01/22/2014    Arden Smith, DPM

Evil Rich Doctors

There was a front page lead article in today’s
Sunday New York Times titled, “Patient’s Costs
Skyrocket; Specialists' Incomes Soar” … When a
Doctor Becomes an Entrepreneur, Small Procedures
Offer Big Returns…Paying Till It Hurts…The High
Earners….

My “paranoid twin” is sure that this article was
pushed by an evil and very organized cabal that
have an agenda strongly opposite to our interests
and want to do away with the model of small
private practice. They are a group whose interests
are to make the private, independent, doctor “the
enemy of the people”.

There is a strong disconnect between the contents
of this article and what I constantly hear in the
hallways, lounges, and the locker rooms of my
hospitals. All I hear are cries of working to keep
up with overhead expenses, especially electronic
expenses, compliance with new and more
regulations, and paying their staff’s salaries.
More and more independent practices are throwing
up their arms and getting bought out by hospitals,
or joining mega multi specialty medical groups [of
well more than 1000 doctors] [often with “no
business model” for podiatry].

It appears to me that “organized medicine” holds
all the cards if they really wanted to fight back
and play hardball. I am often envious when I read
about labor unions [from blue collar to those
representing professional athletes] who fight for
the income, benefits, and lifestyle of their rank
and file and are not ashamed to admit it.

I’m glad that I am at the tail end of my career. I
still love what I do, but the business of medicine
is becoming overwhelming.

Arden Smith, DPM, Great Neck, NY,
DIGITIQUINTI@aol.com

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