CMS Released- MORE PAY CUTS FOR ‘24

[TeslaCoil]

This is friggin ridiculous already. Are they serious???

Anesthesiologists Denounce Another Year of Medicare Payment Cuts, Urge Immediate Reforms

The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) condemned yet another year of cuts to Medicare payments for critically important anesthesia and pain medicine services.

www.asahq.org

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Members don't see this ad.

 

[narcotics999]

This is ridiculous. Why medicare payment is not inflation-linked?

 

[Radar26]

This seems like a strong motivating factor for groups to consider throwing in the towel and switching to a hospital employment based model. How are you suppose to be a financially strong, independent group when physician fees are cut year after year yet facility fees steadily rise? People are going to be forced to follow the money.

 

[ryanjmy]

They hit the nail on the head: "seriously threaten physicians’ practice survival"

It's basically impossible for a hospital based private practice to survive without a subsidy. The money is still flowing it just flows through administration first. Lessens the power of physicians.

 

[TheLoneWolf]

They hit the nail on the head: "seriously threaten physicians’ practice survival"

It's basically impossible for a hospital based private practice to survive without a subsidy. The money is still flowing it just flows through administration first. Lessens the power of physicians.

Have you thought rhat this may be the desired outcome. Direct bargaining between big medical systems, private insurance, and CMS. Anyone acts out of line, hospital can correct.

 

[HemeOncHopeful19]

This seems like a strong motivating factor for groups to consider throwing in the towel and switching to a hospital employment based model. How are you suppose to be a financially strong, independent group when physician fees are cut year after year yet facility fees steadily rise? People are going to be forced to follow the money.

This is all according to plan since the passage of PPACA (and probably even before)

 

[POW16]

"Thank you to our health care heroes !"

 

[GassYous]

A 3% increase wouldn't be enough
We are already asking for increased stipends from the hospital, won't be long before the group is employed directly

 

[DesiredMemberName?]

Unchecked consolidation leads to market (pricing) power. Efficiency in this setting leads to higher “(non)profit” margins, but consumer costs will remain high (and continue to increase) without either competition or regulation.

 

[TheLoneWolf]

The answer may be in doing the one thing every government bureaucrat, hospital administrator, and insurance body wishes to avoid at all costs...a united physicians union that takes no money (input) from the above and answers to and for their members. Essentially become the interface by which the other 3 can communicate and negotiate. Better than the current wasteland systems we have now.

 

[TeslaCoil]

^Been Saying this for years.

 

[POW16]

That movement is slowly gaining traction with residents and fellows. Maybe it will happen for attendings too.

 

[Fpg1245]

That movement is slowly gaining traction with residents and fellows. Maybe it will happen for attendings too.

Take note across the pond

 

[TeslaCoil]

That movement is slowly gaining traction with residents and fellows. Maybe it will happen for attendings too.

It needs to. Big time. Big business and our pos government are taking a joint dump on physicians.

 

[Fpg1245]

Consultants’ strike to put NHS care in England ‘at a standstill’, says top doctor | NHS | The Guardian

Sir Stephen Powis says two-day strike over pay will cause most severe impact ever seen in the NHS as result of industrial action

amp.theguardian.com

Will be us in a few years.

 

[TheLoneWolf]

I

Take note across the pond

Consultants’ strike to put NHS care in England ‘at a standstill’, says top doctor

Sir Stephen Powis says two-day strike over pay will cause most severe impact ever seen in the NHS as result of industrial action

www.theguardian.com

Maybe if we publicly shame and vilify docs they will go back to working for fast food manager pay. Such a great idea. What could possibly go wrong?

 

[PikminOC]

This seems like a strong motivating factor for groups to consider throwing in the towel and switching to a hospital employment based model. How are you suppose to be a financially strong, independent group when physician fees are cut year after year yet facility fees steadily rise? People are going to be forced to follow the money.

This is exactly what they are trying to do 💯

 

[epidural man]

What percentage of anesthesiologists are part of the ASA?

 

[nimbus]

The answer may be in doing the one thing every government bureaucrat, hospital administrator, and insurance body wishes to avoid at all costs...a united physicians union that takes no money (input) from the above and answers to and for their members. Essentially become the interface by which the other 3 can communicate and negotiate. Better than the current wasteland systems we have now.

When you put it that way, it seems like USAP and NAPA are essentially united physicians unions except that they serve their PE investors first and the physicians are lower down the list.

 

[TheLoneWolf]

When you put it that way, it seems like USAP and NAPA are essentially united physician unions except that they serve their PE investors first and the physicians are lower down the list.

I could be wrong but it seems to me that the economics of modern medicine is just a game of who is holding the doctors (short) leash.

 

[nimbus]

I could be wrong but it seems to me that the economics of modern medicine is just a game of who is holding the doctors (short) leash.

You’re not wrong.

 

[pgg]

What percentage of anesthesiologists are part of the ASA?

I wasn't for 5 or 6 years, until I joined my current group in 2022 and ASA membership was part of the benefits package.

About 10 years ago I was a Chairman's Council level donor to ASAPAC, despite earning military level pay. I thought it was that important.

But I got somewhat disillusioned with ASA leadership, what with all the time they spent being nice to the AANA, wearing out kneepads and wiping their chins. So I let my membership lapse and quit donating.

Various state level PACs seem to be doing good work, and I don't really loathe the ASA the way I loathe the AMA and ABA. So I guess I'm happy to be contributing (indirectly) to the ASA again. I guess? Maybe.

 

[TheLoneWolf]

I wasn't for 5 or 6 years, until I joined my current group in 2022 and ASA membership was part of the benefits package.

About 10 years ago I was a Chairman's Council level donor to ASAPAC, despite earning military level pay. I thought it was that important.

But I got somewhat disillusioned with ASA leadership, what with all the time they spent being nice to the AANA, wearing out kneepads and wiping their chins. So I let my membership lapse and quit donating.

Various state level PACs seem to be doing good work, and I don't really loathe the ASA the way I loathe the AMA and ABA. So I guess I'm happy to be contributing (indirectly) to the ASA again. I guess? Maybe.

Really? What issues do you have with the ABA?

 

[Anesthesia_Guy]

What percentage of anesthesiologists are part of the ASA?

Too many. Zero percent of anesthesiologists should be members of the ASA.

 

[pgg]

Really? What issues do you have with the ABA?

While MOCA Minute is an improvement over the q10year exam, the two 5-year QI tasks are garbage.

The mere existence of an OSCE portion of the exam now, even though it doesn't affect me, offends me.

The new cardiac exam, when the NBE echo board certification has sufficed previously.