Mayo Clinic

[Dr Gerrard]

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Why is the Mayo Clinic the ideal form of American Health Care?

If they can achieve this ideal form, why do we need complete reform?

 

[MossPoh]

Because Mayo Clinic isn't the other hospitals. It is a very very very difficult model to mimic and is much more complicated than simply transitioning over.

Either way, to get other hospitals to be like Mayo would be reform. One of the definitions of reform is "a change for the better as a result of correcting abuses." So, the very act of changing IS reform. Our system as a whole is not built around the Mayo Clinic ideal.

 

[Dr Gerrard]

I mean some reform is needed, but not the complete overhaul that everyone talks about.

It might be a very very difficult model to mimic, but what we are trying to do now also seems very difficult and chances of it being as successful as the Mayo Clinic has been is very very low.

Still, that never answered my first question. What do they do that would be so difficult for other hospitals to do?

 

[thesauce]

I mean some reform is needed, but not the complete overhaul that everyone talks about.

It might be a very very difficult model to mimic, but what we are trying to do now also seems very difficult and chances of it being as successful as the Mayo Clinic has been is very very low.

Still, that never answered my first question. What do they do that would be so difficult for other hospitals to do?

They take a very high percentage of private insurance patients which pay a premium for the Mayo Clinic name on top of their already higher reimbursements. This allows them to cover their $800 million/yr losses from Medicare/Medicaid. Other healthcare systems cannot hope to mimic this.

 

[Mattabet]

They take a very high percentage of private insurance patients which pay a premium for the Mayo Clinic name on top of their already higher reimbursements. This allows them to cover their $800 million/yr losses from Medicare/Medicaid. Other healthcare systems cannot hope to mimic this.

Heh. Maybe we could 'reform' the system to only accept foreign dignitaries' oil money...

 

[JasonE]

Heh. Maybe we could 'reform' the system to only accept foreign dignitaries' oil money...

sad as that may be, that actually happens a lot.

medicare takes a crap of doctors. maybe one day the government will drive everyone away from the field then healthcare will be free. obama can operate on you.

 

[TopSecret]

Why is the Mayo Clinic the ideal form of American Health Care?

If they can achieve this ideal form, why do we need complete reform?

It's a fee for service institution with charity care (Medicare/Medicaid) thrown into the mix. Patients usually pay cash up front before being seen.

 

[jtimmer1]

Something they do well is pay doctors salaries rather than per-capita payments, so the incentive to do highly technical treatments and rush through patients goes away. Less invasive treatment and more time with patients also means fewer complications and better outcomes, which saves money in the long run.

I really do not see what is so wrong with this; maybe the system should be shaped to mimic.