AMA and EMR and CPT codes

[Sushirolls]

Just got an email from Luminello, saying the AMA strong armed them and other EMRs into needing to pay an annual fee per person who has billing access to their services - assistants, clinicians, etc. ~$20/person.

An already low value organization that fails to represent its doctors, and focused on SJW causes for decades and not actual Physicians. Probably spends more money in their aggressive, and sneaky, dues membership mailings. Their wording is frequently Renew now! And they mail to your home, your office, and any address they can get, repeatedly. All year long. I get more AMA membership requests than I do Current Psychiatry magazines.

This forced fee for their CPT brain child, has only further galvanized my resolved to never be a member.

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[PsyDr]

The AMA owns the copyright for all CPTs. They make ~$71MM per year on that revenue stream alone.

 

[Sushirolls]

From what I can tell, that's about all the AMA does. Profit off CPT codes, and nothing else.

 

[reca]

Haven't they always charged this fee? Seems like the change now is that Luminello is passing that fee on to the physicians rather than rolling it into their overhead like most EMR's do.

I haven't heard anything about it from Charm, let's see if they do the same thing.

 

[Sushirolls]

This fee shouldn't be coming at the level of 'users' but only at the processors, like the clearinghouses. They are already the middle man. Tag them with the fees, and have it infused with their costs.

All more the incentive to move away from CPT codes, and just do a simple time based billing. There's a way right there to remove $71 million of bloat from the system.

 

[Merovinge]

All more the incentive to move away from CPT codes, and just do a simple time based billing. There's a way right there to remove $71 million of bloat from the system.

I'm sure the surgeons are going to agree to that right around the time Democrats and Republicans decide to work together to further the USA.

 

[mistafab]

I pride myself on being a lifelong AMA non-member.

 

[ObsequiousAplomb]

I'm sure the surgeons are going to agree to that right around the time Democrats and Republicans decide to work together to further the USA.

The surgeons would agree to it if their time-based rates were equivalent to their current billings.

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

I'm sure the surgeons are going to agree to that right around the time Democrats and Republicans decide to work together to further the USA.

As a PCP going to time based billing would destroy my billing.

 

[ObsequiousAplomb]

As a PCP going to time based billing would destroy my billing.

Would it if the time-based rates were appropriate?

 

[ObsequiousAplomb]

Whats bad about the AMA?

It claims to represent doctors and their interest. Many people feel that claim is just lipservice.

 

[TheRightMedication]

Would it if the time-based rates were appropriate?

Or a value based system

 

[ObsequiousAplomb]

Or a value based system

My fear with value based is that it will be entirely made up values that MBAs agree upon so they can grift even more money from us.

 

[TheRightMedication]

My fear with value based is that it will be entirely made up values that MBAs agree upon so they can grift even more money from us.

Not sure what I can say to that other than "Yeah but ..."

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

Or a value based system

Based on current Medicare quality metrics, I would come out very well on that. Key word being current.

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

Would it if the time-based rates were appropriate?

Doubtful, most of my appointments are under 10 minutes.