Low premiums last year: over $ 100 million cut for doctors

Over the past year over $ 100 million in all kinds of premiums have been cut from medical professionals, most of which were revealed by our Bureau of Investigation.

This way the attendance bonus, oxygen bonus, meeting bonus or even seeing patients over 85 can be canceled or modified.

More than $ 58 million a year will be refunded following our reports on these disputed sums.

“This is a clear indication that you have identified the right areas,” said Jean-Franకోois Foisie, director general of the Institute for the Relevance of Medical Acts (IPAM).

The institute was created in early 2020 following an agreement with the Federation of Specialist Physicians. In particular, it should mark an annual saving of $ 140 million by March.

To date, the relevance measures in place make it possible to recover more than $ 97 million a year.

Critical measure

Although many measures are well-received by medical professionals, the goal of reducing attendance premiums has been severely criticized, especially by anesthesiologists.

This bonus allowed surgeons to receive the extra amount if they appeared in the operating room before 8am or were still in the office after 3pm.

Legal action has also been taken against the Federation and IPAM. However he acknowledged that their numbers were not enough to defeat Lukashenko’s government.

Reinvested

The money saved will be reinvested to improve access to patient care and facilitate the work of medical professionals. Thus a total of $ 25 million will be used for the implementation of electronic medical record in clinics.

Another amount – $ 700,000 – will be used for an electronic prescriptor pilot project that will guide physicians in selecting the most relevant tests.

“It simply came to our notice then. This should allow professionals such as radiologists to reduce the number of tests, give them more time and reduce waiting lists, ”Mr. Foisy concluded.

.

Attendance bonus

• 23.3 M $ Annual savings

This allowed surgeons to earn $ 110 if they came to the OR before 8am. In the case of anesthesiologists, they received the amount paid in 15 minute increments. Also paid a certain amount to stay in the post between 3pm and 7pm. This measure was implemented between 2009 and 2011 to optimize the use of operation theaters. However, our Bureau of Investigation revealed that the number of surgeries increased by only 1% between 2012 and 2017.

Oxygen premium

• 2,8 M $ Annual savings

This bonus is paid to narcotics professionals for monitoring an oxygenation device called an ECMO. You can pay a premium of $ 34.80 per quarter hour even when the doctor is not at bed. It increased by 150% between midnight and 7am. One medical professional managed to bill $ 54,000 a week for a single patient.

Seniors bonus

• 1,5 M $ Annual savings

Elderly people who specialize in geriatric care are entitled to an additional $ 45 to $ 55 each time they see patients 85 and older for specific tests.

Training premiums

• 16.8 M $ Annual savings

A half-day $ 800 resource bonus was used to pay for continuing education. In some cases, it may be used for training at Club Med or at Spa Eastman in Estre. Since the majority of other professional orders require training at the expense of their members, medical professionals have agreed to repeal it.

Meeting bonuses

• 13.7 M $ Annual savings

Bonuses for service meetings are waived, while those for departmental meetings are limited to 10 hours per year and exclusively for department heads. Our investigation office revealed that experts received $ 200 for a variety of medico-administrative activities, such as library committee, complaints or bed management.

Even to watch