APMA, ABFAS, ACFAS fighting Optum over podiatry classification

[heybrother]

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This was in one of the ACFAS weekly email blasts - Optum classified podiatrists as "Allied Health professionals". I can't find the original "source" of the story online ie. where this came up / what triggered it, but if you search for it you'll find the response letters from APMA, ACFAS etc. I wondered if this was something that happened internally at Optum to podiatrists that they employ, but who knows.

-I'm pleased whenever I see our leadership organizations fighting for us. You should give money to the APMA and your local state leadership. Yes, they will do ridiculous stuff with it, but who else will try and fight for you on real issues. Who kept us from getting separate "podiatry E&M codes".

-I hope to hear about more lawsuits in the future against insurance plans.

-And... I can't help but feel vindicated when I say that insurance companies treat podiatrists like black sheep bastard children. This forum has a tendency to describe every bad thing in the world (inflation, housing prices) as if they only impact podiatrists, but this sort of issue really does feel specific to us. UHC probably reimburses a lot of people poorly, but they don't question that the MDs are doctors. This is the second instance I've seen of a major insurance company describing us as less than we are. I've got a contract on a server where another insurance company specifically refers to podiatrists as physician extenders and calls them out to receive dramatically less in reimbursement than MD/DOs on the same contract. Does anyone believe podiatrists will be offered fair contracts by an insurance company that doesn't even believe we are physicians? Flattering websites will not save future podiatrists from crushingly low reimbursement. Optum coming out and essentially saying what they think of us is jokingly great - it gives our organizations a clear opportunity fight, but I don't believe Optum is the only insurance company who believes that we are somehow less. Structural anti-podiatrism, a word I just made up, is real.

 

[air bud]

This was in one of the ACFAS weekly email blasts - Optum classified podiatrists as "Allied Health professionals". I can't find the original "source" of the story online ie. where this came up / what triggered it, but if you search for it you'll find the response letters from APMA, ACFAS etc. I wondered if this was something that happened internally at Optum to podiatrists that they employ, but who knows.

-I'm pleased whenever I see our leadership organizations fighting for us. You should give money to the APMA and your local state leadership. Yes, they will do ridiculous stuff with it, but who else will try and fight for you on real issues. Who kept us from getting separate "podiatry E&M codes".

-I hope to hear about more lawsuits in the future against insurance plans.

-And... I can't help but feel vindicated when I say that insurance companies treat podiatrists like black sheep bastard children. This forum has a tendency to describe every bad thing in the world (inflation, housing prices) as if they only impact podiatrists, but this sort of issue really does feel specific to us. UHC probably reimburses a lot of people poorly, but they don't question that the MDs are doctors. This is the second instance I've seen of a major insurance company describing us as less than we are. I've got a contract on a server where another insurance company specifically refers to podiatrists as physician extenders and calls them out to receive dramatically less in reimbursement than MD/DOs on the same contract. Does anyone believe podiatrists will be offered fair contracts by an insurance company that doesn't even believe we are physicians? Flattering websites will not save future podiatrists from crushingly low reimbursement. Optum coming out and essentially saying what they think of us is jokingly great - it gives our organizations a clear opportunity fight, but I don't believe Optum is the only insurance company who believes that we are somehow less. Structural anti-podiatrism, a word I just made up, is real.

Anti podiometry?
Anti podiametrics?

 

[Bored Snorlax]

UHC calls podiatrists “allied health” but expects them to do surgery, manage wounds, and save limbs. They go through CEOs faster than they deny claims. Maybe the next one will actually understand what podiatry does.

 

[Feli]

I truly don't understand it. This is a smokescreen if there ever was one.
These organizations "fight" for better reimbursements... yet they advocate for more podiatry students/grads at the same time?

The podiatry organizations' narrative that more podiatrists = more lobby power is flawed as flawed can be.
APMA will get none of my money if they keep opening needless schools, have questionable residency for many, and promote high-debt grads who are basically just podiatry supergroup fodder these days.

It's not hard to see that if there are way too many of us, we are an eeeasy target for low fee schedules, rate cuts, low salaries.
If one DPM or group won't take the rates offered, others will. Look at chiro or pharma or counseling or any saturated profession.
Podiatry has all the hallmarks of saturated profession: competitive jobs/areas, wacky marketing, low wages, infighting and frustration, underemployment (relative to surgical training).

Just like we're judged by our lowest common denominator, we will also be paid based on what our lowest common denominator will accept.

Again, the podiatry organizations' narrative that more podiatrists = more lobby power is flawed. It's a ruse.
If more of a type of doc meant more pay, then why do Derm, Uro, Ent make so much then??? (obviously because they're in demand)
You don't see limited-supply specialties getting lowballed and told to take sub-medicare rates from payers. This is nothing new.
The pod organizations just want more members and more dues, and they badly miss the big picture.

 

[Homo sapien]

I truly don't understand it. This is a smokescreen if there ever was one.
These organizations "fight" for better reimbursements... yet they advocate for more podiatry students/grads at the same time?

The podiatry organizations' narrative that more podiatrists = more lobby power is flawed as flawed can be.
APMA will get none of my money if they keep opening needless schools, have questionable residency for many, and promote high-debt grads who are basically just podiatry supergroup fodder these days.

It's not hard to see that if there are way too many of us, we are an eeeasy target for low fee schedules, rate cuts, low salaries.
If one DPM or group won't take the rates offered, others will. Look at chiro or pharma or counseling or any saturated profession.
Podiatry has all the hallmarks of saturated profession: competitive jobs/areas, wacky marketing, low wages, infighting and frustration, underemployment (relative to surgical training).

Just like we're judged by our lowest common denominator, we will also be paid based on what our lowest common denominator will accept.

Again, the podiatry organizations' narrative that more podiatrists = more lobby power is flawed. It's a ruse.
If more of a type of doc meant more pay, then why do Derm, Uro, Ent make so much then??? (obviously because they're in demand)
You don't see limited-supply specialties getting lowballed and told to take sub-medicare rates from payers. This is nothing new.
The pod organizations just want more members and more dues, and they badly miss the big picture.

The pod organizations are in it to enrich themselves only

 

[Feli]