This is why socialist health care doesn't scare me at all

[disneysteve]

From the perspective of a primary care physician, he/she must deal with the patient's problem(s) first, then if there is time and the physician remembers or there is some system in place to automatically "red flag" the encounter as "mammogram/colonoscopy past due," then the primary physician can order the mammogram/colonoscopy/labs. If the primary care doc does not, then no one gets paid down the line.

True. I'd actually like to see them (them being the insurance companies) incentivize the patient to seek preventative care. Waive copays for annual physicals, labwork, mammograms and other preventative stuff. At the same time, they need to adequately compensate the docs providing the care because if the patient has their copay waived, I'd lose out on my end.

[markusk]

RedThunderBird, thank you for your graceous response.

I too am fearful. We definately need change, but I don't know how this whole reform thing will really pan out.

[cptacek]

That is why you will see more and more prevention efforts that are NOT initiated or funded by insurance companies. As I said, the plan I'm in is being funded by a pharmaceutical company. The program at the Mayo Clinic is run by them, a private healthcare organization. We need to do this without the insurance companies.

Awesome. That is just awesome. Very helpful for your patients AND very helpful for the bottom line (I just quoted the last part, but I'm referring to the entire post.) Interesting that it didn't take federal government intervention for this program to take off...