U.S. Plans Stealth Survey on Access to Doctors

[Donnachaidh]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/27/health/policy/27docs.html

WASHINGTON — Alarmed by a shortage of primary care doctors, Obama administration officials are recruiting a team of “mystery shoppers” to pose as patients, call doctors’ offices and request appointments to see how difficult it is for people to get care when they need it.

The administration says the survey will address a “critical public policy problem”: the increasing shortage of primary care doctors, including specialists in internal medicine and family practice. It will also try to discover whether doctors are accepting patients with private insurance while turning away those in government health programs that pay lower reimbursement rates.

Federal officials predict that more than 30 million Americans will gain coverage under the health care law passed last year. “These newly insured Americans will need to seek out new primary care physicians, further exacerbating the already growing problem” of a shortage of such physicians in the United States, the Department of Health and Human Services said in a description of the project prepared for the White House.

Plans for the survey have riled many doctors because the secret shoppers will not identify themselves as working for the government.

More at the link --

[frazzled]

1. It's not so stealth when they reveal the script and the states ...

in which the survey will be conducted.

I found that pretty funny when I read it this morning. It was a sort of "heads up" to the medical community. Though they might not read the papers.

[MineralMan]

2. I think this is a very good move, and should be very revealing.

I'm not surprised that doctors aren't happy about it. Let them sweat a bit, I say.

I also think revealing that it's going on may force some to change their policies to avoid problems.

[Wilms]

3. OK. But I'm not recing this.

:shhhh:

[RC]

4. Unless the caller shows up for the appointment, it is a complete waste of the doctors time.

How many time will each doctor get called?
An easier way for all concerned would be to just go to Single Payer in the first place. Except for the greedy, parasitic, useless, 'Your-Money-or-Your-Life' health insurance companies that is.

[kestrel91316]

6. Well once the ease of making the appointment is ascertained, it's pretty

simple to call back and CANCEL (in a timely manner, of course, so someone else can have the slot).

[RC]

7. The point I am trying to make is it is a waste of the doctors time to even have to deal with

this 'survey'.

[kestrel91316]

5. In my area I hear it's a 3 month wait for EXISTING patients to see their own

family doctor, let alone new patients......