WASHINGTON — As the Senate was barrelling toward one of its votes to repeal the Affordable Care Act earlier this summer, Tom Price was corralling a small group of doctors into a tiny, dimly lit conference room in a nondescript building in downtown Dallas.
It was, on its surface, another of the health secretary’s many meetings with “victims” of Obamacare — this time with some of the conservative physicians who felt the law was hurting their patients and their own bottom lines. An official readout from Price’s staff trumpeted the eight participating physicians as “witnesses” to Obamacare’s failings.
But that wasn’t Price’s only message to the doctors, according to two participants in the meeting. The health secretary also signaled he would protect the doctors from a raft of regulations that were put in motion by the Obama administration. And although Price, a former orthopedic surgeon, didn’t address specific regulations, he made clear he was listening to the physicians’ complaints about issues like Medicare payment rules and burdensome electronic health record requirements.
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As a patient advocate, I see that physicians can be lazy and careless. They don’t read through large paper patient records. Across the board, patients get much better care from physicians who use electronic records.
An important facet of e-records is that patients get control by having online access to their records. They can take charge of services they get by asking thoughtful questions. I suspect this loss of control is what physicians dislike most.
The only good thing about appointing Tom Price HHS secretary is that he is no longer a GA congressman. Unfortunately, he is now in a position to implement his reactionary views and set healthcare back a few decades.
Thank God we have a man in this position who actually cares about doctors, as well as has true medical knowledge and experience. Unlike the previous administration who treated HCP’s like children by rewarding and punishing us. I am with Dr. Price.
Computer games. Fake and time consuming. Less PT’s care more mouse clicks. By the way it’s dangerous to look at the screen for so long sometimes the whole days. My vision is dropping so fast since I started using comp. mips macra meaningless and absolutele garbage. Medicare became a big brother 1984. My PT’s complain that there is no eye contact with doctors. And who do you think does med records reports? Smart front desk billers uneducated persons. And Medicare accepts it. Fake world
Would maybe respect this website more if they were not advertising homeopathic snake oil.
Hey genius, The advertisements that show up on your browser are based of YOUR history and cookies. Nothing to do with this website.
Excellent “Talkin’ Baseball” reference!
Sec. Price was an orthopedic surgeon, and I notice that two of your quotes come from orthopedic surgeons. Recent surveys of medical doctors have shown that orthopedic surgeons are the highest paid specialty, and yet feel more than any other medical specialty they are under-paid: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/844201
Maybe it comes from treating sport-stars with million dollar incomes, but in any case, making a orthopedic surgeon the Secretary HHS is a most undesirable selection.
Dr. Price actually cares about doctors. Something that is a new concept in this Era.
Obama and his people were on a trend of treating healthcare professionals like children. “Rewarding” and “Punishing” HCP’s. I am glad Tom Price in is office.
What a biased piece of politicized reporting. Over and over again, the majority of doctors surveyed — even those who voted for Trump — have expressed support for the ACA. And personal computers have been around for 35 years. Maybe the poor guy who insists on paper needs to get with the program. Is he still using leeches too?
While I definitely agree with you that the doctor still using paper needs to get with the program and share your seeming dislike of the rollback on legislation, I think this is a pretty fair piece. People who don’t support the rollbacks are quoted, the funding Price received from special interest groups is mentioned, and the fact that the rollbacks will probably slow progress is clear.
Poor doctors! The most neglected category in the US society. Finally, someone that will help them to make ends meet, and will erase their pariah status.