Times Are Tough
I do not need to say much about how tough being in medical practice is these days. Medicare cuts, Medi-Cal cuts, difficult insurance reimbursement, new reporting requirements that would challenge an MBA, and a looming recession with more people having less money to spend on healthcare. And the overhead costs of practice continue to rise relentlessly. How do physicians survive tough times? In situations like this, I am reminded of the line from the Beetles, “I get by with a little help from my friends.”
When it comes to helping physicians with medical practice issues, friends can be hard to come by. This is where the San Diego County Medical Society (SDCMS) comes in. SDCMS is here for you, especially in tough times. Membership definitely has its benefits. Here are some real examples of SDCMS helping members. These come from Marisol Gonzalez, the full-time helper of SDCMS member practices (her title is physician advocate):
A pediatrician is starting up a new practice. She has questions about many things: the legalities of rest periods for employees; information about sole proprietorships; incorporation; and her business license. Using CMA’s ON-CALL documents as a resource, Marisol is able to guide her through the maze of starting and running an independent practice. She also connects her with endorsed business partners at a discount, such as CHMB billing services.
An internist is having reimbursement problems with health plans. He needs an advocate to understand the billing policies and critical information to negotiate timely payment. Again, the CMA ON-CALL documents come to the rescue, and having a local resource like Marisol saves countless hours and provides the reassurance of not being alone working with large payers.
The office manager of a family practice group calls or emails about three times a week with questions about medical practice issues. These range from how physicians should report domestic violence to what physicians can charge when they receive a subpoena or are giving testimony in a deposition. Marisol is able to research these subjects and provide up-to-date answers to her questions.
SDCMS staff helps small and large practices alike. Recently one of San Diego County’s largest medical groups faced a very expensive litigation action by the state. SDCMS teamed with CMA to help with the group right from the beginning. SDCMS and CMA were able to provide the attorneys defending the group with critical documents and guidance that helped result in a successful defense. And remember, with professional liability insurance, The Doctors Company gives a 5 percent discount to physicians that are SDCMS members.
Unfortunately, some physicians or office staff call SDCMS for help and are not members. They may decide to join only when they are in a crisis. Since membership dues are used to employ Marisol and the other great SDCMS staff, only members can be helped in this way. Save yourself the embarrassment of waiting to join SDCMS until you are in crisis. You don’t buy fire insurance when the house is burning.
If you are not a member, join now and take advantage of the many benefits of a staff ready and waiting to help you. As Carole King and James Taylor sang, “Ain’t it good to know that you’ve got a friend?”