Guest guest Posted March 1, 2011 Report Share Posted March 1, 2011 Just passing along some inspiration to spur further innovationin health care. Let me know if this is helpful. The video clipsare funny. Go pee first. I've already had one slight spill . . .Hippies, housewives designing clinics & hospitals:http://tinyurl.com/496d35cInspiring video clips:http://www.youtube.com/user/pamelawible?feature=mhum#p/u/0/yh_Eg0JprRkMore clips coming soon. Join YouTube Channel!Spread the joy!~ PamelaPamela Wible, MD3575 St. #220 Eugene, OR 97405www.idealmedicalcare.org Pamela, I cannot express with words my gratitude for your honesty. My intuition has been telling me to stay away from Medicare, but there was this very large cloud of guilt following the decision, that I could not shake. You have blown it clear away. When I think of the elderly Medicare patients who I saw at the old practice, most were indeed very wealthy. A great big thank you to you! PS Could you please send me a copy of the documents you mailed out July 4? ;o) , pamela wible wrote: > > Hi , > > Exactly why I have decided to opt-out of medicare.... > > 1) Administrative burden is high compared to other insurance > companies. I am willing to deal with insurance companies only under > certain guidelines which include simplicity, low hassle, and a basic > straightforward relationship. I decided against many other insurers > because after reading their contracts I felt they did not align with > my philosophy. I give everything/everyone the benefit of the doubt > before opting out. I opted out of our state medicaid program and now > medicare because after dealing with both for over a year as I > realized my life was more difficult with these companies. I think I > felt "obligated" to do the right thing and sign up with them at the > beginning. In retrospect I would have gone with my gut/intuition. > > 2) I have been waivering for several months about opting out but then > got some annoying mail the other day adding another headache to my > previous migraine regarding medicare. > > 3) In truth I most happy not dealing with any insurance companies at > all, but willing to continue with a few. > > 4) Many people will come to me not because they appreciate me but > because I take new patients under an insurance that others do not > accept as readily. This leads to mismatch and less than ideal > physician/pt relationships. > > 5) Declining reimbursement with no end in sight. > > 6) I had no other plans for Independence Day so I thought.... I'll > celebrate my Independence by opting out of medicare and I mailed off > all the patient notices and my official opt-out document to medicare > the next day. It was the best July 4th ever! > > BTW, I am still seeing my medicare pts who want to stay and I have > made it easy and affordable for them. > > The entire ordeal reminds me of how my husband was treated as a > public school music teacher. Every year they would add #s to his > classes, cut his salary, and make him do more with less, demean him, > and treat him like sh__! When he complained to the administrators > they would always say "Can't you hang in there for the kids...??" and > hope that most co-dependent teachers would feel bad and continue > despite the adverse conditions. > > I feel that this situation pulls at our heart strings the same way... > > "Can't you hang in there for the old people..???" (and they are > the wealthiest sector of society) > > > I am glad to take care of old people on my own terms, thank you! > > > Hope this helps! > > Pamela > > > > > > Pamela, > > I am curious as to why you have decided to opt out of Medicare? I just > > recevied my application back from Medicare because as of April 1, 2006 > > there is a new form that I must now complete. Because it is back in my > > lap and all these exchanges have been going on, I am wondering if > > perhaps I should also "opt out" before I even "get in." (Not looking > > forward to doing that lengthy application again.) I opened my practice > > 1/3/06 and have over 600 patients... openening my doors less than a > > mile from my old practice seems to have been a very good move. But my > > point is that I will be full soon and that's without any Medicare > > patients at all (I feel socially irresponsible just typing this > > papragraph!) Please let me know exactly why you have decided to > > "opt out." > > Thanks, > > , MD > > Virginia Beach, VA > > PS Is it true in Massachusetts docs HAVE take Medicare? > > > > > > > > So I was curious if anyone has opted-out and how it is going? > > > > > > I plan to opt-out in October. I just missed the 7/1/6 date so I'll > > wait 3 months and it will > > > give me some time to contact my medicare pts and see what they want > > to do (continue > > > with me or not). > > > > > > It looks like (from reviewing all the data I collected on the > > listserv) that I send in an > > > Affidavit that reviews the basic info (I have one from a Cigna site) > > and mail it to Medicare > > > aleast 30 days prior to 10/1/6. I do not think there is an official > > "Medicare Opt-Out Form." > > > > > > So for those who opted out what happened with your established > > patients? How many > > > stayed? Was there a huge migration out of your practice? > > > > > > I plan to make it very affordable with a sliding scale - probably > > 40-60 bucks for most > > > visits which is what our local Medicare pays for a 99213/214 around > > here anyway. People > > > who are not financially strapped can pay my NL fees if they stay > > (with my usual 30% > > > discount if they pay at time of service) > > > > > > > > > Would love any pearls of wisdom before I jump off the ship. I would > > assume nobody had > > > regrets and signed back on to Mediacre AFTER opting out. Has anyone > > done that?? > > > > > > > > > Thanks in advance, > > > > > > > > > Pamela > > > > > > Pamela Wible, MD > > > Family & Community Medicine, LLC > > > 3575 st. #220 > > > Eugene, OR 97405 > > > > > > roxywible@ > > > www.idealmedicalpractice.org > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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