[thechat] MedFAQ-Jiggling on the Job

Hugh Blair hblair at hotfootmail.com
Sun Jan 19 11:57:01 CST 2003


> -----Original Message-----
> On Behalf Of Madhu Menon
>
> At 09:28 PM 19-01-03, Hugh Blair wrote:
> >1 - she doesn't accept any insurance plans - cash only. If only
> >     more practices did this...
>
> Why is this a good thing? Doesn't this affect people who have
> insurance plans and would rather use the system? Am I missing
> something?

This is a good thing -

For the doc:
1 - doesn't have to wait for uncertain payments from
    insurance companies with which she does or doesn't have
    a contract,
2 - doesn't have to decide which insurance companies with which
    to participate,
3 - insurance billing is a minor staff load instead of requiring
    at least one FTE for just that function = lower office costs,
4 - doc gets the reimbursment s/he expects, not some unknown amount,

For the patient:
1 - doesn't have to worry if doc participates in their insurance
    program or not,
2 - fixed costs ($1500/year) for office visits,
3 - better educates the patient on what their insurance plan
    covers and what it doesn't - which will (hopefully) give them
    an incentive to pressure insurance companies to cover needed
    items at a better cost-to-reimbursment percentage,

Patients still have a choice of provider, this office or one
that participates in their insurance plan.

Of course this is just my opinion...

Hugh




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