The average wait for new patients to see a physician is 26 days, and that's for mostly healthy people. In a medical emergency, the situation can become even more frightening: Twenty-two percent of acutely ill patients 65 or older who sought medical attention had to wait six days or more for an appointment
Nearly 70 million Americans on Medicare, many with chronic conditions, can expect longer waiting times for medical care.
Even being an established, well-connected doctor doesn't always help. One colleague of mine, working at a major medical center in the South, recently decided to move with his family to the Northeast. But as the process was underway, his wife was diagnosed with cancer. Even though she'd already received a diagnosis, and even though they were using the same insurance company, the insurer refused to cover her oncology treatment until she got a referral from a new primary care physician.
Despite being a prominent doctor himself, my colleague could not find a single physician willing to take his wife on as a new patient. The family was forced to go back to their previous state so his wife could receive care. Fortunately, she is doing well, but my colleague asks, "How do people do this without the connections we have?"
In reporting this story, I spoke with dozens of physicians, the vast majority of whom vented their frustrations with the current state of medicine. But just as tellingly, almost all of them also refused to talk to me on the record, fearing that speaking out could cost them their jobs.
Part of what's driving this is the growing trend of private equity firms and corporations, such as CVS Health and Amazon, purchasing hospitals and private practices. One major medical group, (that would be UHC/Optum) with about 90,000 doctors in some 2,000 locations across the country, has spent billions of dollars acquiring physician-owned practices, home health centers and surgical centers. This past April, the Physician Advocacy Institute reported that just shy of 80 percent of all doctors were employed by hospitals or corporations, up 200 percent in just over 10 years.
Physicians told me they are burned out. Simply put, they are being asked by the business world that owns their practices to do medicine, at times, in ways they view as not in the patient's best interest. Meanwhile, those who cling to their independent practices are finding it impossible to hold on given the financial pressures on them.
Millions of American workers are currently employed in health care in some capacity, many in government, for insurance companies, or in corporate oversight. But in the end, it is often doctors on the front lines, bearing the blame and anguish when diagnoses are wrong or treatments go badly.
Interesting article that places much of the blame on corporate ownership of provider groups yet neglects to mention UHC/Optum by name . . .
Nearly 70 million Americans on Medicare, many with chronic conditions, can expect longer waiting times for medical care.
Even being an established, well-connected doctor doesn't always help. One colleague of mine, working at a major medical center in the South, recently decided to move with his family to the Northeast. But as the process was underway, his wife was diagnosed with cancer. Even though she'd already received a diagnosis, and even though they were using the same insurance company, the insurer refused to cover her oncology treatment until she got a referral from a new primary care physician.
Despite being a prominent doctor himself, my colleague could not find a single physician willing to take his wife on as a new patient. The family was forced to go back to their previous state so his wife could receive care. Fortunately, she is doing well, but my colleague asks, "How do people do this without the connections we have?"
In reporting this story, I spoke with dozens of physicians, the vast majority of whom vented their frustrations with the current state of medicine. But just as tellingly, almost all of them also refused to talk to me on the record, fearing that speaking out could cost them their jobs.
Part of what's driving this is the growing trend of private equity firms and corporations, such as CVS Health and Amazon, purchasing hospitals and private practices. One major medical group, (that would be UHC/Optum) with about 90,000 doctors in some 2,000 locations across the country, has spent billions of dollars acquiring physician-owned practices, home health centers and surgical centers. This past April, the Physician Advocacy Institute reported that just shy of 80 percent of all doctors were employed by hospitals or corporations, up 200 percent in just over 10 years.
Physicians told me they are burned out. Simply put, they are being asked by the business world that owns their practices to do medicine, at times, in ways they view as not in the patient's best interest. Meanwhile, those who cling to their independent practices are finding it impossible to hold on given the financial pressures on them.
Millions of American workers are currently employed in health care in some capacity, many in government, for insurance companies, or in corporate oversight. But in the end, it is often doctors on the front lines, bearing the blame and anguish when diagnoses are wrong or treatments go badly.
Where Have All The Doctors Gone? | Members Only
America is facing a shortage of physicians. Here’s how you can find the care you need
www.aarp.org
Interesting article that places much of the blame on corporate ownership of provider groups yet neglects to mention UHC/Optum by name . . .
