Certainly, this reflects life in a major city, one with two large psychiatric training programs, where it is possible to recruit physicians. There are areas of the country where the supply of psychiatrists simply does not meet the demand, and the available psychiatrists should be lauded for providing the care that no one else wants to give, even if it means they are stretched too thin. If, however, the clinic setting is unable to attract psychiatrists because the salaries being offered are not commensurate with what other area psychiatrists earn, then the system (not the doctor) should be criticized for expecting one doctor to care for 1,400 patients.
So the evil med check racket: It seems it’s a way not only for insurance companies to minimize their expenses and to leave at least some patients feeling unheard, but also to divide us as a profession when it comes to appreciating what we each do.
—Dinah Miller, M.D.
DR. MILLER is the author of two new novels, Home Inspection and Double Billing and she is the co-author of Shrink Rap: Three Psychiatrists Explain Their Work.