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Annual Physicals
Just curious... my old doctor, and every doctor before her, would administer an in-depth physical exam every year. Look into your eyes, ears, throat, check your belly, heart, lungs, and then, of course, the finger as big as a salt shaker. When you were finished, you pretty much knew if you were healthy or not.
Now, the last 2 doctors I have been to for annuals do this: Ask you how you feel. Listen to your heart and lungs. Send you for bloodwork. That's it. Nothing more. Is this how medicine works now? Unless it shows up in the blood, then everything is fine? I agree, asking me how I feel is a good question, but I'm probably not going to think about 6 or 8 months ago when I woke up throwing up, or maybe pooped something weird, or something like that.
Is medicine today is basically "If you feel okay then you must be okay"?
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@bwjb Thats all my doctor does is talk take blood pressure, look in my ears.
Medicare reform (The Affordable Care Act aka Obama Care) is the reason for the change in your annual history and physical (H&P) which has morphed into the Annual Wellness Exam. Medicare changed the way they pay claims for outpatient provider services to consider wellness efforts as a way to improve our health as opposed to doing a certain set of blood work, chest x-ray, EKG every year that were normal. If you have problems that you’re receiving medications for or that you see the doctor for regularly then Medicare felt they were wasting money paying for the annual H&P. Most Family Medicine and Internal Medicine providers are part of a larger group practicing under the ACA. There is a coding process that goes into the billing process that codes claims in a manner that supports Medicare initiatives to reduce costs. Essentially the healthier your doctor can keep you the better their scores are which leads to practice bonus payments at the end of the federal fiscal year.
Remember I’m only speaking about Medicare aged people not younger ones.
I’ve never had any heart related illness or symptoms so I haven’t had an EKG in over six or seven years. Same with a chest x-ray. I don’t need them if I don’t have symptoms. It’s a new way era of Medicine. Most younger doctors don’t use the stethoscope you might expect to see a hospital doctor using. Electronics has taken over and many younger doctors might not even lay a hand on you from what I’ve heard listening to XMSirrus Doctor Radio. They’d rather depend on test results.
Good luck reaching anyone who you saw in the practice on weekends.
There were once doctors on call 24/7.
Now go for pot luck in an ER.
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1 Reaction@seniormed
Yuuup So True