No. of Recommendations: 3
I have not worked in a doctor's office either, but both my wife and my brother accepted Medicare patients at various times in their careers. Both of them detested everything about the payment process, and both reported it to be vastly more time consuming, frustrating, and inefficient than dealing with private insurance. Both left Medicare entirely, and solely because it just wasn't worth the time and brain damage to get paid.
Thanks for that input.
Seems to me that the main difference is that patients are shielded from being exposed to any of that frustration in Medicare, while they get dumped into the soup with the provider in private insurance.
Time for a story. When I first went on Medicare, I mosied in to the doc for my first visit, my "welcome to Medicare" visit. A few months later, a bill came from the doc. Medicare had rejected the claim. I had to do the legwork myself to find the doc had used the wrong billing code. So, the doc resubmitted the claim. A few months later, I received another bill from the doc. He had used the wrong code again. I eventually found a single page on the net, that explained the coding for Medicare wellness visits, printed it out, and hand carried it to the doc's office. The girl at the desk said she had never seen anything before that laid out when to use each code. There are three codes: "welcome to Medicare", "first annual visit", and "subsequent annual visits". If you don't use the right code, the claim is rejected.
This all brings us back to the possibility that Medicare is set up to fail.
How about Medicare being made as easy to use, for the doc, as the French system: swipe a person's national health card, type a few codes into the terminal, instead of having a room full of paper shufflers, and receive payment in a few moments, instead of weeks?
More from the net sifter. As offered before, feel free to provide data from any other credible source, if you don't like what the sifter says.
French physicians generally report higher satisfaction with their system's balance of professional freedom and universal coverage compared to US physicians' satisfaction with Medicare and the broader US system. The French system provides more autonomy from insurance company interference and ensures virtually all patients have coverage, which reduces administrative burdens and ethical conflicts for doctors.
French Physician Satisfaction
Professional Autonomy: A high percentage of French doctors (49%) report having more freedom to practice medicine and make decisions without interference from government or insurance companies, compared to only 10% of US physicians.
Universal Coverage: French physicians rarely deal with uninsured patients, with 96% reporting their patients never or rarely lack health insurance, eliminating a major source of stress and disparity seen in the US.
Predictable Payment: Payments for similar services are standardized, which helps reduce administrative overhead and uncertainty. Their services are generally approved prospectively and rarely questioned after the fact.
Patient Access: Doctors in France see patients more frequently and can provide better follow-up care, which contributes to better national health outcomes and potentially higher professional satisfaction.
Income & Lifestyle: French doctors are often more satisfied with their income relative to the cost of living and education (less student debt) and report a better work-life balance compared to their US counterparts
US Physician Satisfaction (including with Medicare)
Administrative Burden: US physicians, including those working with Medicare, face significant administrative work and strict post-service payment reviews from various insurers, a major source of dissatisfaction.
Insurance Disparities: US physicians are more likely to care for uninsured or underinsured patients, leading to concerns about health disparities and access to care.
Cost Concerns: US doctors report having to focus more on the costs of medications and treatments due to patient co-pays and insurance structures, rather than solely on clinical guidelines.
Interference: Only a small percentage (10%) of US physicians feel they have high freedom to make medical decisions without interference from the government or insurance companies
In essence, French physicians express greater satisfaction due to a system that prioritizes universal access and professional autonomy, while US physicians face challenges related to administrative burdens and the complexities of a multi-payer system that impacts both patient care and professional freedom
Steve
