Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : A US National Health Care System? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: J_F_Shepard who wrote (36282)	4/29/2014 5:39:25 PM
From: i-node	1 Recommendation Recommended By Brumar89 Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 42652

>> if the doc squeezes in 5 more patients/day in his same 8 hours, there are no additional expenses. What do you think are extra expenses....? Oh, really? You don't think doctors offices have to pay anything for those skimpy gowns they put you in? For the little appointment cards they give you and the encounter form they use to track the procedures in the office? For transcription, radiology, and the additional payroll they will encounter for increasing their number of patients per day by 10-25%? For outside lab costs, or the little cups you pee in, or vacutainers or paper for the EKG machine? Software licenses, computers, phone lines, and health insurance for the additional nurses they have to have to see more patients? The money they spend for CLIA inspections and pest control, paper towels and pencils and pens? All that crap is just free?

To: J_F_Shepard who wrote (36282)	4/29/2014 6:03:52 PM
From: gamesmistress	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 42652

Why should a doctor take more Medicaid patients if he or she can get more money for the same kind of services for a non-Medicaid patient? As i-node pointed out, there ARE additional costs to additional patients. And this survey, does it have a link? Why wouldn't newly insured Medicaid people seek out your doctor, anyway? They would need a PCP, at least. Unless she's not listed as accepting Medicaid?

To: J_F_Shepard who wrote (36282)	4/29/2014 7:17:31 PM
From: Lane3	1 Recommendation Recommended By i-node Respond to of 42652

A survey I just saw says the majority of docs , about 65% I think, plan to take the same number or add new medicaid and medicare patients.... I don't think you read that carefully. So, 35% (100 - 65) will reduce the number of Medicaid and Medicare patients they treat. The rest will either support the same number they already have or add a few more. How does that support your argument? As for squeezing in more patients, doctors and patients are both already complaining that visits have gotten too short due to the pressures of low reimbursement and quality has dropped. I doubt either the doctors or their extant patients want to reduce quality further. As for cost, there are lots of costs per patient, not per hour. Squeezing in five more patients means someone has to fill out five more sets of paperwork. Staff do that. Doctors have to add consultations with other doctors to their fixed costs as well as any research required for each new patient's problems. Those are all outside the cost of operating an office for a given set of minutes.