Val Jones, MD
CEO, Better Health
Ever wonder why your physician only spends 5-10 rushed minutes with you during your office visit? You may think it’s because there are simply too many patients vying for her time, but that’s not the real reason. The root cause is that health insurance companies are stealing time from your visit by requiring excessive documentation from your doctor. She can’t give you the time you need, because doing so would put her out of business.
In a special report on the administrative burden of healthcare, MedPage Today revealed that PCPs spend about one third of their income on documentation required by health insurers. Because they run a business with thin margins, they must increase the volume of patients they treat in order to cover the salaries of the staff required to manage this “paper weight.”
About 49% of all physicians have said that they are considering retiring or quitting medicine in the next two years (the rate is lower for specialists), largely because of increasing documentation requirements and decreasing reimbursement.
| Enough |
September 30th, 2009 9:25 am ET And if the government option plan had passed, the paperwork would have been a nightmare. Anything with the government involved lacks common sense. Have the auto dealers finally received their cash for clunkers rebates? |
|
| Mike, Syracuse, NY |
September 30th, 2009 9:25 am ET Anyone think that a government run plan will require less documentation? |
|
| Mundo |
September 30th, 2009 9:38 am ET Sounds like a testimonial for Electronic Health/Medical Record and Health Care Reform |
|
| Kelsey Roberts |
September 30th, 2009 10:07 am ET It is astounding to me just how inhuman and heartless insurance companies are. Medicine is supposed to be about taking care of those in need, not pleasing a faceless collection of bureaucrats with little to no actual knowledge of the business. |
|
| Mike in NYC |
September 30th, 2009 10:08 am ET Would the administrative burdens on doctors be any different under a gov't-run insurance plan? It's hard to see how taking insurance company profit out of the picture would eliminate things like coding and billing. Personally, I think straight fee-for-service is the way to go, whatever kinks might have to be ironed out along the way. |
|
| Melissa |
September 30th, 2009 10:26 am ET Its time to end insurance companies. |
|
| ljones57 |
October 1st, 2009 2:29 am ET The fact of the matter is, that this country was built on greed and the |
|
|
Comments have been closed for this article |
||
A behind the scenes look at “Anderson Cooper 360°” and the stories it covers, written by Anderson Cooper, the AC360° staff and a network of contributors. Insight you can’t find anywhere else.
We search the news each day to show you what’s on our radar and what we’re planning for the show each night.
For more details, read our tips on how to win 360° approval for comments.
Send your instant feedback to Anderson Cooper 360°.
- Live Blog from the Anchor Desk 02/09/10
- Evening Buzz: Digging Out.... Again
- Returning to Haiti. Tipping the scales of faith.
- Toyota Recalls: What you need to know
- Severe Weather Update
- Treating addicts: What we may (or may not) learn from the Conrad Murray case
- The view from above
- Interactive Haiti Map: Aid, supplies and stories
- Video: Doctors: Haitian may have survived 4 weeks in rubble
- One year in, Obama must define himself
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2005
