Ok, what is an honest and fair minded psychiatrist to think when you get a mailer from the Maryland Psychiatric Society charging $75 for members, and $200 for non members to attend a course on how to use CPT codes for 2013 onwards?  It is bad enough I have to learn this new coding system just to continue to eke out an existence in private practice, god forbid insurance companies and patients will not continue to try to lower reimbursement rates as is?

Nah, now we have some creative, and probably insulated and clueless people in the AMA and APA who took it upon themselves to change our coding system, so we can do evals and med checks and try to charge more.  But, and a big but here, one has to justify it with having the right amount of bullets and time with the patient to bill for the amounts.  And who picked this dumb ass term “bullets” with what is going on with shootings these days, most by what seems to be people with psychiatric impairments!?!?

I just think it disgusting that the APA is trying to make money on the very professionals they are allegedly representing, if not gouging the non members for such members’ audacity to not belong to an organization that has done NOTHING to represent me for the past 15 or so years.  And for what, an alleged attempt to help psychiatrists regain some financial stability?

Here’s the reality of what is coming in 2013:  doctors will either innocently or intentionally code incorrectly for treatment visits, and once an insurer, especially Medicare, senses an inappropriate trend, will come to said doctors’ doors and audit them, and then reveal what the insurance mafia is capable of.

As the irredeemable character Don Corleone said so well, “I’ll make them an offer they can’t refuse.”  Oh yeah, your money or your license.

Oh, and another oh here, this won’t lead to insurers paying even less for psychiatric services within the next year?  Guess what, Medicare is already setting the bar just above the septic tank level of $92 for the new coding for what was a 90801.  Wow, and you wonder why Medicare is seeing psychiatry drop out as providers faster than rats getting off a sinking ship.

Well, sorry for no sarcastic font, but be sure this following comment is NOT a true thank you, but, “thank you AMA and APA leadership for your wonderful efforts to help me and colleagues.”  The biggest freakin’ NOT to follow!  You wonder why these professional organizations are losing members probably on a daily basis of late.  But, we’re not rats, we are responsible and attentive people who see idiocy piloting this boat into that huge piece of ice in the water ahead!  Oh, but remember the lovely example this past year when that captain of the cruise ship, in Italy I think, bailed while passengers were left to panic and death!!!  Yeah, really don’t see AMA and APA leaders standing behind their product when the stool is flying towards that spinning contraption providing air movement.

Just so non providers get the full picture, I will have to carry these laminated cheat sheets for probably at least a few months to make sure I am billing for the right intervention/interaction, because I am one doctor who both despises and fears auditors, especially from Medicare.  Because Don Corleone may have been a gangster and sociopath, but you pretty much knew it from the beginning of the interaction.

Just take the time to google “Medicare & audits & doctor consequences”, and I’m sure you will learn much from the search.  I leave you with this beauty just to show you how much fun you’re in for if you are a psychiatrist:   http://www.theoma.org/node/3236

Happy freakin’ New Year, folks.  Sorry to be harsh, but, I don’t sugar coat crap!