Better Health » Some of My Best Friends Are Doctors

Dr. Val does a nice Fisk!  Yes, docs make a decently good living.  No, it’s not why the health care system is in trouble.

A Happy Hospitalist: You Are Living In The Medicare Tomato
You want to know what the process is like for a physician to make a living as a physician.
Look only toward the Medicare Tomato. Imagine for the moment that you have been taken out of reality and into the alternate bizarro world of the Medicare Tomato. In this analogy, the Medicare Tomato represents a day in the life of a practicing physician.

An easy to understand (and mouthwatering) analogy of how we’ve gotten into the Medicare payment morass, and where it’s quite possibly headed.  We’re much nearer then end than the beginning.

Good writing.

Running a hospital: What a public plan is really for by Paul Levy of BIDMC.

Surprise: it’s not about access for patients.

Where have I heard that before….?

The by-line reads “The Editors” but it’s actually a compilation of Short editorials, two of which are by medical bloggers!  One is the usual suspect, Kevin, MD, and the other is Shadowfax from Movin’ Meat (his real name and a picture with hair is at the NYT).

They’re all good, and all presuppose that the system can be fixed without fundamentally changing the way people (patients) buy their healthcare.

Let patients see the menu, with the prices.  Let hospitals, doctors, and vendors compete, out in the open.  Lift the veil of secrecy about what company x pays vs y, and let’s let the rational consumer decide what they want to spend.  I would trust the wisdom of purchasers over those of government rule-makers every day.

Dr. Wes: An Open Letter To Patients Regarding Health Reform
Dear Mr. and Ms. Patient,

It has come to my attention that in order for your to enjoy success as patients in the new era of health care reform, you must start working now to prevent illnesses that might befall you. Do not, under any circumstances, eat or drink too much.

Nice…

A.M.A. Opposes Government-Sponsored Health Plan – NYTimes.com

Wow. I really didn’t see that coming. I may have to hold my nose and join the AMA…

Townhall.com::Blog
We are simply heading for a healthcare disaster an a scale that you have never seen and at a cost you would never dream.

Read it all.

The author was a Policy person in the Bush 43 White House, so you know the angle in the analysis:

KeithHennessey.com » Understanding the Kennedy health care bill
As the committee staff emphasized to the press after the leak, this is an interim draft. I assume things will move around over the next several weeks as discussions among Senators and their staffs continue. This is therefore far from a final product, but it provides a useful insight into current thinking among some key Senate Democrats.

Here are 15 things to know about the draft Kennedy-Dodd health bill.

I read his analysis, and no I didn’t read the full bill. It’s a starting point for the conversation, not the end.

via Ace

A Happy Hospitalist: It’s Time To Gut The Education Process

This is quite a good idea. Whether it’d have any effect on specialist pay is a different question.

Dynamist Blog: Medicare First!

Exactly right. Hey, I’ve said the same thing (though much less well).

Movin’ Meat: Health Wonk Wrap-up: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Shadowfax is beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel really is a train. Better late than never.

The sirens never stop here.

Today we had a series of lectures, ranging from the mildly to hyper liberal about healthcare policy, lobbying and reform. Interesting insight, and they’re all pretty sure heath care reform will pass, in some form. (Which is really really hopeful since there’s not even a framework bill out there to start with).

All we heard from are heartened that the big players that helped torpedo HC reform in the Clinton years are currently sitting at the table. They’re well aware that if too big a chunk is taken out of any of the players they can very quickly switch from participant to opponent.

I’m learning a lot about the process, and look forward to tomorrows’ talks.

Got to Washington, met up with two other classmates and had a nice dinner. We then walked Washington in the evening, seeing the outside of the White House, Washington Monument, WWII monument, Lincoln Memorial (which has been rededicated earlier in the day) then went to the hotel.
My hotel is very nice and is obviously on the main drag to the GWU ED, meaning sirens all night long. Not a restful night.
Sunday the whole class got together for a briefing on the schedule of events and the ‘order of battle’. It was politely pointed out that this is a ‘how policy is made’ seminar, and that the people we’re here to see care not a whit what we think, we’re here to learn how and why they do what they do. Actually I like that, keeping this from devolving into unwinnable arguments and internecine warfare.
Rumor has it Senator Kennedy is to present his Health Care Plan, which has been kept under close hold and not leaked, to date.
This evening we ate at Bob’s Chili Bowl (a local landmark), saw the African American Civil War Memorial then took the Metro to the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial. Wonderful memorial, and its designer is quite a genius. Beautiful.
Read the rest of this entry »

I am at DFW waiting for my flight to Washington, DC. I’m one of 40 students from UTDallas going for a week of meetings with policy makers of all stripes.

We’re told these talks are under “Chatham House Rules” (which means off the record, but I need to look up the reference see the link) so I won’t be going into detail on who said what. I do intend to share the insights I can that interest me.

Stay Tuned.

M.D.O.D.: An Answer to Hugh Hewitt

Hugh Hewitt is a popular radio talk show host, an accomplished academic within the legal profession, a keen political commentator, and an evangelical Christian. He has dedicated this week on his show to physician callers, and asks, in short, what the hell we are doing sitting on our hands while Obama and his cohorts push to completely wreck the best medical system in the world, and thereby, our livelihoods.

I have an answer and it’s hopefully not going to come off as an excuse. It is quite simple,

And you’ll have to go there to read it. Nice work!