09/29/2023    Brian E. Homer, DPM

Time to Unionize (Lloyd Bardfeld, DPM)

I agree with Dr. Bardfield. Growing up in suburban
Detroit, I learned about the power of Unions at a
young age. Fast forward to 1991 when I started my
PSR-24 at The Cambridge Hospital in Massachusetts.
One day I was standing in line at the bank
depositing my $200.00 weekly paycheck. Alongside
me was a 1st year medical (MD) intern. He saw the
amount of my check and asked if it was for CME
reimbursement. I informed him that it was my
weekly paycheck, then he showed me his which was
approximately triple the amount of mine. He then
suggested that I complain to the House Officers
Union Rep.

I first spoke with our residency director who had
no knowledge that a House Officers Union even
existed. After contacting the Union Rep, we
learned that podiatry was the only specialty in
the hospital that was excluded from the Union.
She immediately appealed to the hospital's
administration and threatened a discrimination
lawsuit. After months of meetings and
negotiations, we finally succeeded and were
allowed to join the Union and our salaries were
brought up to par over a 3-4 year period. What
should infuriate all of us is the fact that as a
whole, doctors continue to allow the insurance
companies to take financial advantage of us.
Generally speaking, our reimbursement hasn't
really increased over the past decade despite the
ongoing increases in the cost of living expenses,
business expenses and inflation. To put this into
perspective, I have listed the Medicare PFS in
Michigan for 2007 and 2023 for a few of our more
common CPT codes.

2007 2023

99202: $68 $74
99203: $102 $116
99212: $40 $58
99213: $63 $93
20600: $58 $55
20605: $63 $58
11721: $45 $45
11730: $98 $118
10060: $106 $129
28296: $662 $532 (in a facility)
28285: $362 $401 (in a facility)

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics
consumer price index, $1.00 in 2007 is equivalent
to $1.48 today, yet we are still being reimbursed
$1.00! You do the math. Although there's strength
in numbers, it should be more than obvious that
the AMA, APMA, AOA, etc., have failed miserably
regarding reimbursement. A simple cost of living
increase sounds pretty good to me right about now.
What say you? Time to unionize!

Brian E. Homer, DPM, Clawson, MI

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