Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Much of medical reimbursement for physicians is now based on RVU’s or Relative Value Units. Work is defined by a unit value which is assigned a certain dollar amount. In other words a routine office visit to a physician has a certain unit value which is worth X amount of money. The same goes for different operations. More complicated procedures receive higher values and thus are worth more money. This all gives the physician a financial incentive to do more work to make more money. In the old days the physician just charged what they wanted and were paid accordingly. All methods of pay are based on financial incentives. The more you do, the more you are paid. Everyone believes their physician is the best and the most honest and would never think of doing anything just for money. I heard someone say the other day, “I have complete faith in my doctor, he is not like all of the rest who are just interested in money. I don’t think he would operate on me unless he really needed the money.”
I think sports should adopt this method of payment for their players. If a baseball player scores a run or strikes someone out they get a designated amount of money. In football they could be paid for every tackle or touchdown they make. The players would really make the game more exciting as they did everything possible to make a dollar, just like the doctors. Coaches could be paid according to the same formula, but unfortunately some like at Temple High School or Baylor might have to pay the school for allowing them to work.
CEO’s and business executives could be paid just like this. They of course would turn out any product without regard to the quality, much like the doctors do in their quest to pile up RVU’s.
It’s a great American system. Congress should pass a law making it mandatory for everything.

1 Comments:

Blogger jeff ludwick said...

I really like this RVU thing, Doc. Not only is it a good idea you have cleared up a misconception of mine. I have heard a number of physicians moaning and griping about their RV's in the past few years. Being uneducated in the matter I assumed they were talking about their Recreational Vehicles such as Winnebagos,etc. and that the high price of gasoline and diesel had gotten under their skin. Now I know that RVU's mean basically that you are paid by the pound. It's a great idea but how would we pay politicians? For the most part they only produce one thing and that is available in any barnyard or garden center.

12:01 PM  

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