The Power of the Strategic Partner

Great and important post. Having recently been to doctors I can comment on the experience. The system needs improvement- especially when it comes to "transparency- or in reality, complete lack thereof in billing"- too many surprises and lack of information. In no other case can I think where you procure a service first, then only later find out how much it will cost. Having a "Strategic Partner" whether inside an organization or your own doctors office would help patients but often the admins are pulling double duty and on average, doctors have only 7 minutes per patient and much of that time is spent ticking off required boxes that the insurance companies require (an MD shared that fact with we me just yesterday). In defense of the support staff, policies change almost daily so it must be hard to keep up but when you ask simple questions such as "how much the (routine) visit will cost?" it's often like a deer in the headlights. There are codes, processes, insurance companies, etc. When you call your doctor, then your insurance company to find out what tier you are in, co-pays, deductibles, etc., you very often get two different answers- and this is for very simple, routine visits. I think doctors are amazing but the process needs to be more patient and less billing focused. No system is perfect but a truly patient-centered approach would be a good lace to start. We need more patient focused healthcare advocates! Lastly- I want to acknowledge all the hard working doctors, nurses and support staff. Their jobs are by no means easy!