Your Care Is at Our Core
Physicians are compassionate healers and their patients’ biggest allies.
They persevered through years of medical school and residency to build
connections with patients and provide the highest quality of care.
However, all too often, physicians find themselves stuck between a desire
to connect with patients and a need to navigate seemingly endless red tape
and bureaucracy.
From insurer prior authorizations to payer reimbursements that don’t cover
the cost of care, physicians are
increasingly being asked to seek approval and to do more with less, and
then are often blamed for these intrusions into the patient-physician
relationship.
The best days for physicians come when they are close at hand with their
patients, facing challenges head on and providing support to patients in
their journey to health. Physicians’ worst days come when they spend
valuable time fighting with third parties to ensure patients can access
the care they need.
We all feel it—as patients when we are forced to call our insurance
companies to get basic procedures approved, and as doctors when we are
forced to prioritize a phone call with a bureaucrat about treatment
options.
We feel it as patients when we are rushed through an appointment or have
difficulty scheduling an appointment; as physicians, when we must limit
insurance acceptance when reimbursements do not cover the cost of care or
when we are told to fit more and more patients into our daily schedules.
Read the press release
The patient-doctor relationship is essential
Physicians and patients agree that the patient-doctor relationship is
essential to making the best health care decisions. They know that
establishing a meaningful relationship is necessary to building trust and
providing the most effective care and treatment. After all, physicians are
supporting their patients through some of the most vulnerable moments in
their lives.
Join us in pushing back against the bureaucratic red tape of health care
and advocating for what matters most: time for physicians to connect with
their patients.
News, Op-eds, Podcasts, and More
Article: Breaking Through the Red Tape (
WSMA Reports cover story)
Imagine a process that delayed needed care, relied on outdated technology, and drove up costs for physician practices and patients, yet in the vast majority of cases led to no change in the course of treatment. As it turns out, you don't have to imagine. That process exists: prior authorization. This archived WSMA Reports magazine feature story from 2023 ("Breaking Through the Red Tape" by John Gallagher) highlights the impact excessive insurer prior authorization practices have on patient care. While some progress has been made since this story was written, much of the problems outlined in the article remain a fact of life for physicians and patients today, and physicians continue to fight these practices to help ensure their patients receive needed and timely care. #YourCareisAtOurCore.
News: As Gun Violence Increases in the PNW, So Does Its Toll on Doctors (Cascade PBS, Oct. 7, 2024)
As the holiday season approaches, we give thanks to the physicians who devote themselves to the well-being of patients. Many physicians will spend this holiday season inside an operating room or the emergency room—driven by providing compassionate care. In a sobering example of their unheralded heroism, Cascade PBS recently invited WSMA president and Harborview anesthesiologist, Dr. John Bramhall, to discuss the toll of gun violence on the surgeons and ER clinicians who treat its victims. This holiday, join us in applauding physicians like these who are putting patients first today, and every day. #YourCareisAtOurCore.
Op-ed/Podcast: Can't Get Into Your Doctor's Office? You're Not Alone
Physicians are patients’ biggest allies, and they are fighting to ensure Washingtonians have timely access to the care they need and deserve. In this op-ed and podcast, WSMA Past President Nariman Heshmati, MD, and WSMA CEO Jennifer Hanscom make the case that the loss of outpatient services in our state—essential services relied upon by all Washingtonians for wellness, preventive, and chronic care management—needs greater attention from our media and policymakers. #YourCareisAtOurCore.
Read the op-ed
Originally published in The Seattle Times on May 20, 2024 and featured in the July/August 2024 issue of WSMA Reports, WSMA's print magazine.
Listen to the podcast
Read by WSMA President Nariman Heshmati, MD. Release date: Aug. 2, 2024. Also available on Spotify and as an MP3.
Video: Your Care Is at Our Core