Shrinking reimbursement from insurance threatening outlook for rural hospitals

cn|2 Pure Politics ^ | 12/8/2014 | Don Weber

[pepsionice]

Around a decade ago...from the small rural community where I grew up in Alabama...they’d finally attracted a new doctor to move in and run a local practice (it took five years to find someone interested in the marginal situation).

So, for roughly six years....this doctor ran the practice (and even a second one in an adjoining community). Then one day...fed cops come with a warrant.

What they’d come to realize that she was running various tests and procedures as ‘extras’...making fraud claims on Medicare folks...and turning up at least $200k a year in additional costs.

Since she left for jail...no replacement. When you add up the expectations of most doctors, there’s just no way anyone would go out into a rural community like this unless they made X amount of profit. She figured out the gimmick, and ensured she got her ‘fair share’.

My prediction is that private practices in rural communities will come to an end shortly. One clinic or hospital will exist at a local county seat, with marginal services for most folks. And somewhere around a hundred miles away will be the four-star hospital where you go for really important things. It’s the only way that the system can survive on.

[randita]

My prediction is that private practices in rural communities will come to an end shortly. One clinic or hospital will exist at a local county seat, with marginal services for most folks.

You got that right. And Obamacare sycophants will crow louder and louder about all the additional millions of people who have insurance. Whether or not they can get treated is beside the point, but "gall dang it, they finally gots them some insurance".

[stockpirate]

spot on, I was going to post the same info