Always pains me when doctors complain about not making enough money, when even the lowest-paid physicians (pediatricians, internists, FPs) make three to four times the annual income of the average (median) American family. But any time comp goes down, people feel the pain, and with costs of everything going up, the squeeze hits us too. The abusive practice of billing emergency patients at out-of-network rates and despite (or because of) their non-covered status needed to come to an end. Any physician who was a party to that abuse should be ashamed (if such a vestige of human decency remains). The article also does a good job of outlining other factors in the salary squeeze; it does not look like these will be reversing any time soon.
Quick question. If in-network rates are completely inadequate to cover the value of services provided, and doctors should be ashamed of billing out-of-network rates, what's your solution? All doctors provide free services at whatever rate the insurance company decides by setting in-network levels?
See, the problem with your statement is that always agreeing to in-network rates gives the insurance companies all the power to arbitrarily determine the value of our services, and continue to set quarterly records for profits. You're in favor of that? Essentially, you would show up to work if the in-network rates offered resulted in you being paid minimum wage?
The solution is for the consumer to have more options for switching health plans to ones that pay better rates and thereby have larger networks. Sadly, we have now mandated that health insurance be provided by employers, who choose plans for us based on what's cheapest.
I am not personally in favor of the way the No Surprises Act has been implemented. Quite the opposite. The NSA has been a disaster for acute care medical practices. Basically, it took away the practices' leverage when negotiating with insurance companies (the threat of going out of network), then set up an arbitration system that strongly favors insurers.
Always pains me when doctors complain about not making enough money, when even the lowest-paid physicians (pediatricians, internists, FPs) make three to four times the annual income of the average (median) American family. But any time comp goes down, people feel the pain, and with costs of everything going up, the squeeze hits us too. The abusive practice of billing emergency patients at out-of-network rates and despite (or because of) their non-covered status needed to come to an end. Any physician who was a party to that abuse should be ashamed (if such a vestige of human decency remains). The article also does a good job of outlining other factors in the salary squeeze; it does not look like these will be reversing any time soon.
Quick question. If in-network rates are completely inadequate to cover the value of services provided, and doctors should be ashamed of billing out-of-network rates, what's your solution? All doctors provide free services at whatever rate the insurance company decides by setting in-network levels?
See, the problem with your statement is that always agreeing to in-network rates gives the insurance companies all the power to arbitrarily determine the value of our services, and continue to set quarterly records for profits. You're in favor of that? Essentially, you would show up to work if the in-network rates offered resulted in you being paid minimum wage?
The solution is for the consumer to have more options for switching health plans to ones that pay better rates and thereby have larger networks. Sadly, we have now mandated that health insurance be provided by employers, who choose plans for us based on what's cheapest.
Hi Lon,
Good question.
I am not personally in favor of the way the No Surprises Act has been implemented. Quite the opposite. The NSA has been a disaster for acute care medical practices. Basically, it took away the practices' leverage when negotiating with insurance companies (the threat of going out of network), then set up an arbitration system that strongly favors insurers.
Would def recommend contacting your legislators to get them fired up about this issue. More info: https://www.medpagetoday.com/opinion/second-opinions/104208