As we enter the year 2015, more and more patients are enrolling in “healthcare exchange programs”, also known as Obamacare.
As this takes please, patients need to recognize the impact this may have on physicians and their decision-making process. This article from Forbes nicely highlights some of the ethical dilemmas physicians face practicing in this new healthcare environment and what patients can do to protect themselves.
What this article doesn’t mention is that physicians are now being reimbursed less for surgical procedures which incentives them to offer patients more surgery.
In addition, patients are limited in their ability to see physicians outside of their specific network and are sometimes “pigeon-holed” into seeing only one provider–and subsequently only receiving one point of view about their health needs.
As a result, a second opinion for spinal surgery is not only important but prudent–now more than ever.