On May 7, 2019, Physician’s Weekly, along with Linda Girgis, MD, co-hosted live, interactive tweetchat on the corporatization of healthcare and its impact on patients and healthcare professionals. Topics discussed were: whether or not Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS)’s plans to open their own primary care clinics is a conflict of interest, if BCBS primary care clinics become reality, who will have oversight of the medical care provided there and whether BCBS will become its own kingdom, whether the various huge mergers in healthcare in 2018 (eg, CVS/Aetna) help or harm patients, and much more!
Below are the highlights from the chat. You can read the full transcript here, by scrolling down to the corresponding responses.
Click here for a look at our #PWChat schedule and recaps.
Question 1
Q1: It was recently announced that @BCBSAssociation would be opening their own primary care clinics (https://t.co/Bi3uhx5apB).
Do you think this is a conflict of interest? Why/why not?#PWChat
— Physician’s Weekly (@physicianswkly) May 7, 2019
Do you not think there’s any way to fight it?#PWChat
— Physician’s Weekly (@physicianswkly) May 7, 2019
Medicare for all or DPC maybe, but it just seems like this kind of capture and conglomeration is unstoppable#PWchat
— Matthew Loxton (@mloxton) May 7, 2019
A1. Indeed it is. As they are the ones now determining care, they are also making profits based on those decisions. #PWchat https://t.co/tf4dPFA5Ca
— Linda Girgis, MD (@DrLindaMD) May 7, 2019
A1: 100% COI. Mainly because it eliminates freedom of choice. No matter what the service a patient should be allowed to choose their clinician. I see it as a way to control the funnel. #PWChat https://t.co/Tq5S6fnT18
— Mario Amaro, MD🤘🏽 (@MarioATX_MD) May 7, 2019
Question 2
Since @mloxton already jumped the gun ;-)…
Q2: If @BCBSAssociation primary care clinics become reality, who will have oversight of the medical care provided there? Or will BCBS become its own kingdom?#PWChat
— Physician’s Weekly (@physicianswkly) May 7, 2019
A2a: Or is it different if the “parent” organization is a Hospital?
— Brendan McCorkle (@McCorkley) May 7, 2019
Question 3
Q3: Several huge mergers in healthcare occurred last year (eg, @CVSHealth / @Aetna). Do you think such mergers help or harm patients? Why/why not?#PWChat
— Physician’s Weekly (@physicianswkly) May 7, 2019
A3: I think the mergers are not NECC. bad… minute clinics have upped my flu shot adherence approximately 1000000 percent, for example. Interesting how CVS/Walmart/others are testing that model of integration versus modular addons businesses #PWChat
— Brendan McCorkle (@McCorkley) May 7, 2019
Question 4
Q4: Will physicians in private practice be able to survive if these big corporation practices take hold? Why/why not?#PWChat
— Physician’s Weekly (@physicianswkly) May 7, 2019
A4. It is getting very hard to stay in business. Insurance companies prefer working with large organizations. That is why #DPC is gaining traction and may be the only way private doctors can survive. #PWchat https://t.co/b0uqbxPxxJ
— Linda Girgis, MD (@DrLindaMD) May 7, 2019
Question 5
Q5: Do these megamergers violate anti-trust laws and should they be disallowed?#PWChat
— Physician’s Weekly (@physicianswkly) May 7, 2019
A5. I believe so or at least should be investigated to see if they do. #PWchat https://t.co/TYTk0eIwLk
— Linda Girgis, MD (@DrLindaMD) May 7, 2019
A federal law called the Tunney Act requires the gov to have proposed merger settlements approved by a federal court, which determines whether the deal is in the public interest. ..
Remember DOJ pushback on Aetna and Anthem deals#PWChat
— Sherry Reynolds 🌟 (@Cascadia) May 7, 2019
A5. I think healthcare is evolving so that primary care doctors are indeed more in demand. #PWchat https://t.co/Uk4osDgZFk
— Linda Girgis, MD (@DrLindaMD) May 7, 2019
Question 6
Q6: Do you think these big corporations be able to provide quality medical care? Why/why not?#PWChat
— Physician’s Weekly (@physicianswkly) May 7, 2019
A6. I think they are too profit driven. #PWchat https://t.co/cbxNTTniNB
— Linda Girgis, MD (@DrLindaMD) May 7, 2019
Seems like large system failures are great contributors to physician burnout, inevitably weakening the workforce
— Kaishauna Guidry, MD (@DrMamaKai) May 7, 2019
Question 7
Q7: Do you think third parties practice medicine outside the scope of their capabilities?#PWChat
— Physician’s Weekly (@physicianswkly) May 7, 2019
Feel like I hear a horror story about prior auth every day now 😭 #PWChat
— Brendan McCorkle (@McCorkley) May 7, 2019
Question 8
Aaaaand the buzzer-beater question…
Q8: Are megamergers in healthcare the trend of the future? Or will there be enough backlash that this trend will fizzle?#PWChat
— Physician’s Weekly (@physicianswkly) May 7, 2019
@medeasetech backlash! Major push for clinician autonomy! #PWChat https://t.co/4XjVm0XpGi
— Mario Amaro, MD🤘🏽 (@MarioATX_MD) May 7, 2019
