Of Joe Paduda
Friday, August 13, 2021 | 0
A doctor posting on MedPage blamed private equity and for-profit insurers for many of the problems facing healthcare.
Joe Paduda
It takes a while (insert anatomical reference here). While his attack on private equity is justified, I cannot uphold his claim that the profiteers are insurance companies.
What drives me crazy is his pointless and demonstrably false claim, coupled with his utter inability to see that he is part of the US health care cost problem.
Dr. Mitchel Liu stated, “Commercial insurance companies have long been recognized as the ultimate culprits in medical profiteering.”
Impressive. To come from an American doctor – who deserves more than doctors in any other country – is silly indeed.
The reality is that doctor reimbursement is a major driver of health care costs and one of the reasons why our health care costs are so much more expensive than in other countries. For-profit health insurance companies make billions, but their margins are tiny compared to health care providers.
Liu also says, “It is time for medicine, including individuals and professional societies, to restore the integrity of the doctor-patient relationship by opposing all forms of corporate greed.”
Well, doctors are often partners in outpatient surgery centers and outpatient surgery centers in hospitals. Many documents belong to large groups with multiple subject areas that are quite profitable. And docs make a lot of money.
What does this mean for you, Dr. Liu?
How about taking a stand against the greed of doctors, Dr. Liu?
Joseph Paduda is a co-owner of CompPharma, a consulting firm focused on improving pharmacy employee compensation programs. This column is republished on his Managed Care Matters blog with his permission.
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