I had an interesting idea... What if those of us who are not actual doctors, family, friends and staff, "Friends of Primary Care Providers" had even a third organization. Like who here right now knows more about this stupid business but your biller or your practice manager. I'm not feeling a 100% confident, but I think that we are not bound by the same laws. We certainly are not the one's who are bound by the anti-trust laws that is for sure.
I'm just not sure because like so many other things in the stupid business, the doc still pays the price for the "Violations" of their staff. So am I for example truely free to speak my mind and out these SOB's or would they still prosecute my doc because I am in her employ and so like billing and coding, no matter who picked the final code or submitted the actual bill, in the end the doc pays the price none the less? Also might I be subject to some forms of civil or legal penalties for disclosing the terms and conditions of these private and "proprietary" contract terms and conditions...
All of this reminds me of the fight Ben & Jerry's had many years ago with Pillsbury. There was something where they were trying to silence B&J and the basics got out in the news up in Vermont. And so there was this grassroots like support the guys like thing that sprung up around town, with folks wearing t-shirts and making bumper stickers with the phrase; "What's the DoughBoy Scared Of???"
It just about the same thing. These guys know that if we outed them for all the restrictive stuff and CCHIT that is in their contracts, most people would get it and be pissed as all hell, and so they also load our contracts up with all these terms and penalties that don't allow folks to out them and talk about them... Ya just can't make this kind of stuff up.
We need a medial business wistle blower forum to protect the whisler blowers which gives some basic cover to the person who outs these bastards so the story can finally be told.
Hey did you guys hear about the 10 repreve from the Medicare cuts to get us over the 4th of July holiday? So congress has 3 days to solve the problem when they get back or else.... Lovely.
