Write it Wayne, write it!!! Someone has to get the truth out there.
Vickie, you have nothing to appologize for what so ever, so says the king of long winded posts. I grant you immunity.
As for this bozo, if you folks return to the blog many others there have kind of mentioned many of the things we have all spoken to here. I can only hope that the PCP's in his area read his posting and do as Wayne said, stop refering to him. When his practice dries up and shrivels on the vine, then he can rant to his heart's content about how stupid all those PCP's were for not refering to his self proclaimed superior @$$. Only nobody will be listening... Screw him.
And there was this other guy who was carrying on about this PCP who dropped out of insurance and how unethical it all was because he had a practice full of upper middle class patients who could afford to pay him cash on the barrel and that he was proud and unappologetic about it. It's easy to sit in judgement of someone else when the system you defend still takes decent care of you and you are talking with your mouth full, because you can still feast on the takings. Most PCP's no longer have such luxuries or liberties to spare. Most of you have but two choices, get 'em in and spit 'em out, high volumn crumby care or slow down, and do proper care while starving your ethical beliefs as Nancy and I are doing. I want to see all these specialist idiots and AMA snoots practice with your payment levels and keep to their position on this kind of CCHIT.
I learned a long time ago at the ripe age of 18 as much as I wanted to care for many others and assist them with their problems, one can not afford to care for others until they have half secured a place of stablity for themselves first.
Well funny how none of the specialist docs see the RUC wing of the AMA that so wrongly colludes with their well protected specialist bretheren to keep the RVU's for procedures so artifically high, while the RVU's for office visits are set so arificially low as OK, nothing wrong there now is there??? Then these same SOB's try to take over your IPA's and PO's to get contracts that make it even worse with bumps for procedures higher then office visit doubling the insult to all of you.
We have such a contract with one of our major carriers, who will remain nameless, right now thru Nancy's PO here in town. The RVU's for procdures are already biased heavily towards procedures and surgical things, but none the less, the board keeps this contract at 10% higher for procdures as compared to E&M codes! Makes my blood boil when I see this CCHIT. You guys need to know more about the business side of your businesses. This is how you get screwed each and every day, right under your own noses and you don't even know it...
This is reason enough for me and I would hope each and everyone of you to write the AMA and tell them you will never return until the RUC revamps its BULLCCHIT standing on procedures verses office visits, other E&M codes. Your own collegues and proffessional organizations are telling you just how much they value you... And their answer is that they DON'T! Please get the message and start to act upon it.
I keep saying the PCP's need to form a more radical all PCP inclusive organization that finally stands up for what is right, not for what is profitable for everybody else but patients and primary care providers... Please get the hint folks, please. For your own sake, all the patients' sakes, America's sake. Someone finally has to take a stand and say what needs to be said, and do what actually needs to be done. And for better or for worse, this task falls to you...
Good Night and Good Luck,
Paul
