When I was young physicians were an independent bunch. Most were self-employed males, who were either sole proprietors or in small group practices. In the past 20 or so years it has become increasingly common for doctors to work for someone else. According to Merritt-Hawkins nearly three-fourths (74%) of physicians now work for hospitals, health care systems or corporate entities. Of physicians accepting new work assignments today, 90% are accepting positions as employees rather than owners or partners.
Category: Policy & Legislation
White House Ends Vaccine Mandates for Federal workers
Actually, the mandates don’t actually end until “May 11, the same day that the COVID-19 public health emergency ends.”
The Committee to Unleash Prosperity comments:
It was clear by late 2021 that the vaccines had no meaningful effect on transmission, and that prior infection was at least as protective as vaccination. These mandates have been pure drama ever since, and the United States is among the last countries in the world to still impose them. They backfired in many ways-making many millions of Americans suspicious of Big Brother orders requiring the shots.
George Halvorson on Amputations: Medicare v. MA Plans
Medicare Patients are currently 10 times more likely to have amputations than higher income patients. Those amputations currently cost Medicare over $100,000 each…. The Medicare Advantage plans do basic care process design to help those patients. The Medicare Advantage care teams know that almost 90 percent of amputations are caused by foot ulcers. The plans all know…
Beyond House Calls, the Next Big Thing is Hospital Care in the Home
Hospitals are the most expensive place to get medical care in the health care industry. Hospitals consume nearly one-third of health care expenditures, accounting for more than $1.33 trillion a year. I often advise people to never get anything done at a hospital if they are physically able to go anywhere else. For example, my wife unknowingly started to make an appointment for an outpatient CT scan at a nearby hospital.