What is the Daily Routine for Doctors?

Question

I was considering to major in pre-med in college, but my art teacher warned me that many doctors are becoming swarmed with insurance paperwork instead of meeting with patients. And somehow, the patients on welfare or that are illegal aliens make it difficult to handle their medical bills. Have ANY doctors experienced this? And how can this be avoided?

Answer 1

I believe it is somewhat true as I witnessed when was newly grad working at a primary level hospital. Yes, bundle of paperworks for the doctors to claim medical bills from the medicare. Though there are tight rules among the medicare sector there seem to be some sort of collaboration between the involved hospitals. In other words, bribing few medicare employee to do under the table business for the benefit of the hospital. Corruption is one way of the other, an issue involved. How can it avoided, well I suggest first of all to implement additional rules on the physician's conduct not to be involved on such "fraud". Doctor's extra efforts are paid more on doing such "paperworks" to encourage them to keep on doing. It is a matter of professional principle that is much needed to stop such but with financial involvement in a country facing economic crisis, it won't be easy to get red of such illegal business.
If you are considering to be a doctor, do not be discouraged. Go on. The "extra" doctor job mentioned is per your choice. It is not on the stipulated doctors duties and responsibilities so you have a choice to do or not to do. Working in tertiary hospitals would be the best option I can recommend. It is more than a decade I am away from R.P. so I have no hint of the current "activities" of the doctors.

Answer 2

First of all, you don't major in "pre-med". You have to major in a real major. Pre-med involves making sure that you take the required science courses for medical school. You can major in ANYTHING (engineering, art history, psychology... anything)

It is true that getting paid is a hassle. Most of us would love to do our jobs and get paid for what we do, but the insurance companies make you play a game in order to get paid. It's not a fun game.

In addition, if your documentation does not match what you bill for in Medicare, you can be charged with fraud and go to jail. The Medicare regulations are more voluminous than the tax code (no kidding), and if you call them to try and clarify an issue, the typical response is "You do whatever you want, and if we decide it's illegal, we'll let you know, fine you unreasonable amounts of money and maybe put you in jail." The people who make the rules are not the same people who enforce them, so getting a straight answer is nearly impossible.

As a physician, you can decide who your patients are. You can choose to participate or not to participate with Medicare and/or Medical Assistance. You can be an employee of a hospital, or clinic, or group of physicians, take a salary, and not have to deal with the complexities of running a practice. You do not have to accept ANY patient, unless you have a deal with a hospital concerning taking patients while on call for a particular specialty.

That should not be the deciding factor in whether or not you go into medicine. Doctors are not going bankrupt (yet).

If we go toward socialized medicine, that may change.

Answer 3

I shadowed a doc recently that has unique system to avoid some of what you are talking about. He reduced his patient load from 4,000/ year to 400/year and he charges all of his patients a yearly fee just to be his patient. This allows him to focus on his patients better also reduces the amount of time and money spent on 4,000 insurance claims.

Also, some docs don't deal with insurance at all instead have a cash practice and for some it works well as the population of uninsured increases.

Answer 4

repeat after me: artwork, artwork, artwork, artwork, artwork artwork artwork artwork (get the assumption?). Docotring was once worthwhile and relaxing. Now its a nightmare of litigation, coverage, workplace work, relgualtions, so-noted as continuuing scientific education, a raft of idiots on your lower back for all time, sufferers whining and not looking after themselves, prevenatble existence-type illnesses that in simple terms have the choose to make you puke. actual earnings has quartered since 1965. basically stable determination is an imprecise distinctiveness. relax is a heap of crap. funds no stable the two. extra suitable to be a attorney or sell burgers in case you opt for funds.