Can't quite believe it

Can't quite believe this article, but seems to be "open hunting season" on Physicians (ie, more and more articles like this coming out)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10349325/

See, the problem I have with this article isn't that I support this particular Physician's "fee", but moreso that the author failed to comment on the global "shafting" Physicians are taking. Let me share a few examples....

1. Insurance company's frequent changing of the rules, altering physician billing, undercutting physician reimbursement
2. Dropping Medicare reimbursement to Physicians, in particular, Family Physicians
3. Pending "pay-for-performance" requirements for reimbursement. While I agree with being "paid" to provide excellent medical care, why is it that I should be "punished" (ie not reimbursed) if a patient refuses the recommended medical care?
4. Decreasing graduate medical education funds for the training of new physicians
5. "bundling" by insurance companies, that is refusing to pay for more than one service on the same day
6. the list continues

Comments?

Future of Family Medicine

So, where is the specialty of Family Medicine headed? It seems that at every corner, Family Physicians are becoming less and less prevalent. Over time, less and less Family Docs did OB, now fewer are doing in-patient work. How is it that our Society/College/National organizations have allowed this parsing to take place? And, more importantly, where will "Family Medicine" be in another year?

I recall a comment my GP (that's what the term was then) made to me at my sister's wedding in reference to the Hospitalist movement; "why is it that when a patient is the sickest and needs their Doctor the most, their Doctor abandons them to someone else?". This comment continues to stick with me whenever I hear of another Family Doc "gives up" their hospital work.

Comments?

Thoughts on Convocation

Well, having recently returned from the AAO Convocation, I must say that overall, I think the Convocation went well. The major downside to the entire event is that the "environment"