McCain Not What the Doctor Ordered

Republican Presidential candidate John McCain is running afoul of physicians with some of his positions, reports Medpage Today:

Comments made by Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential candidate, and his senior health adviser have drawn a firestorm of response from MedPage Today readers.

In discussing how McCain would fairly reimburse physicians while controlling healthcare costs, Holtz-Eakin said McCain believes physicians should be paid based on patient outcomes, not fee-for-service, which "pays based on volume alone."

On the basis of that comment, MedPage Today surveyed readers about how physicians should be paid, asking "Is outcomes-based payment realistic?"

To date, an overwhelming majority (81%) of the more than 1,200 respondents have voted "No."

So, ask your doctor if John McCain is right for you. More after the jump.

One of the doctors had a great, if bleakm rebuttal for McCain:

A colleague put it even more bluntly: "The outcome of everybody's life is, ultimately, death. How will outcomes of care of imperfect organisms with imperfect behaviors be fairly measured?"

I was critical of McCain's healthcare plan in my analysis of his platform because it employs the same market-and-tax-cut engine that all of the Republicans use, but this was a new wrinkle. My doctor pointed this out to me this past weekend, and I try to listen to him whenever I can.

Outcome-based payment is a recipe for disaster. As my doctor's wife, an attorney, pointed out:

This would be like divorce lawyers getting paid based on outcome. We would only take cases we knew we could win....all 3 of them.

Perhaps McCain is onto something, though. An outcome-based system for Presidents might be a good idea. I know the pay isn't much to begin with, but it's a start.

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