Since this is my first post, I thought I would start with an article I read about a physician in Monterey, California.The full story can be found in  Monterey Doctor. Dr. Bradley Carpentier, specializing in pain management,

“formed a new political action committee – Stop Practicing Medicine – to target the long-standing practice of insurers hiring doctors to review physician decisions, even though the insurer-hired doctors had never seen or talked to the patient whose care they were scrutinizing.”

Is the above mentioned one of the reasons that my health insurance premium is over $400 a month? I have to pay for two doctor’s opinions/recommendations?

And how presumptuous of my health insurance agency to assume I want more than one doctor reviewing my health history. I thought it was doctor -patient confidentiality, not doctor-patient-another doctor who is being paid a lot of money by the health insurance agency for their opinion (to deny coverage)-health insurance company confidentiality.

“Insurer groups contend the interests of physicians and health plans are more closely aligned than ever, and that the two groups are working together on many issues such as rewarding physicians for quality rather than just quantity of care.”

Which leads to other questions, What kind of doctor would work for health insurance agencies as a “reviewer”? How much money do these doctors make for their decisions? Isn’t this just another waste of time and money on administrative costs?

“The prospect of health reform in this particular time in history is what led me to speak out,” he said, adding he is calling for restrictions of the practice but not the abolition of health insurers. “I think there is absolute change in the air and we want it to be for the better.”

Though I don’t necessarily agree with Dr. Carpentier’s stance on the health insurers, I did email Stop Practicing Medicine and thanked him for his participation and efforts in trying to do his job-provide care for his patients. You can email Stop Practicing Medicine at  Stop Practicing Medicine

Thanks for reading!

Posted on August 18, 2009 at 6:55 am
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Tagged with : Health Insurance , Health Management , Physicians