Private Practice

Recently I decided to go into private practice. Working for my patients is something I have always enjoyed. Unfortunately in America, you can end up beholden to some insurance company that always wants more information about the people we serve and also to dictate practice. The basic paradigm is that psychiatrists can perform medication follow-ups in 15 minutes or less. This is probably applicable to a group of patients we serve, although it is not enough time for many patients. Rushing people through their care just seems anti-therapeutic to me. I respect all the practitioners that can do it and still have satisfied patients. Unfortunately, I just couldn't seem to rush people through the description of their troubles and not feel like I was being disrespectful. You can ask to see and be paid by an insurance company for more time. Unfortunately the process of obtaining approval is so cumbersome, most practitioners don't even attempt it. I would rather see my patients for the time they need, bill them fairly and not feel like my care always had to be providing the cheapest alternative. I will continue to see severely ill people in a different setting. The great folks at Palomar Medical Center support my ability to help people with little money and yet great need. I felt someone needed to explain the appeal of private practice. It's about some insurance companies policies.
Telling doctors what is appropriate medical care without even having seen the patient is analogous to a back seat driver with a taser. At least it seemed that way to me.