In the 21st century, patients should be offered the highest quality medical care available. The innovation or technology exists, yet it is often unavailable to patients. Doctors struggle to give them the best, but our efforts often get trampled on by third parties. Over the past few years, new mandates popped up requiring us to spend more time away from direct patient care. And the big insurance companies grew their profits at the expense of patients by denying coverage of needed diagnostic tests and medications. This is why patients need to help take back medicine: they are the true victims of the broken system.
Since the passage of the ACA (Affordable Care Act), patients must now be covered by health care insurance, many at their own expense. Many patients struggle to afford the premiums. As if that isn’t enough, these new plans often carry very high deductibles. Patients and doctors alike need to work with legislators to demand affordable healthcare.
As it is today, insurance companies deny diagnostic tests and medications as they will with no over-sight. And patients suffer from lack if getting the care they need. Often, I appeal denies services and these get denied many tines. Patients and doctors need to work together here to get the services a patient needs covered. Many times, I receive the blame when the truth is that I, nor anyone else, force the insurance companies to approve proper medical care.
Many patients express frustration that doctors now spend so much time on their computers during their office visits. Trust me, doctors like this less than patients. The fact is doctors need to now use EHRs (Electronic Health Records) and we are required to submit data under the MU (meaningful use) program to prove we are using it effectively. The metrics that need to be captured do not necessarily carry any relevance to the medical care of patients but we must record them or we will not be using our EHR “meaningfully”. If we refuse to comply, our reimbursements will be cut a certain % and this will increase year after year: quite a costly punishment. Most doctors do not believe the MU program improves patient care and many think it does hinder care by taking time away from our patients. Doctors fought against this the past few years but no one listened to us. Perhaps, if patients demand their doctors time back by getting rid of these useless time-drain they may hear.
In general, frustration abounds among doctors and patients alike in our current healthcare system. Doctors’ hands are tied by 3rd parties over-riding our clinical decisions and by government handing down mountains of mandates that we need to implement. Patients are spending unprecedented amounts of money on their own care, often money that they cannot afford. And after that, they are often denied the care that they need. Doctors and patients are on the same team here, fighting against a Goliath of government and insurance company corporations. And unless, we start working as a team again, we shall surely lose. It is not the loss of a game that is at stake, but patients’ health. The time to step is now. too many lives are on the line.
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2015 Linda Girgis, MD, FAAFP
