It may be true that some doctors perform a colonoscopy and upper endoscopy on different days. The reason for this is because, if they were done on the same day, there would be a 50% reduction in the second procedure per the policy of Medicare and commercial insurers. There is no reason for this reduction except to save money. Certainly, a physician’s overhead cost does NOT drop by 50% for performing a second procedure on the same day. As it stands, over the next decade, physician office practices are LOSING money year after year after adjusting for inflation because of Medicare’s physician payment schedule. Physician offices do not get the exorbitant fees (including facility fees) that hospitals get. So before blaming physicians for why they practice the way they do, please take a good hard look at the physician payment policies and fee schedules of Medicare and commercial insurers.
It may be true that some doctors perform a colonoscopy and upper endoscopy on different days. The reason for this is because, if they were done on the same day, there would be a 50% reduction in the second procedure per the policy of Medicare and commercial insurers. There is no reason for this reduction except to save money. Certainly, a physician’s overhead cost does NOT drop by 50% for performing a second procedure on the same day. As it stands, over the next decade, physician office practices are LOSING money year after year after adjusting for inflation because of Medicare’s physician payment schedule. Physician offices do not get the exorbitant fees (including facility fees) that hospitals get. So before blaming physicians for why they practice the way they do, please take a good hard look at the physician payment policies and fee schedules of Medicare and commercial insurers.