Harvard Policy Researcher Says Obamacare Will Inadvertently Break Fee-For-Service Model

In Washington, Amitabh Chandra stood before a roomful of economists, policy makers and health care experts earlier this month. As director of Health Policy Research at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, he closed a presentation about the slowdown in health care spending over the last decade by citing an article in The New York Times.

“Changes in the way doctors and hospitals are paid — how much and by whom — have begun to curb the steady rise of health care costs in the New York region,” the article declared. “Costs are still going up faster than overall inflation, but the annual rate of increase is the lowest in 21 years.”

Read more

Vermont Internists Are An Endangered Species

Vermont Internists Are An Endangered Species

A press release announced Dr. Alicia Cunningham’s new infographic. It visually explains the “quiet exodus” of internal medicine doctors from the State of Vermont. She’s convinced the doc shortage is a quiet pandemic, caused by two diverging forces — an aging population, and declining education. What’s happening is that older internists are going to retire at 65, or retire early, or just get out of the speciality altogether. On top of that, students are not majoring in internal medicine because it pays less than sub-specialties, and does not gain respect amongst peers. And, Vermont is the 4th oldest country in the nation, with a median age of 41. That means the demand for internists will grow somewhat exponentially.

CHECK OUT DR. ALICIA CUNNINGHAM’S INFOGRAPHIC HERE

However, Dr. Cunningham believes that a direct care/concierge medicine approach could help alleviate the doctor shortage. For one, a direct care practice introduces the element of autonomy, the absence of which has been propagating the brain drain in our country. On top of that, the possibility of higher salary is promising, too.

Read more