Dr. Rafer Leach sees a patient at Guardian Urgent Care in Denver. (August 18, 2009)
DENVER, Colo. -
Amidst the escalating war of words, raucous protests and town halls about health care reform, two area doctors are speaking out about what the proposed changes to the nation's health care system might mean to those on the front lines of providing care.
And while they face similar frustrations, those two doctors have different ideas about what kind of reforms are needed.
Both Dr. Rafer Leach, who runs Guardian Urgent Care in Denver, and Dr. Phil Rosenblum, a partner at Arbor Family Medicine in Westminster and Thornton, wish they had more time to spend with patients and that they spent less time fighting insurance companies -- both over the kind of care that's needed and then making sure they're compensated for care they provide.
"There's business people making decisions as to whether or not my recommendations are necessary," Leach said. "And then I have to nag them to get them to pay me the rates that we've negotiated -- and they're very tough negotiators to make sure they keep those rates as low as they can."
It's that experience that may explain why Leach supports a public, government-run option for those who can't afford private health care. To put it simply, he's not getting rich and feels that health care CEO's, and their shareholders, shouldn't be either.
"This doesn't need to be a profit-driven system the way it has been," Leach said. "Corporate America and Wall street runs health care. There has to be an option outside of what we have right now."
Rosenblum sees things differently.
"We have issues with a lot of the private companies, but the Medicaid is the worst contract we take right now," Rosenblum said. "That's the government option and it's the worst. So doctors fear that you'll be expanding a program that already doesn't pay well with a reimbursement formula that doesn't work.
"I'm a doctor, but I'm also a businessman with a staff of 25 that I provide health care coverage for," Rosenblum said. "Now why would I pay taxes to fund a public option and then pay more out of pocket to buy them all private insurance? It doesn't make a lot of sense."
Leach agrees that a public option will have an impact on private insurers and on providers like himself.
"We may have to reduce our staff, we may have to move to a different building," Leach said. "But we have to get more people health care. Until we do, the people who can't afford care will keep going to emergency rooms once their illnesses get bad, instead of going to the doctor earlier for preventive care. The care in the E.R. is expensive. And that cost gets shifted to all of us.
"The people who are able to pay eventually pay for the people who can't. That's what needs to change."
And while they face similar frustrations, those two doctors have different ideas about what kind of reforms are needed.
Both Dr. Rafer Leach, who runs Guardian Urgent Care in Denver, and Dr. Phil Rosenblum, a partner at Arbor Family Medicine in Westminster and Thornton, wish they had more time to spend with patients and that they spent less time fighting insurance companies -- both over the kind of care that's needed and then making sure they're compensated for care they provide.
"There's business people making decisions as to whether or not my recommendations are necessary," Leach said. "And then I have to nag them to get them to pay me the rates that we've negotiated -- and they're very tough negotiators to make sure they keep those rates as low as they can."
It's that experience that may explain why Leach supports a public, government-run option for those who can't afford private health care. To put it simply, he's not getting rich and feels that health care CEO's, and their shareholders, shouldn't be either.
"This doesn't need to be a profit-driven system the way it has been," Leach said. "Corporate America and Wall street runs health care. There has to be an option outside of what we have right now."
Rosenblum sees things differently.
"We have issues with a lot of the private companies, but the Medicaid is the worst contract we take right now," Rosenblum said. "That's the government option and it's the worst. So doctors fear that you'll be expanding a program that already doesn't pay well with a reimbursement formula that doesn't work.
"I'm a doctor, but I'm also a businessman with a staff of 25 that I provide health care coverage for," Rosenblum said. "Now why would I pay taxes to fund a public option and then pay more out of pocket to buy them all private insurance? It doesn't make a lot of sense."
Leach agrees that a public option will have an impact on private insurers and on providers like himself.
"We may have to reduce our staff, we may have to move to a different building," Leach said. "But we have to get more people health care. Until we do, the people who can't afford care will keep going to emergency rooms once their illnesses get bad, instead of going to the doctor earlier for preventive care. The care in the E.R. is expensive. And that cost gets shifted to all of us.
"The people who are able to pay eventually pay for the people who can't. That's what needs to change."
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