In China, you can buy little red envelopes in many shops, including grocery stores, pharmacies, and even school supply stores. While some are inscribed with the characters indicating “double happiness,” (indicating the double happiness a wedding represents for two families), others simply translate as “big lucky” or “big successful.”
They are intended to hold money given as a gift to a recipient.
And it may be a solution to the looming question of how we can still afford to attract stellar individuals to healthcare in the face of decreasing reimbursement to hospitals and practices. Healthcare “tips.”
Waiters and waitresses work for tips. Why not physicians? Medicare will be able to merrily proceed with its on-the-books 20.5% reduction without a peep of protest from physicians. Because, we’ll be working for tips.
It is technically illegal in China to give money to a physician, nurse, hospital representative, or any other healthcare “dot,” but it is still widely practiced. When a red envelope finds its way into the hand of a healthcare dot, things happen. Wait time diminishes. Schedules open up. Previously “unavailable” desires are met cheerfully.
“You get what you pay for.” Continuous diminishment of reimbursement to hospitals and healthcare workers will take a toll on patients. Arguments that this age-old and yet novel application of cash-for-appreciation will favor the rich can be dismissed. Sure, red-envelope bearing patients may be seen first, but by helping healthcare financially stay afloat, it will still be possible for those who don’t have red envelopes to find working healthcare businesses who have managed to keep well educated and dedicated individuals financially happy enough to stay in healthcare.
After all, who wouldn’t want to wish a physician “big success?” Especially since ultimately a physician’s success depends on your own successful patient outcome?
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