"The Strip"
Special report from Paul Hochfeld…
Since when is Las Vegas in California? Explanation. After the Santa Cruz event, I left the Road Trip for three days to attend the American College of Emergency Physicians meeting, in Las Vegas, where PNHP has a table among the other “exhibitors”. Every so often, a supporter shakes our hands then shakes his/her head in agreement, “We didn’t fix it, did we?” Occasionally, someone questions, “What are you selling?” We explain the history and purpose of Physicians for a National Health Program. Single payer supporter or not, every Doctor agrees that our sick care non-system is profoundly broken.
The Exhibit Hall
Vegas is surreal. The exhibit hall is equally surreal. Our humble PNHP table is surrounded by multi-hospital emergency groups (who charge local groups up to 32% for “management fees”), billing/coding companies, drug pushers, purveyors of a variety of software packages, and assorted medical gizmo manufacturers.
“Vendors” use every trick imaginable to seduce emergency physicians to ask about their wares. Examples includes shapely ladies (of course), free ice cream serves by a ‘50’s era candy store owner, raffles, and plenty of other give-aways, including the usual pens, bags, candy, coffee, and water bottles. The most insulting was the Elvis impersonator bedecked with sequins! That’s the depths to which our sick care non-system has sunk.
Their shared goal is to “game” the system to maximize collections from patients and third party payer. More revenue for providers translates into more money to share with those providing products and services to physicians. Sadly, the complexity of dealing with fourteen hundred insurance carriers makes so many of these vendors valuable. After all, health care is a commodity and the goal is maximum profits.
I rejoin the MAHD Road trip tomorrow night after our Santa Barbara presentation. We will “lose” Margaret Flowers on Friday, but Carol Paris, also of Baucus Eight notoriety will join us for several presentations in the L.A. area. We’re like a well oiled machine with replaceable parts.
