> Props go to the hospital system for taking back their coding after they realized what the third party was doing, but the reality is, it was probably financially benefiting the hospital system too.
I doubt the hospital system got anything from it, physician groups usually keep all their revenue from professional services claims - the hospital gets paid whatever they do for their facility claim regardless of what the professional claim pays.
It's possible you're right. Without knowing the details of the relationship, you never know.
The reason I say that is the article points out another glaring issue - the shortage of ER docs that we are currently facing. I know this first-hand, as I have a family member who is one and is working harder than ever.
Some of these arrangements are to make up for the shortage, and the hospital systems and physician groups are often working in partnership... so it could be there was benefit for both since the hospital system needed coverage for their ER (due to physician shortages), and Emcare is providing the physicians. Without the physicians doing the services in the hospital, there would be no facility claim either...
> It's possible you're right. Without knowing the details of the relationship, you never know.
This is true, and being a mere software developer I'm in the dark on the contents of any of the contracts my parent company has with facilities either.
> The reason I say that is the article points out another glaring issue - the shortage of ER docs that we are currently facing. I know this first-hand, as I have a family member who is one and is working harder than ever.
Insert my standard rant about restricted med-school/residency admissions and cost of tuition here.
It's sad but true that we are getting to a point where all we have are standard rants about these topics, but can't find the solution. I'm guilty of the same too.
Stalemate.
We need to go through Kurt Lewin's change model process -
"unfreezing, change, and refreezing" and find something better. It's like, we need agile healthcare or something - fail fast and iterate faster... without costing people their lives or their savings.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Lewin#Change_process
I doubt the hospital system got anything from it, physician groups usually keep all their revenue from professional services claims - the hospital gets paid whatever they do for their facility claim regardless of what the professional claim pays.