Podiatry is profitable for both surgery centers and hospital systems. The insurances may pay us **** but hospitals will still get to charge a decent facility fee. Most of our cases are quick. Unless you are putting on frames and take 8 hours for every case, then I don't see how a DPM can be banned from operating. And if in the most extreme and rare cases that does happen, there will be another facility wanting those fees.
As far as Ortho, yeah I mean the competition is always there and I am sure some hate us. But we all got our different skill sets to offer. I lost appetite for big recon cases now due to low reimbursement. Sure those cases would fullfill my ego, but money talks. If I get consulted on an ORIF, I would do it. But I won't actively look for them like how I did back in residency.
I am very confident that I can get all the Orthos in the hospital to let us do BKAs, if needed. Most if not all despite amputation I&D type surgeries. One actually got furious for being consulted on knee I&Ds and asked me why I refused to see them when he saw me in the lounge lol
I recently came across
this article. This is a perfect example demonstrating the above.