Physicians Practice - October 2008 - (Page 10)

THE BIGGER PICTURE PA M E L A L . M O 0 R E , P h D ANOTHER REASON TO GO CASH-ONLY? taking care of just 300 patients simply has fewer opportunities to make mistakes. Plus, low-volume practice “is a more personal approach. There is more of that one-on-one interaction that many patients want and some patients need,” says Shapiro, who is also a pulmonary and critical care physician. To function as a concierge physician, you have to prove value at the start of the patient relationship and on an ongoing basis, he adds. “You a lower liability risk, it is, for now, just an assumption. Steve Harri, managing director for Beecher Carlson, a risk management brokerage, says that “there is no actuarial data that exists to support or deny” the idea that lowvolume physicians practice better medicine. Regardless, it is clear that “the closer a doc is to his patients, the less likely he is to be sued.” It’s the “touchy-feely” aspects of care, Harri says, that “are key to quality care, or at least the perception of quality care.” A MEDICAL LIABILITY INSURANCE COMPANY IS OFFERING DISCOUNTED POLICIES TO CASH-ONLY AND CONCIERGE STYLE PHYSICIANS. The insurer is not saying that such physicians are better doctors, necessarily. There are no outcomes data involved. But the company reasons Steven Shapiro, med-mal insurer chief medical officer that these types of physicians are lower risk for the insurer. For those of you continuing to have to be providing care at a level the accept insurance, this may seem He sees why AMS’ decision makes patient wants. You can’t make it as a like rubbing salt in your timesense: “A little less in premiums, a lot concierge physician without providing starved wounds. You’d like it if less in losses can make a big differgood care.” insurers cut you a break, too, espeence” in the corporate bottom line. Now, AMS isn’t going overboard. cially as you bend over backwards He anticipates seeing more companies It’ll individually review each physician to prove your quality for all the offering programs like this, just as who applies for the special rates, but new pay-for-performance plans. many captive insurance companies But this isn’t about justice. hasn’t turned any concierge physician It’s just common sense for Applied down yet, according to Shapiro. More- already hand-select lower-risk physicians for better rates. Medico-Legal Solutions Risk Retenover, because AMS writes its policies For those of you pondering a move tion Group (AMS) to offer discounts on a case-by-case basis, the size of to a cash-based system (and if you are, to most physicians who are members the discount it’s offering can’t be I hope you caught Dr. Brian Forof the Society for Innovative Medical quantified in general terms. But Practice Design (SIMPD), says Steven rest’s column in the July/August the physicians I spoke to actually Shapiro, chief medical ofﬁcer for issue. It’s been a smash hit. You can didn’t think AMS’ rates were that AMS. After all, SIMPD is the budding find it at PhysiciansPractice.com, great. Instead, they used the offer group that promotes direct ﬁnancial to go back to their existing insurers along with a podcast of an interrelationships between physicians and negotiate reductions from them view I conducted with him), maland patients through novel practice practice discounts may be the straw in the 30 percent range. models, and AMS quite underthat nudges you over the edge. Also, some physicians are made standably reasons that the society’s nervous by the fact that AMS is a risk members would be less likely to Tell me what you think at pmoore@ retention group, not a traditional get sued for malpractice. physicianspractice.com or meet me insurer. It’s all about the numbers. in person in December at Pri-Med And let’s be honest: While it’s a “Who has more risk: the physician Mid Atlantic in Baltimore. Visit reasonable assumption that cashseeing 2,000 patients or the physician www.pri-med.com for more information. only and concierge practices have seeing 300?” Shapiro asks. Someone “Who has more risk: the physician seeing 2,000 patients or the physician seeing 300?” A NUMBERS GAME • 10 | PHYSICIANS PRACTICE | OCTOBER 2008 WWW.PHYSICIANSPRACTICE.COM http://www.PhysiciansPractice.com http://www.pri-med.com http://www.PhysiciansPractice.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Physicians Practice - October 2008

Physicians Practice - October 2008 Contents Another Reason to Go Cash-Only? Letters How ’Bout Them Gas Prices? Second Opinion: Oh, Canada! Noteworthy Cover Story: Fixing the Leaks: How to Tighten Your Money Spigot Navigating a Lawsuit Ask the Experts The Administrators Desk: What’s Your Mission? EMR: Help or Hindrance? Dealing with Dr. Dangerous E-Mail Abuse Primer The Road to EMR Interoperability Don’t Let Staff Costs Stifle Profits Coding Classifieds Advertiser Index

Physicians Practice - October 2008

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