Primary care physicians are much maligned, taking the brunt of the abuse from insurance companies, hospitals, and the government. The lack of access and the primary care doctor shortage have been well documented, and is projected to worsen with most medical students choosing to be specialists.

That demand should increase our value, and I still think that it eventually will, but in the meantime it’s imperative that primary care doctors band together to negotiate with hospitals and insurance companies.

Dr. Rob tells a heartening story about how generalist physicians in his area successfully worked together during negotiations with a health insurer.

Effective negotiating is another business skill that doctors need to thrive in today’s practice environment:

Banding together, primary care physicians can wield much more power than they think. People won’t join plans without good primary care. Insurance companies make more money off of colonoscopies than they do office visits, but they make no money at all if people don’t sign up for the plan. The key to success is to work as a group. Be ready to walk away from a bad offer – even if it means that you will lose patients. Being willing to refuse bad payment will greatly enhance your ability to force better pay. It’s obvious that PCP pay is not going to break their bank. The reason we have been under their thumb has been our inability to act together.

With universal coverage on the horizon, primary care has the potential to become a more significant player. We are the foundation to any major health reform – without our cooperation, any plan will be doomed to failure. By working together, we can ensure that our future will remain viable.

topics: primary care, business