3 comments

1. Stephen Jaditz | May 18, 2024
   Migration of patients to PE managed organizations is fostered by a promise that  needs will be met "without a co-pay"  As an independent practitioner I observe the transition occurring at the geriatric level most often.  The promise is not often investigated by the subscriber nor is it explained at the time of enrollment.  I believe the service offered should be compared to many other options available to the subscriber.  As an example, PT services through a PE organization are available with co-pay options not revealed to participants at the time of enrolment.
2. Arvind R. Cavale | Jun 02, 2023

   I second Chris Lupold's comment. In response to expansion of PE acquired and hospital system acquired practices, a significant minority of patients is migrating towards individual/small physician practices and DPC practices. If the President of PAMED states that this trend is irreversible, it sends a terrible message to physicians in independent practice, which makes the case for a separate Independent Practice Section in PAMED.  

   Additionally, "Patient care has appropriately been central to the remarkable growth of our health care industry" - has it, honestly? With massive hospital consolidation, the patient has become an incidental in the process of expanding "market share" of these hospital systems, and employed physicians have become production workers in the "industry". I would like to remind Dr. Jackson that we are a profession first and foremost, and that PAMED is a society of professionals. We can choose to be industry participants if we wish.

   A better report would have been to compare cost and quality outcomes of hospital vs PE acquisition of private practices.

3. Chris Lupold | May 26, 2023
   ”We cannot roll back the current trends of consolidation in the marketplace and return to the days of individual physicians making house calls.”  We can and we are doing just that via Direct Primary Care and our patients are benefitting from improved quality at a lower cost.