Why was the anesthesiologist paid in full if s/he didn’t do anything?
A long term friend was an anesthesiologist and I asked her about it once. Her explanation, in addition to the seriousness of her practice as others have pointed out, is that she usually spent more time actually on the patient from the time he/she started under to heading to the recovery unit. Often the GS would basically come in later, do the cutting and stitching, and move to the next OR and the next patient. Time on task is what you get compensated for and her time on was usually much greater than the other doctors inside the OR. Don’t know if its true but there does seem a certain logic to it.
Anesthesiologists sound like sadists to me, from what I’m hearing above. They get paid the big bucks to put their patients under, and then have complete control over them while they are asleep.
I’m also concerned about their quackery.
Science doesn’t even know what anaesthetic even is. That’s how specialised a job it is.
There are two types.
CRNA is a Nurse Anesthetist. These are RN’s that get nearly two years training in anesthesia. My mom trained at the Cincinnati Burn Center. CRNA’s work under a anesthesiologist. It’s very similar too a residency. She got classroom training and long 12 hour shifts working.
Typically a anesthesiologist would have a group of CRNA’s working for him. My mom did locum tenens work exclusively in her later career. She created her own LTD and contracted with hospitals in a couple states to fill in as needed.
It varies with rural hospitals and large cities. CRNA’s do most of the anesthesia in rural hospitals. Anesthesiologists are found in big city medical centers. Although a few CRNA’s get employed there too.
CRNA’s work independently in rural hospitals. But there is a Anesthesiologist that heads the medical group. Big city hospitals are different. The CRNA’s get more closely supervised.
Malpractice insurance is very expensive. My mom is very thankful that she never had a claim or lawsuit in her 37 year career.
He submitted a bill and insurance paid. My sister worked with the guy, so she never asked any questions.
Elaborate, please.
Eh, how hard can it be to clonk someone on the head with a wooden mallet and then spritz them in the face with water later?
Getting them to go to sleep is easy; getting them to wake back up is the tricky part. Just ask Dr. Conrad Murray.
He was a cardiologist.
Isn’t this insurance fraud?
IANAL, nor was I involved, other than hearing about it.
That’s the point.
A case from 10-15 years back - one of my past doctors was notorious for this; he would go so far as to read the list of patients at the hospital in case someone from his practice had come in through the ER. He would then stop for what amounted to a friendly visit, chat, ask some vague medical question, leave and bill it as a consultation. He eventually got reported and investigated and in his case it was found to be less than totally ethical but short of anything that would have been considered insurance fraud. A little different from the case you outlined but close enough to be interesting.