The physician is the point person responsible for orchestrating the diagnosis and treatment of the patient.

As a healthcare consultant working with physicians and hospitals, I am particularly annoyed at the omission of the physician in the opinions stated by many so-called experts such as The New York Times (Sunday August 19th) and others who don’t grasp that the physician is the point person and on the front line of diagnosing and treating patients. They only refer to hospitals, home care agencies, and nursing homes, or group them as “others.”

The shortage of physicians will negatively impact access.

Do hospitals diagnose and treat patients just because they are inpatients?

Who outlines the protocol?

Expecting the physicians to provide equal to or better care with the pressures of reduced reimbursement estimated under the proposed “doc fix” always in play by elected officials in Washington in excess of $200 billion over 10 years and increased paperwork is ineffectual and ludicrous. It’s why many physicians are seriously contemplating early retirement or the sale of their practices to hospitals or to colleagues, and why so few are choosing medicine as a career, especially with the fixed residency slots unchanged in at least 15 years by our government.

If the practicing physician can’t or won’t see the Medicare or Medicaid patient, then what? They have totally missed the point here that gutting reimbursement to pay for other problems as proposed under the Affordable Care Act is a reasonable approach. It isn’t.

***************************************************************************************************************************