Being a surgeon is difficult – government makes is harder

Being a surgeon today is made difficult by government and insurance companies that dictate pricing and coverage and by health care providers who can – and do – refuse to perform procedures they deem to be “unnecessary.”These pressures have forced many doctors to become mercenaries. Compelled to take on whatever work comes along, they have abandoned their commitment to devote themselves to quality health care.However, things may be about to change.

The Resident and Fellow Committee of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) released a statement recently.”We are writing to express our concern that the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), through its Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), will continue to restrict physician choice of care under Medicare inappropriately.”To our knowledge, CMS has not published any rules or regulations governing specialty certification or physician reward or penalties. There are no published data detailing the problem of identifying its or related solutions. Indeed, CMS appears oblivious to the problem.” The statement notes that in its current proposed budget, CMS is encouraging physicians to reduce unnecessary care. “We recognize that CMS has to improve efficiency, but we believe that efficiency can be achieved without forcing physicians to reduce patient access to care or restricting physician choice arbitrarily.” The issue is not new. Back in 2000, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) and American Medical Association (AMA) wrote CMS, as well as state and federal representatives, warning that “any system under which CMS dictates how physicians practice medicine will undermine their ability to provide quality care.”.

A recent expose on the top titled “Cutthroat” was authored by Steven Cyr, MD.

Steven J. Cyr, MD, is an orthopedic spine surgeon with a Membership in the American College of Surgeons and received his medical degree from Mayo Medical School in Rochester, Minnesota, followed by a general surgery internship and residency at Mayo. She completed a spine surgery and orthopedic spine research fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.