DialysisEthics2_Forum

General Discussion => Main Forum => Topic started by: admin on October 14, 2009, 05:38:13 PM

Title: Think your doctor is sending you to the best clinic?
Post by: admin on October 14, 2009, 05:38:13 PM
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Joined: 11 Jan 2003
Posts: 282

   
PostPosted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 2:01 pm    Post subject: Think your doctor is finding you the best clinic? Stark law    
No, doctors aren't sending people to the best clinic! Your doctor is probably sending you to the place where that person is the medical director.

Looks like some doctors here would have preferred sending their patients elsewhere and finally had to quit their roles as medical directors to get on with other dialysis companies.

The Stark law ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stark_Law ) is supposed to prevent doctors from sending people to a facility where the physician has a financial interest, but nephs got an exemption.

Surprise! It is causing problems:
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_12830453

"The mud began to fly last year when the second-largest group of Denver kidney doctors, called nephrologists, ended their exclusive affiliation with DaVita and partnered with a Massachusetts dialysis company entering the Denver market. Near the same time, the largest nephrology group in Colorado Springs dumped DaVita in favor of Liberty Dialysis, which recently opened two dialysis centers in the city.

DaVita quickly sued doctors in both cities, plus a nurse battling breast cancer who quit her job at a DaVita dialysis center and took one with Liberty."

Chris