Changes in the healthcare reimbursement system

[LuckyCharms83]

So 10 years from now or even sooner, does anyone anticipate that the current reimbursement system will change...(ok probably). More specifically, does anyone think that the current system with high reimbursements for procedures will be reduced significantly? And as a result, specialties will be payed much lower salaries than they are currently? Please feel free to speculate all you want, but if anyone has any articles or has a lot of knowledge in this area, I especially welcome your comments. Thanks all!

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[LuckyCharms83]

anyone?

 

[Dimoak]

One reason you did not get responses is because some people may have thought you were trolling. But in general, it's become pretty common knowledge that reimbursement cuts are most likely on the horizon. This will probably impact the procedure heavy specialities the most, such as gas and surgery, as well as fields that rely on multiple item billing, such as radiology and some dermatology practices. The reason for this is everyone is anticipating a large federal cut in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, which will also result in the insurance companies following suit and lowering reimbursement. This would lead to patients having to pay higher copays to maintain current reimbursement levels, which will not happen. Since physicians can't go on strike over wage and compensation disputes, those in PP who work on an "eat what you kill" system (and academics will probably be affected as well) will either have to increase the amount of work they do or take the pay cut.

 

[Habeed]

There's just one problem : everything a physician could do has an "RVU" value assigned to it. This is supposed to compensate for the fact that doing an hour of open heart surgery is harder than an hour of doing physicals.

Anyways, the general feeling is that the disparity between procedures (which are worth a bunch of RVUs) and stuff that internists and family practice docs do is too high.

But, without changing this ratio, cutting reimbursements will cut the 'cream' off specialty surgery pay, but will put some family practice and internists out of business.

 

[sirus_virus]

There's just one problem : everything a physician could do has an "RVU" value assigned to it. This is supposed to compensate for the fact that doing an hour of open heart surgery is harder than an hour of doing physicals.

Anyways, the general feeling is that the disparity between procedures (which are worth a bunch of RVUs) and stuff that internists and family practice docs do is too high.

But, without changing this ratio, cutting reimbursements will cut the 'cream' off specialty surgery pay, but will put some family practice and internists out of business.

You are assuming there is an actual method and fairness involved in reimbursement cuts. I disagree, they cut whatever whenever however. The general practisioners in the U.K are not earning much different from the surgeons. When government starts cutting, they simply hack down wherever they can, and with "primary care" and "preventive care" rolling out the tongues of Tom Daschle and Barack Obama carelessly, don't be surprised if this is the next wave.

 

[Habeed]

You are assuming there is an actual method and fairness involved in reimbursement cuts.

I'm saying there is a method. I won't say it's fair, but it's a long established method, institutionalized over decades.
Most likely, if cuts will be made, some kind of compromise will have to be reached within the existing framework. On paper, the RVU system will likely still be respected.