January 2014

The article examines a recent American Hospital Association convention, where healthcare officials took a look at the changing functions of primary care physicians.  Just as the healthcare system is evolving, so is the role of its physicians.  Whereas skill and experience were once enough to deem a physician suitable for the job, the abilities to lead and manage relationships are becoming more and more important

On December 18, 2013, the Senate approved the House-passed budget agreement that extended the current Medicare physician payment levels through March 2014, averting a 23.7% payment cut to docs on January 1st.

Does this sound familiar to you? Do you feel like Bill Murray in his film “Groundhog Day”? Do you wonder how long Congress and the President can continue to kick the SGR fix down the road? I have found that many doctors don’t understand what SGR means than it is like a guillotine held over their heads as part of a yearly ritual of frustration.