Something off my chest........Health care will never be fixed by Lawyers

I rant and rave about genomics and about hyping of genetic tests but today I have a bigger issue. That issue is plain and simple.


Healthcare is FCUk3D up.



I run a successful personalized medicine practice, just recently we started taking health insurance. The demands from handling billing and copays from insurers AND medicaid has not been that cumbersome. Why? We only see 10 patients per doctor per day.

When you start seeing more than that it creates all sorts of problems.

Like manpower requirements that start to exceed 100-200k per doctor.......

If you have less doctors for more patients, the equation is simple.

Rationing of physician care.

That is what will happen when you cut 400 million dollars of Medicare money. Oh wait, I mean 500 BILLION dollars......

Do I think that the Lawyer serving in congress will ever solve those problems?
No.
Do I think that the very few doctors in congress will fix this problem?
No.

But trust me, there are way more lawyers than doctors in Congress, so I am extremely doubtful.
No Offense GenomicsLawyer.......

Why?

They are not the people who are experiencing the problems.

Maybe the doctors were, but they aren't now.

The solution will come from doctors/nurses/patients who are involved in the system already...... currently.......

To think otherwise is foolish.
And to drown out the protesters, intimidate them and hide from town halls is also foolish.

Both parties in this argument are dead wrong.

They are having the wrong argument.

The average primary care doctor gets paid about the same as they did 10 years ago. Does that make sense?
Costs go up. Rent Goes up. Medical Supplies cost more. And insurance pays less and less, Including Medicare, who pays routinely 1/2 to 1/3 of what private insurers pay.

As a doctor, Don't like what you get paid? Switch Insurers.
But you won't be able to do that under a universal plan.

As a patient? Don't like what your insurance paid for? Switch insurers. Pretty simple, unless of course you have preexisting conditions.......

The system is a mess, not because of what we pay doctors or hospitals or whoever.

The system is a mess because there are a whole lot of sick people out there......More sick people than healthcare practitioners equals shortage of attention.

Shortage of attention leads to worse care and more labs and more procedures. Shortage of attention leads to increased malpractice costs, risks and fears...... Want to fix the system?

Encourage more doctors to go into primary care, make their liability risks less, create technology so that they can "fire" their overhead this will create increased revenues for doctors without raising pay.

But please, don't ration care because we are too busy and too risk averse to do it on our own.

Enable the professionals to do it by giving them time to think about their patients...... This system will never get fixed by lawyers.......never.

Medicine is a thinking man/woman's game, not a sweatshop.....why ask us to run sweatshops? The American people deserve better than that......

The Sherpa Says: What good is personalized medicine if the doctor can't take the time to personalize it for the patients??? You tell me.

The Doctors are OK with this?

Yesterday in "The Times" a nice article was posted about the revolutionary way in which doctors will receive education about CLINICAL genetics, this time it is from NonClinical Scientists......

At the tune of 4.5 Million British Pounds!

This may work with CGCs, oh wait, they don't do much of anything in the UK system.

What about clinical geneticists?
Who?

Ok, scientists it is......

So I can just see it now.

A busy NHS practice, patients out the door, flu shot here, flu shot there and in rolls the "Scientist"

Clinician-"Oh hi, you must be the genetics guy sent from the government. Have a seat, I'll be right with you"

4 hours later

Scientist-Sitting nicely, waiting

Clinician-"Ok, lets chat over lunch"

Scientist-"Glad to be here, Let's talk about what a chromosome is"

Clinician-Scarfing down a sandwich "Ok, that was great, gotta go. I am double booked. See you in a few"

4 hours later

Scientist-Sitting Nicely, waiting

Clinician-"Sorry about that, I had a sickie and then the crazy lady....G-d where did the time go?"

Scientist-"See you tomorrow?"

Clinician-"You bet, I feel better prepared already"

As nice as this one is, I have already tried it with a clinical geneticist who actually can create billable events and see patients........ I am not so certain that going to the doctors will help as much as being on their iPhone or on a hotline.......

The Sherpa Says: When climbing the mountain for the first time, it is best to chat with someone who has been there before.....Muin and Franics, I hope you are paying attention here.