No Payor System

What does the responsible physician bring to the table? Each physician has an innate belief that his patient’s welfare must come before his own. This healthcare system would have collapsed long ago if this were not the case. The flaw lies in the misalignment of self-interest. To correct it there must be an economic focus through which the diverse interests in healthcare can be resolved.

How do risk-bearing physician owned medical groups provide this focus?

Why should it seem to be a paradox for physicians to manage healthcare? Many blame physicians for the system’s failure. Deterioration in cost of care, ease of access, and availability of services all seem to point toward the profession. Yet it is the constancy of the physician’s dedication that sustains healthcare. Despite steady erosion of income and increased bureaucratic intrusion the profession soldiers on. The myriad factors which sustain the current US system are nicely described in the New England Journal of Medicine by Lawrence D. Brown. But he missed one critical factor. All of the compensating factors he mentions depend upon the input and even generosity of physicians. The system continues to function because the profession consistently places the welfare of its patients above its own. There is an essential iniquity in a society that exploits the humane spirit of its medical profession to sustain its failed healthcare.

As our healthcare system crumbles the mantra of cost containment still emanates from the ruins. Few aspects of healthcare escape this indictment. Physicians, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and even insurance companies are all cited for their contribution to spiraling cost. But we seem unable to recognize that it is the organization of healthcare itself that creates the problem. As long as the belief is held that fiscal responsibility for care of patients can be divorced from the delivery of that care this chaos will continue. The frenzy to contain cost focuses upon care givers. If only they can be constrained healthcare will be affordable.

This is clearly not an effective strategy.