South Portland doctor stops accepting insurance, posts prices online

[CJ7]

the entire concept defies the very foundation of all business concepts

apparently the Dr has no intention of growing his business .. if increasing paperwork would overwhelm the current staff, you HIRE more people to handle the load, more people handling more paperwork means the Dr has a growing practice and is making more money ... end of story.

like I said, the DR has been in practice for 17 years, and has more than one location ... apparently he has all he needs and is more than willing to take a reduction in his yearly income. I bet a dollar to a dime that wasn't his business model 17 years ago

as much as COF wants you to think the Dr's business decision was due to Obie care .. I don't think so

[Yssup Rider]

Not even close, CJ.

None of our esteemed colleagues remember HMOs, PPOs and other "gateway" fixes they tried in the 90s. Doctors quit then, too. Others went to MBA programs.

Now more and more are going to work as paid employees of large groups, hospitals or clinics. No muss, no fuss.

[IIFFOFRDB]

Obrocare the "ultimate" middleman... FUCKERS

[Yssup Rider]

Care to expound upon that brilliant comment, BUTTSKI?

[CuteOldGuy]

Originally Posted by CJ7

as much as COF wants you to think the Dr's business decision was due to Obie care .. I don't think so

Your ability to comprehend the concepts presented is getting worse than ever, CBJ7. Did the Obamatron transmission get garbled? It's possible there was a solar flare that interfered.

I clarified this point. It is not just Obamacare, it is the entire third-party payments system, including the system in place prior to Obamacare. And like most everything else Obamacare is "supposed" to fix, it will only make this worse. But it was bad before Obamacare.

Now have someone read this to you, and try to understand.

[Yssup Rider]

It will wind up being much worse beforehand Whiny. and when we finally have national health care, people will look back and say WTF were we thinking before?

[SinsOfTheFlesh]

Originally Posted by timpage

As usual, you're a fucking idiot. Let me think....I can go to the doctor and let my health insurance pay for it. Or, I can go to my doctor and pay $300 cash for the visit. Which do you pick?

After looking at his pricing, in some cases a visit to this Doctor would likely be far less than trying to meet the deductible with your insurer. Particularly for minor surgical procedures which could carry a deductible with your insurer that is anywhere from $500-$1000 before insurance even kicks in.

What exactly is the problem with thinking outside the box Timmy? This Doctor may not be suitable for all patients. Particularly those with chronic illnesses that require frequent follow up care. For those without insurance, or whose insurance is limited, his approach may be a perfect solution.

One thing that is clear from his menu is that his goal is to provide very basic care, primarily to patients who are in overall good health. I notice from his list of lab tests alone, that many tests are absent. There is no price listed for instance for LFT, CBC, Cardiac enzymes, and several other lab tests that are generally pretty standard in patient care.

If his approach improves access to basic care for more people then what, exactly, is the problem Tim?

[Yssup Rider]

This is nothing new, Sins. In fact, Im willing to bet....

[CJ7]

Originally Posted by Yssup Rider

Not even close, CJ.

None of our esteemed colleagues remember HMOs, PPOs and other "gateway" fixes they tried in the 90s. Doctors quit then, too. Others went to MBA programs.

Now more and more are going to work as paid employees of large groups, hospitals or clinics. No muss, no fuss.

I could be wrong, but this Dr reeks of winding down his business (after 17 very successful years in several locations), and never mentions joining a large group of any kind ..

[Yssup Rider]

Seventeen years ain't long in doctor years... But he probably makes more money per patient this way. Reimbursement for office visits are tiny, so the folks have to spend 8 minutes with each patient to come out.

He isn't gonna grow his business, but maybe he prefers Mazdas.

[Guest032516]

Originally Posted by CJ7

he's been in business 17 years and has more than one office, chances are hes about ready to need a reason to retire

Originally Posted by CJ7

I could be wrong, but this Dr reeks of winding down his business (after 17 very successful years in several locations), and never mentions joining a large group of any kind ..

Where do the ideas of 17 years and retirement come from? I don't see that in the article or the firm website.

