Quote:
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They're the worst thing to happen to the United States since the Vietnam war.
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Ummmm. My entry for the worst thing is in three words...
The next time you go to a doctor's office or a hospital or any kind of health center,
check the I.D. badge of the person interviewing you before (?) you are seen by your physician.
That person may then even give you a diagnosis and write a Rx for you,
and you may not ever meet "your" licensed physician (M.D., D.O, etc)
That person was a
Certified Medical Assistant
Quote:
Graduates of medical assisting programs accredited by the
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)
or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES)
are eligible to take the CMA (AAMA) Certification Exam.
<snip>
A greater number of employers are preferring (or even insisting)
that their medical assistants be CMAs (AAMA).<snip>
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Sounds pretty innocuous, doesn't it ?
At least until you find out that your cute little 20-something's
education only amounted to what would otherwise be called an A.A.
(Community College) degree via an "accelerated program".
And, they are programs being heavily touted now by the
"for profit" colleges, universities, and on-line centers of "education"
Google "Medical Assistant certification" for more info.
OK, so doctors have had assistants and secretaries for years. So what ?
Well, aside from the competence of your CMA, the real rub is when it comes time for your billings.
The physician or hospital can charge for that CMA's time and service at the
same $ rate as "your" physician would have charged for their own
time and service as if they, he/she, had actually provided your service.
Thus, the physician or hospital can have "legal clones" of themselves
seeing patients and practicing medicine, and earning $ at any
number of different locations (offices/clinics) and times (24/7)
and the $-income is at the highest level commensurate with
that physicians "local and customary" charges,
and Medicare/Medicaid must reimburse these charges without question.
If these charges are higher than is covered by your own insurance,
you get the bill for your excess part of this scheme.
So, pay attention to who actually is treating your medical problems.
Maybe you would want to insist on seeing a doctor in person.