Distracted: How Regulations Are Destroying the Practice of Medicine and Preventing True Health-Care Reform

by Matthew Hahn M.D.

Overview

After the many bureaucratic changes that followed the passing of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and other legislation, patient care has become secondary to satisfying the whims of government and giant insurance company administrators, who are in total control. The result is a web of complicated rules and misguided programs whose chief effect has been to distract doctors and nurses from their proper focus on patient care. Access to health care now depends on the ability of patients, doctors, and nurses to navigate in and around this cumbersome and ever-changing system.

Written by a practicing doctor and based on years of real-life experience, Distracted takes the unique view that it is not the American health care system that is broken—the problem lies in the administration of health care. The solution is simplicity where there is complexity. The solution is an elegant use of health information technology to foster improved care. It is putting control of health care decisions back with those who know best, patients and their health care teams.

The solution is caring for patients with fewer distractions.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781510715134
Publisher:	Skyhorse
Publication date:	06/27/2017
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	770 KB

About the Author

Matthew Hahn, MD, is a practicing family physician in Hancock, Maryland. His passions are the delivery of excellent care and motivating patients to be healthy. He was voted a Maryland Family Doctor of the Year. He is married and has one daughter, and his hobbies include running a lot but slowly. He lives in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia.

Table of Contents

Introduction ix

Chapter 1 Distracted 1

Chapter 2 Getting Paid-Part 1: You're Not Gonna Believe How Your Bill Is Calculated 13

Chapter 3 Getting Paid-Part 2: The Worst, Most Wasteful, Guaranteed-to-Fail, You-Can't-Be-Serious Medical Billing System 37

Chapter 4 Computerizing Medicine-Meaningless Use 61

Chapter 5 Your Health Insurance May Kill You 91

Chapter 6 Measuring the Quality of Medical Care Is Bad for You 117

Chapter 7 Patient-Centered Medical Homes-How to Make a Simple Solution Unattainable 139

Chapter 8 Getting Paid-Part 3: Holy MACRA 163

Chapter 9 The Real Big Fix 173

Afterword: After Obamacare? Probably a Lot Like Obamacare 197

Index 203

Editorial Reviews

"Modern day country doctor Matthew Hahn, MD applies his scalpel to much that is wrong with American healthcare in this excellent new book." —Michael D. Shaw, HealthNewsDigest

“Dr. Hahn . . . has given the desperation of America’s doctors a voice. We are on our knees. Every citizen in this country needs to become aware of the systematic abuse of America’s doctors which is driving a wedge between doctor and patient.” —Cynthia Drogula, MD, assistant professor of surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine

“A compelling argument for urgent and radical change, from our legislative halls and board rooms all of the way up to the sanctuaries of healing where patients and their clinicians come face to face.” —Andrew Delp, MD, family physician and medical educator

“Entertaining, analytical, and spot-on! Whether you be patient or clinician, read this book. Our lives depend on it. Dr. Matthew Hahn shows us why health-care administration does not need to be as complex as the powers that be would make you think. . . . [and] how we could take apart the house that Jack built and reassemble it into a functional system.” —Catherine Maslen, MD, family physician

"An extraordinary book that presents the shocking details of what’s killing the health-care system then proposes common sense solutions."—Jeanne Mozier, author

"Modern day country doctor Matthew Hahn, MD applies his scalpel to much that is wrong with American healthcare in this excellent new book." —Michael D. Shaw, HealthNewsDigest

“Dr. Hahn . . . has given the desperation of America’s doctors a voice. We are on our knees. Every citizen in this country needs to become aware of the systematic abuse of America’s doctors which is driving a wedge between doctor and patient.” —Cynthia Drogula, MD, assistant professor of surgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine

“A compelling argument for urgent and radical change, from our legislative halls and board rooms all of the way up to the sanctuaries of healing where patients and their clinicians come face to face.” —Andrew Delp, MD, family physician and medical educator

“Entertaining, analytical, and spot-on! Whether you be patient or clinician, read this book. Our lives depend on it. Dr. Matthew Hahn shows us why health-care administration does not need to be as complex as the powers that be would make you think. . . . [and] how we could take apart the house that Jack built and reassemble it into a functional system.” —Catherine Maslen, MD, family physician

"An extraordinary book that presents the shocking details of what’s killing the health-care system then proposes common sense solutions."—Jeanne Mozier, author

From the Publisher