CNN reports 2/3 of Dr offices report noncompliance

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I caught a CNN report early this morning where they seemed to be reporting that two-thirds of questioned doctors offices had reported that they were either non-compliant or had done no testing at all. Anyone else catch that story?

-- Check with your doc (CnnReport@reDocs.com), October 30, 1999

Answers

But the Docs will lie to you when you ask. We know several doing that. Look closely at the attitude in their reaction to any Y2K questions.

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), October 30, 1999.

actually my own little informal y2k survey is this:

of the eight docs we have visted this fall in the dc area--only two (yes i repeat two) acknowledged y2k as a real issue. and of them only one's practice/billing system is going to be ok. the other docs 1) laughed, 2) didn't have a clue enough to laugh, 3) were rather convinced that y2k was a non-event. several asked me to send them a y2k prep packet once i began to share info with them. the problem is EVERYONE IS LISTENING TO THE SPIN AND MANY OF THESE FOLKS DON'T SPEND MUCH TIME ON THE INTERNET SO THEY DON'T KNOW. MAYBE WE SHOULD SHARE INFO WITH ALL OUR FAMILY'S DOCS.

i am running a y2k hotline for a large govt (healthcare-related) entity. we get patients who will call and say their doctor laughed at them when they mentioned stocking up for y2k. too bad because one of these callers was obviously in dire straits because she uses morphine patches to control pain and here her doctor laughed at her!!?

personally, i think the scenario will go like this (i am not an expert--just an observer). 1) emergency rooms will be swamped (especially when you look at how much of the poorer populations rely on them for alot of their healthcare) so they will begin limiting the type of care that can be done to true emergency. 2) that will push much care to the regular docs (non specialists/family docs) where the required level of care will skyrocket and they will be treating much more severe illness than the regular colds, etc. many currently treat now. 3) i think there are going to be long lines and delays for people to try to prove eligibility for healthcare and pharmaceuticals. ( this means that it will be good to already have an established relationship with a physicians office). 4) after a few months, things are going to get really bogged down when docs have trouble filing claims and billing. i hate to think beyond this--at this point we may require government intervention to prop up the docs and ensure that people get seen (even if they can't instantly prove eligibility).

-- tt (cuddluppy@yahoo.com), October 31, 1999.


We're expecting our second child in April. When I mentioned Y2K to our Ob-Gyn (who has a sophisticated ultrasound machine), he had no idea. I'll be visiting our family doctor in the next couple of weeks, and will post his response / reaction.

Midas

-- Midas (Midas_Mulligan_2000@yahoo.com), October 31, 1999.


Cuddleypuppy:

As an ED doc I agree that EDs will be swamped before and after the date if things do indeed "go South". But EDs are the ONLY part of the medical system that can't say no when someone shows up. We are mandated by federal law (COBRA and EMTALA ) to see everyone who shows up at our door and evaluate and "stabilize" them. We have already been told by HCFA ( aka the Feds ) that those laws WILL BE ENFORCED no exceptions. So one likely scenario is that in the first weeks of January we are swamped. However due to billing problems no money is comming in to the hospital (HCFA is one of the more unready Fed agencies) also private insurers of varying readiness. Eventually the hospitals will be forced to close their EDs since they are not allowed to pick and choose who they will or won't see. No matter what I'm betting it will be interesting.....

-- kozak (kozak@formerusaf.guv), October 31, 1999.


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