Have you visited a MinuteClinic or other retail health clinic? This approach to health care is transparent (prices clearly posted and generally cheaper than physician visits), convenient (located in a pharmacy or other retailer), and customer-friendly (walk-in appointments easy to find).
So why are these clinics, which customers love, struggling?
The answer is surprisingly simple: Medicare (and by proxy, other health insurers) have created a payment system that starves innovators because:
- they can’t charge more for providing better service
- there’s no reward for customers who select a cheaper service
- they can’t even bill customers for innovations that achieve better results and reduce the need for further services
Comments
|
Posted by Vijay Goel, M.D. |
Categories: consumer-centered care, payment | Tagged: CPT Code, medicare, Payment reform, RVU | 
