Medical

Now that I've worked in the medical biz for a couple months, I know what's wrong with it and how to fix it. Well, not really but I have observed a few things. I characterized it as a business because that's the end I'm in, I know nothing about treating patients but I am learning about the business end of things.

The problem is the doctors. Not exactly just them but them and the culture that's been created around them. Anyone who's spent any time in a hospital can easily recognize the actual doctors amongst the multitudes of other workers. The doctors wear white lab coats and have stethoscopes draped over their shoulders. Why? It's not that there's that much need for a stethoscope at any moment, it's a symbol. The symbol says doctors rule. And they do, the nurses in all their flavors (and colors) right on down to the orderlies and cleaners bow down and do their bidding.

In the hospital setting maybe this makes some sense, but on the business end it's a disaster. Doctors are control freaks who think they can know everything. Hello, they don't know accounting. So the billing and insurance processing is a complete mess. It's slow, error prone, arbitrary and generally dumb. I wonder if this is a result of being created by physicians who operate in an ambiguous environment of percentages and hopes.

At our place the doctors own the processing company. And even in the office you can immediately tell who's a doctor. I swear there's one guy that always has a large envelop like for an xray tucked under his arm in case there was any doubt. Like I didn't notice your ill fitting suit and arrogance that you carry around?

Sorry for us peons but we fall into the culture so easily. Yes, Dr. so and so, and yes sir.

Time to knock the doctors down a notch and get some real management and accounting and computer people in and make it a properly run industry. But the AMA sets the codes and ensures that the docs get their (well deserved, to them) deference and we all suffer to keep this mess going. Search the internet for "medical codes" to get a taste of the problem.