Big Island to lose 4 more surgeons!

[Devany]

This is sad news. We are retiring in Hilo and just decided after talking to many people to change from Blue Cross PPO to Kaiser. What is odd is that there are not many insurance options in Hawaii. We live in SF till January and are having every possible test done right now to be sure we arrive in good health with no reason for seeing specialists for a while.

HEY DOCS>>>> come to paradise!

Aloha au i Hawai`i,
devany

Devany Vickery-Davidson
East Bay Potters
www.eastbaypotters.com

[kani-lehua]

devaney: that's exactly what we have planned. get everything done prior to our move--if it happens. mom has kaiser through her retirement plan. we will have to purchase our own insurance. there's always the option of staying with our current primary care physicians and fly back to honolulu for care.

"chaos reigns within.
reflect, repent and reboot.
order shall return."

microsoft error message with haiku poetry

[jerry]

I am wondering what constitutes "low pay?"

It seems that many people go into medicine to help people and come out of the system owing so much money that income becomes a huge concern. I don't think tort reform will help much--kind of like putting a band aid on a severed limb. Something a bit more revolutionary is necessary.


Jerry
Art and Orchids B&B
http://www.artandorchids.com

[rbakker]

http://loseloose.com/

It could be that the BI just doesn't have the population to sustain the number and variety of doctors that people want.
We're quite lucky to have a large city (HNL) close by in case of emergencies.

[missydog1]

quote:

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It could be that the BI just doesn't have the population to sustain the number and variety of doctors that people want.

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Sure it does. The doctors aren't leaving because they didn't have patients. Most specialists here have long waits for appointments, which says they are busy.

I met someone who needed to see an ENT here for a persistent infection, who was given an appointment 9 or 10 months out! Other people saying 2-4 months wait to talk to a vascular surgeon. And so forth. The demand is there.

HMSA the main employee insurance (run by the state?) is a nightmare to deal with.
The insurance companies make the billing such a pain. I know that's true on the mainland too, but perhaps the amount they're willing to reimburse is just too low for the cost of living and leasing an office and keeping a staff in this state.

I know the malpractice premiums are a factor as was already said.

[Guest]

The Big Island will soon lose three orthopedic surgeons, leaving the island with only one full-time and one part-time bone surgeon, and none in West Hawaii.

Doctor Doug Hiller is president-elect of the Hawaii Medical Association. He's among the doctors who are leaving for various reasons, including low insurance reimbursements.

The other doctors are John Bellatti and Vivian Chang. The three are all scheduled to be gone by the end of January.

This will force more patients to travel to Honolulu, or more doctors will have to make more trips to the Big Island.

Hiller and Bellatti say the rising cost of malpractice insurance, low reimbursements and huge workloads are the main reasons for their leaving. Chang is leaving for a fellowship.

http://www.kpua.net/news.php?id=16027

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General Election Unofficial Poll

[missydog1]

LOL, that's just what I said in my prior post, can't keep up with demand, low reimbursement, malpractice premiums. []

[hpp4me]

The problem will not be solved until Hawaii passes tort reform to get rid of the frivolous lawsuits. I like the "loser pays" approach. That would prevent people from suing to extort money. We know the game. Make them cough up $50,000 rather than pay $150,000 in legal fees. If the loser had to pay back that $150,000 they would not sue.

A better approach is forced, state-run binding arbitration. If you think you were injured by a doctor, you file a claim to the arbitration department. Impartial experts hear both side and issue a binding decision.

[Bob Orts]

Malpractice tort reform will never occur unless the medical licensing boards start disciplining their own. These boards (state and industry) are comprised of their own and they are very reluctant to formally discipline bad doctors. So, because of this lack of oversight, the burden falls on the patient or estate and their only help is lawyers.

Start with disciplining bad doctors and malpractice tort reform will follow.

[Beachboy]

quote:

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Originally posted by hpp4me

The problem will not be solved until Hawaii passes tort reform to get rid of the frivolous lawsuits. I like the "loser pays" approach. That would prevent people from suing to extort money. We know the game. Make them cough up $50,000 rather than pay $150,000 in legal fees. If the loser had to pay back that $150,000 they would not sue.

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I don't think that's a problem here in Hawaii. Some years back while at Daiei Store in Kaheaka St., I meet a wheelchair bound individual. After talking briefly about this person's injury/handicap I quickly said to her..." you sued didn't you?" Her reply came back as quick as the questioned rolled off my lips, "You're joking right?" she said. Upon further conversation I found out that this person became handicapped because of a negligent Doctor at Queens Hospital. You think it would be a cut & dry case of malpractice. You just can't get another doctor in the state of Hawaii to testify against another member of the chapter of the AMA Hawaii medical association! They have an unwritten rule to never testify against another doctor in the state...

The problems with doctors here is at epic purportion. Even half the ones at clinics aren't even Doctors too, they are what are referred to as PA's,' Physicians Aids'. Glamour up nurse if you ask me. Actually I found the physicians at Bay Clinic not very compentent

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You know the only difference between Sarah Palin and Dick Cheney is ... lipstick.