The old man became a doctor in 1958 and retired in 1999 and the some Michael took over. I'm assuming the son was born between 1960 and 1965, which would put him in the age range of 47-52. He looks to be about that old in his picture and video.

So, this guy is nowhere near retirement age.

Also, if his business model makes no sense to you, how would that (i.e., not accepting insurance) help him sell the business to other doctors? Seems like he would be doing the opposite.

[CJ7]

Originally Posted by ExNYer

Where do the ideas of 17 years and retirement come from? I don't see that in the article or the firm website.

The old man became a doctor in 1958 and retired in 1999 and the some Michael took over. I'm assuming the son was born between 1960 and 1965, which would put him in the age range of 47-52. He looks to be about that old in his picture and video.

So, this guy is no where near retirement age.

Also, if his business model makes no sense to you, how would that (i.e., not accepting insurance) help him sell the business to other doctors? Seems like he would be doing the opposite.

http://www.vitals.com/doctors/Dr_Michael_Ciampi.html



Ive never said his biz model doesn't make sense. I continue to say he's winding down his practice

[Guest032516]

Originally Posted by CJ7

the entire concept defies the very foundation of all business concepts

apparently the Dr has no intention of growing his business .. if increasing paperwork would overwhelm the current staff, you HIRE more people to handle the load, more people handling more paperwork means the Dr has a growing practice and is making more money ... end of story.

like I said, the DR has been in practice for 17 years, and has more than one location ... apparently he has all he needs and is more than willing to take a reduction in his yearly income. I bet a dollar to a dime that wasn't his business model 17 years ago

as much as COF wants you to think the Dr's business decision was due to Obie care .. I don't think so

You need to learn more about business concepts.

You simply add in more overhead like somehow extra money will magically appear to offset it. What if more and more paperwork and regulations are being tacked on, while the amount of reimbursement is being reduced or kept the same?

Because that is what is happening more and more to doctors' practices.

Doctors aren't leaving private practice and joining giant healthcare businesses because they LIKE giving up control over their lives (no muss, no fuss, indeed). They are doing it because they are being squeezed.

The whole medical business is becoming a game of knowing what codes to put into the reimbursement system in order to get paid - whether the code is accurate or not.

I don't know whether or not this doctor's business practice will survive in the long run or if it can be followed by everyone, but this is not the first time I've heard about doctors doing this.

Some doctors have essentially cut out all middlemen and overhead and work strictly on a cash basis.

They rent everything (office space, desks, chairs, equipment, cars), own nothing, and drop malpractice insurance in order to suit-proof themselves. When a malpractice attorney realizes there is no pot of money to draw from, most medical suits are dropped.

[CJ7]

Originally Posted by ExNYer

You need to learn more about business concepts.

You simply add in more overhead like somehow extra money will magically appear to offset it.

What if more and more paperwork and regulations are being tacked on, while the amount of reimbursement is being reduced or kept the same?

Because that is what is happening more and more.

Doctors aren't leaving private practice and joining giant healthcare businesses because they LIKE giving up control over their lives (no muss, no fuss, indeed). They are doing it because they are being squeezed.

I don't know whether or not this doctor's business practice will survive in the long run or if it can be followed by everyone, but this is not the first time I've heard about doctor's doing this.

They essentially cut out all middlemen and overhead and work strictly on a cash basis. They also rent everything, own nothing, and drop malpractice insurance in order to suit-proof themselves.

,

and you know this Dr didn't plan to retire in 20 years and be young enough to enjoy his retirement, HOW ?


this Doc isn't interested in survival ... PERIOD .

[Guest032516]

Originally Posted by CJ7

Ive never said his biz model doesn't make sense.

Really? Who was it that wrote this: "the entire concept defies the very foundation of all business concepts" in post #31 above?

Was that some other CJ7?

Originally Posted by CJ7

I continue to say he's winding down his practice

Based on what? He is about 50, so retirement does not beckon at this point.

And who is going to buy his "unusual" business - which is not set up to accept private insurance or Medicaid?