Healthcare Update Satellite – 06-08-2015

To increase access to medical for our nation’s veterans, the Veteran’s Choice Act authorized the VA to pay for more medical provided to veterans from community health providers. How did the VA save money in that scenario? It either “lost” claims in which providers had proof of submission or it just delayed paying the claims so that veterans would be billed for the treatment. Now providers are refusing to contract with the VA due to all of the hassles. The VA said that it was making interest payments to providers who received delayed payments, but none of the people testifying to a Senate subcommittee had received such payments. And this is the type of system that we’re all hoping to adopt for our nation’s healthcare? Thought provoking article in American Thinker where a physician compares defensive medicine to defensive policing. Both professions can involve life-or-death decisions in which not all information is always available. Physicians may respond by ordering more tests “just to be sure.” Police may respond by ignoring criminal activity or by delaying a response to a crime to avoid any conflicts. “The natural response is to avoid the high-risk situations. Stop accepting new patients, particularly sick patients with a greater chance of complications. Order extra tests to avoid missing a diagnosis, however unlikely. For police, just look the other way. Take your time responding to a distress call. Don’t make the arre...
Source: WhiteCoat's Call Room - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: Healthcare Update Source Type: blogs