A Sign Of The Times - Concierge Cardiology

I was reading KHN today, every bit usual, in addition to I ran across this little story. It seems that a Cardiology practise inward California is "fighting back" the proposed Medicare in addition to someone insurers cuts inward reimbursements to doctors inward the Cardiology trace of business.
Basically, Pacific Health Institute (PHI) has published a missive of the alphabet to their patients announcing that inward add-on to what insurers pay them for services, they volition remove patients to brand straight payments to the clinic, on a subscription basis, or facial expression upwards reduced availability of services, starting Apr 1, 2010.

KHN, describes this every bit a "vivid event of a phenomenon called "cost-shifting"", which it is, but in addition to then KHN goes on to define it every bit damage shifting from Medicare to someone insurers, who would convey to heighten their premiums every bit a result: "The premise is that doctors in addition to hospitals accuse privately-insured patients higher rates to brand upwards for the lower fees paid yesteryear Medicare in addition to other populace programs, likewise every bit uncompensated assist for uninsured people."

KHN misses the fact that PHI specifically states inward their missive of the alphabet that the reimbursement charge per unit of measurement changes are non specific to Medicare: "Changing payment policies yesteryear Medicare and insurance companies convey forced us to reevaluate our practise model", in addition to the requirement for patients to pay to a greater extent than includes Medicare patients: "...we must forthwith accuse for uncovered services. You in addition to your insurance (including Medicare) volition yet endure charged for services rendered in addition to tests performed." [Bold font added for clarification]

PHI's subscription plans arrive at from a basic $500 per twelvemonth to a Concierge invention of $7,500 per year, in addition to they guarantee a card of services no longer available to non-subscribers, ranging from priority appointments to 24x7 access to a cardiologist.

Also interesting is the listing of services that volition endure scaled back:
"Anticoagulation (Protimes) in addition to pacemaker/defibrillator administration volition endure significantly curtailed in addition to of express availability."

Of course of pedagogy the actual implantation of pacemaker/defibrillator devices is non on the listing of "curtailed services". Those procedures, in addition to a long listing of other procedures, are performed yesteryear PHI cardiologists at the neighboring St. John's Hospital, which coincidentally is simply edifice a novel inpatient pavilion where "[a]ll patient rooms are someone and have a 42-inch plasma flat-screen tv in addition to wireless Internet access.", with other amenities, such every bit soothing colors in addition to relaxing garden views.

The solely damage shifting I run across hither is the i "shifted" to the patients.

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