03/14/2016    Robert Kornfeld, DPM

Value-Based Milestones Signal Change in Medicare Reimbursement

In a capitalist system such as ours, prices for
goods and services are determined by the people
either selling the goods or providing the
services. That is the way it should be. The
corollary to this is that healthy competition
keeps prices/fees from going through the roof.
Unfortunately, as long as the payors are in
charge of the "value" of your services, you will
ALWAYS be undervalued since they already have
collected the premium dollars and do not want to
share them with you.

I have now lost count as to how many times I have
seen posts such as this and I have commented on
the willingness of doctors to lay down and be
victims of the system rather than the highly
trained, highly valued doctors that they deserve
to be. As a doctor who runs a cash practice, I
can proudly say that I set my own fees. Those
patients who value what I have to offer will pay
for my services. Those who don't, or simply
cannot afford my services, will not come. No one
sets my fees. No one controls what I can and
can't do. I practice freely according to the
limits of my licensure and training.

Participating with insurance companies is nothing
more than cooperating with the madness. It will
never change as long as any of you are willing to
work for pennies, even though you're mad about it
and feel victimized by the system. I personally
did it for years as well, believing that I had no
choice. That could not be further from the truth.
You are worth the value that YOU place on your
expertise. It's simple math. What is expensive is
highly valued. What is cheap is not.

Robert Kornfeld, DPM, Port Washington, NY

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