Billl and Vinny,
I run my clinic almost identically. I don't consider myself mean-spirited, but my sanity runs thin when I'm on call 50% of the time providing liability coverage for everyone else in the medical industrial complex. I have washed my hand off of all nursing home patients (can't handle their stupid phone calls "just to let you know the patient fell and bumped his head, but the patient doesn't need to go to the hospital" and the insubordination after ordering a patient to be evaluated "the other doctor calls in Vitamin K for her vaginal bleeding and I want an order for Vitamin K", the lies and misrepresentation of events when I am on call). I have not recieved one call for refills over the past two years from my patients. I never call in or FAX antibiotics, controlled medications or pain meds. If one ever is called in or FAXed, I know I did not authorize them. In fact there has been one arrest for fraudulent use of prescription by FAX.
If the insurance company requests/demands information that takes up my time for preauthorization or appeals, you better believe that I'm going to be reimbursed for the time spent. Patients need to see what I need to go through to get their ARBs approved. If it costs them inconvenience for the stupid barriers that insurers put into place , that is not my fault.
We need to stop being everyone's doormat if this profession is to survive.
