SCHIP laws will reduce access to pediatricians: How does this help kids?
28 September 2007
|
Posted by Vijay Goel, M.D. |
Categories: Uncategorized | Tagged: consumerism, health reform, SCHIP |
Consumer Focused Health
Changing Medicine, Technology, and Business in the Shift to Consumer-Focused Health
Schip expansion: Need to improve health habits instead of monkeying with payment vehicles
31 July 2007
There is a push by the political body to expand the SCHIP program to the middle class, providing a government entitlement for children in households up to $83K in annual income.
On the surface, this sounds good– coverage for more children. As someone who strongly considered pediatrics as his calling, I wholeheartedly believe that better health for kids is something strongly needed– especially in an era with increasing childhood obesity, diabetes, etc. While at the LA County hospital, I cared for a number of kids with SCFE– kids so heavy that their growth plates in their hips started to slip/break from the weight being placed on them. It was heartbreaking to see young kids (12-14) who’s health was already compromised to the point that they were unlikely to live full, active lives.
One would expect that any additional funds for children’s health would be invested in creating additional programs to improve wellness, increase physical fitness, emphasize good nutritional habits, and screen for early-stage addressable illnesses.
However, this isn’t about better health for more children…this is about expanding government programs to those who don’t need them– and will likely be harmed by the change.
|
Posted by Vijay Goel, M.D. |
Categories: Uncategorized | Tagged: children, insurance, public health, reimbursement, SCHIP |
My Projects
HealthShoppr.com: Book a health appointment with transparent pricing/ services
Health X PRIZE: $10M Prize to Substantially Improve the Health of a Community
OutsourcedPPT.com: Overnight Powerpoint Support for Consultants/ Strategists
Bite Catering Couture: Gourmet Los Angeles Caterer Specializing in Small Bites
From Medicine to McKinsey to Main St- John Wooden: On success
- Medical School- Clinical years: Realizing medicine was not focused on health improvement
- HTC Droid Incredible now shipping by May 21
- Pre-clinical Medical School: Memorizing facts at the beginning of the internet era of medicine
- Interview with the Jose Andres, molecular gastronomy pioneer, on 60 minutes
SCHIP, if passed and adopted, will be a disaster for what remains of primary care in our urban markets, driving qualified general pediatricians away from serving poor children, due to inability to afford a quality practice. As a supporter of consumer choice and engagement, I don’t see how paying pediatricians less will encourage them to spend more time and pay better attention to the wellness needs of an increasingly obese and inactive set of children that are our next generation.
As a person who had to turn away from a career choice of pediatrics residency based on moral issues with what reimbursement had done to preventive/ wellness care, I am appalled to see support for a program that will significantly cut reimbursement for kids who switch into the government program, driving docs away from the CHIP program, and potentially out of primary care. (government rates are by law significantly lower than reimbursement negotiated with by private insurance)
Pediatricians are amongst the most dedicated and worst paid physicians in the field– to make it impossible to provide high-quality care for urban kids in the primary care setting due to mandated government rates is one of the worst ways to “improve” access to insurance–as it takes away any access to the physicians who deliver the care.
continue reading »