Connecting The Dots of Healthcare

I recently did a keynote presentation for the Ohio State Medical Association and a breakout session on my Risk Based Coding TM algorithm. Between the programs I visited the vendor displays to see what’s new.

OK….. I didn’t do this to “see what’s new.”

I was trolling for “snags.” Since my youngest daughter was little, she’d always ask “Dad, did you get any snags for me at your meeting?” Sally is a snag connoisseur.

One of the reasons I wanted to become a doctor was the seemingly endless supply of free flashlights doctors receive from sales reps. And, true to form, I wasn’t disappointed. Got a great little flashlight, bigger than a penlight, but still small enough to pack without difficulties.

OK. I also went trolling for chocolate. Specifically, Dark CHOCOLATE. I love dark chocolate. And now that it’s been described as being “good for you,” hey, less guilt. I have, however, noticed chocolate does make my clothes shrink.

Along my stroll I picked up a few choice snags for Sally too. Because I attend so many meetings as a healthcare keynote speaker, I now am pretty selective on what to pick up. (If they don’t meet with the approval of my wife, who is very picky about what is a “good snag,” she tosses them out as soon as I’m not around.) She, by the way, claimed the flashlight as her own when she saw it.

Palmetto GBA, (aka CMS minion), also had a table-top set up. Every table had something to give away… candy, pens, mugs, flashlights, computer screen cleaners, mini-staplers, even aroma therapy!

But guess what Palmetto GBA had for visitors?

Papers. Mountains of papers. Papers describing what to do, what not to do, how to do it, how not to do it, information we should know about that’s critical to the smooth running of Medicare, (nevermind the patients), Medicare’s PVRP, (Physician Voluntary Reporting Program), PRO’s, (oops… now QIO’s!), P4P, (Pay for Performance), HCAHPS, Hospital “Consumer Assesment of Healthcare Providers and Systems,” (and the much anticipated and eagerly awaited ACAHPS, and GCAHPS, same as HCAHPS but Ambulatory and Group practice CAHPS, and … like we’re all really anxious to do MORE PAPERWORK for CMS~!), and of course, the requisite reams of rules, regulations, and requirements.

No candy, No neat office or clinical stuff, no flashlights. No SNAGS.

Are you surprised?

After all, what would you expect from these folks?