Safe, appropriate, effective care at a reasonable cost. Such a simple goal. The message is clear. Leaders in hospitals, congress, and even my chihuahua echo the dawning of a new age in health care. Down with the private practice, fee-for-service mentality, they all say. I pay attention to a lot of this chatter since I happen to be in private practice. I split my time on the internet between the latest exploits of the Kardashians and gravestones for my practice. I can picture the epitaph:
In loving memory of
As I shuffled towards this abyss, my reverie was broken by a letter. It was from Independence Blue Cross (IBC) in Pennsylvania. It was titled: The Cardiology/Invasive Cardiology Comparative Cost report. It looked like a report card, so I opened it with some trepidation.
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