based on their provider agreement with the Doc, pay him their fraction, and send me a bill notifying me that I must pay the remainder. The Doc also sends me a bill for the remainder of the adjusted price. I mail him a check. Now compare that to a drip to Safeway where I buy $60 of goods, and ask yourself what exactly your metric of efficiency is.