>>The doctors know this when they sign up and contract with medicaid, but we have some numbskull doctors and this perpetual cylce keeps on going.<<
Well, that sounds really good but I worked for a Psych in Cleveland who signed the contract with Medicaid because he needed his expenses covered just to drive down to the Charity hospital.
He knew that an in-patient visit was only going to pay 32.00 on his regular 80.00 fee.
For this work, he had to pay more in malpractice insurance, more for car insurance and buy a gun. (really bad neighborhood)
Medicaid delayed or turned down EVERY claim. SO while he was doing the job that no other psych on the westside of Cleveland would do, the administrative costs in reports sent and refiles ate away every cent of what he made. It was volunteer work.
This "numbskull" doctor wanted to give back to the community. He saw Adult special needs patients when no one else would and continued to see any patient who came into that emergency room at the charity hospital eventhough he was not required to by law, just give a referal. In the end, our office was going broke on these patients. I wrote up a report about how much money we were losing on Medicaid and in the end he dropped everyone but the Special needs.
Perhaps the other side of the coin is needed here.
there are good doctors and there are ones who just dont give a damn. there are two sides two the equation, and you are right, two sides of the coin. When the claims come through here, if there is just simple thing wrong like: doctor did not provide his signature, or the client did not get a referral from their PCP, any number of things can halt a claim from being paid. I think able bodies people should get ff their arses and get to work and stop having their hands out for gov't assistance. IMHO PCP=primary care physician