Recent changes in physician payments in Ontario have impacted the medical practice a great deal. From a fee-for-service arrangement, the practice now runs on capitation under the provincial health insurance plan. This means that physicians get paid a flat fee, per patient, per year, adjusted to consider the age, gender and medical complexity of the patient. This set up naturally brings to question ‘no show fees’ employed by physicians. A doctor paid in capitation doesn’t really lose money when a patient fails to show up for an appointment. No shows generally affect physicians who still work under fee-for-service because a sudden cancellation means an unfilled spot that otherwise could have been replaced had there been a notice. Be that as it may, protecting a physician’s income is not the only reason why a ‘no show fee’ must be implemented. Prithi Yelaja, a spokesperson for the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) infers that the fee will serve as "a deterrent to … [Read more...]
Is Obamacare Hurting Medical Practices?
Obamacare may be changing the health insurance system, with 8 million Americans enrolled through the online exchanges, but behind the booming statistics is the thorny decline of medical and health practice. The online exchange on health insurance is a form of a virtual marketplace set up under the Affordable Care Act. The Obamacare exchange targets the young and uninsured, so even if you already have an employer-provided health insurance but wants to switch, you "may not qualify for some of the benefits that the uninsured have," says E. Denise Smith, a professor of health care management at Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, N.C. The complication of the new healthcare landscape set by Obamacare may have just made seeking medical service and professional practice in medicine and health so confusing. It has caused major changes in standard protocol that made the service more demanding, causing delays in patient care. In obstetrics, referring a patient to a specialist … [Read more...]
The Obamacare Health Exchanges
Obamacare launched a series of online exchanges intended to attract enough healthy young people to counterbalance the higher cost for older or sicker enrollees. An online market place created by Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010, the 2015 launch of Obamacare Health Benefit Exchanges promises to debug the faulty computer systems that undermined its first introduction in 2014. The Obamacare exchanges are designed as an Expedia where insurance companies can compete for better and affordable plans. In its core is the goal to provide health insurance for 29 million Americans in 2019, especially those who do not get insurance from employers. The open enrollment period in the health insurance Marketplace is November 15th, 2014 until February 15th, 2015. With the limited time remaining, it’s best to look around now and see for yourself before the period closes. You won’t be able sign up outside of open enrollment without qualifying for a special enrollment period. The exchanges can be … [Read more...]