Here are 10 statistics about how interaction between physicians and patients is changing when it comes to payment for ophthalmology services, according to the Medscape Ophthalmologist Compensation Report 2014.
1. 41 percent of ophthalmologists regularly discuss costs with patients.
2. 47 percent occasionally discuss costs if the patient brings it up.
3. 9 percent never discuss payments, 5 percent saying it's because they don't know the cost of treatment.
4. 4 percent of ophthalmologists don't discuss costs with patients because they don't think it's appropriate.
5. 49 percent of ophthalmologists said they'd drop poorly-paying insurers.
6. 24 percent said they wouldn't drop any payers because they need them all.
7. 8 percent felt dropping payers because of poor rates was inappropriate.
8. 72 percent of employed ophthalmologists say they'll continue taking new and current Medicare and Medicaid patients; 65 percent of self-employed ophthalmologists said the same.
9. 6 percent of self-employed ophthalmologists will stop taking new Medicare and Medicaid patients; 2 percent of employed ophthalmologists said the same.
10. 29 percent of self-employed ophthalmologists are offering new ancillary services; 22 percent of employed ophthalmologists are doing the same.