A Trend I May Not Like
A few years ago, a very good primary care physician who I had been seeing for decades joined a national chain of medical providers called Village Medical. I have not noticed a drop off in the quality of services. But, there is a less personal feel than what I experienced with private practitioners for most of my life and I am a bit worried about the more distant future of medicine.
This morning, I received an email announcing my dentist is making the same move, joining a national group called High Point Dentistry. The email is written to reassure me: “So what’s changing? Just the name. We’re gaining added support, resources, and dental specialists that will allow us to enhance your experience.” The online ratings of other branches around the country are great. But, I don’t entirely trust online ratings.
Does this amount to a growing capitalist takeover of medicine by the U.S. corporate world? Will the future be more like “trickle down” medicine? Is less administrative work, reduced malpractice risk, or something else the incentive for physicians to join these chains rather than remaining independent? Even if the medical services are okay for now, I worry that may not remain the case after big business has captured a sizable majority of practices and decides to focus more on profit and less on patient care.
