How did the EMR thing get exempted from kickback laws

[pathstudent]

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The EMR kickback is destroying our outpatient bone marrow business. Basically it amounts to a few tens of thousands of dollars in the oncologist's pockets. I don't begrudge them as I understand everyone's loyalty is first and foremost to their family not to the local pathology group, but how is this not seen as a kickback.

One of our longtime colleagues said that it will save him close 40k (which he would have to spend due to the ACA (Obamacare)). He said there is no contract just a gentleman's agreement.

 

[LADoc00]

The EMR kickback is destroying our outpatient bone marrow business. Basically it amounts to a few tens of thousands of dollars in the oncologist's pockets. I don't begrudge them as I understand everyone's loyalty is first and foremost to their family not to the local pathology group, but how is this not seen as a kickback.

One of our longtime colleagues said that it will save him close 40k (which he would have to spend due to the ACA (Obamacare)). He said there is no contract just a gentleman's agreement.

It was an 11th hour slip in to aid movement to an electronic record. From Congressional aides Ive chatted with over wine about this, very few suspected what would happen at the time although all of them had "alarm bells" going off in the manner it was passed.

 

[pathstudent]

It was an 11th hour slip in to aid movement to an electronic record. From Congressional aides Ive chatted with over wine about this, very few suspected what would happen at the time although all of them had "alarm bells" going off in the manner it was passed.

Well it sucks for us small time pathologists. It seems like most of the stark exemptions are meant to help the big fish and stick it to the small private groups.

 

[WEBB PINKERTON]

Do you guys also provide phlebotomists to physician offices? In our market, we have to for the larger accounts. Everyone is doing it. Then you have to try to figure out work for them to do while they are stationed there. It's a total waste. Gotta love the lab industry.....

 

[Substance]

In the eyes of the policymakers, you are but laboratory technicians whose standards can safely reach the bottom. Clearly that is not true about your profession, but these politicians would rather see the "real doctors" get EMRs than see your profession excel.

Blame your professional organizations and your academic institutions for this utter lack of action regarding the status of your specialty.

 

[pathstudent]

In the eyes of the policymakers, you are but laboratory technicians whose standards can safely reach the bottom. Clearly that is not true about your profession, but these politicians would rather see the "real doctors" get EMRs than see your profession excel.

Blame your professional organizations and your academic institutions for this utter lack of action regarding the status of your specialty.

Well our professional organization is between a rock and a hard places as the Micara, Ameripaths, large pathology groups are also memebers of the professional organization.

It is just too bad that the policy makers don't see that this is nothing more than a kickback. It is cash in the clinicians pocket in exchange for specimens.

 

[Substance]

Well our professional organization is between a rock and a hard places as the Micara, Ameripaths, large pathology groups are also memebers of the professional organization.

It is just too bad that the policy makers don't see that this is nothing more than a kickback. It is cash in the clinicians pocket in exchange for specimens.

That's a big problem. An organization which is supposed to be a professional organization for physicians is mired by the presence of non-physician businessmen. Obviously the focus will be on corporate profit at the expense of physician autonomy, income, and most of all quality patient care.

Big huge fail there. Big.

Their presence also influences training programs, and the corps have the most to profit from having an oversupply of pathologist labor. Wow. I had no idea that big lab corps are there. Your field is screwed.

 

[Path_to_Endo]

Yeah, my thoughts exactly. Serious trouble for the future.

 

[member0007]

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[member0007]

That's a nice way of putting it. Don't forget the shenanigans of 'code stacking', performing 'useless tests' because they were reimbursed, and so on...