Fm acting like a psychiatrist in nursing homes

[rossuniversity]

Hello,

I know psychiatrists who go to nursing homes a few days a week and just go rewrite meds. Can i as a FP go take care of their medical as well as psych meds? and how is reimbursement most are medicare pts... just curious

Thanks alot


And how do u get those contracts?

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[deleted87716]

I know psychiatrists who go to nursing homes a few days a week and just go rewrite meds. Can i as a FP go take care of their medical as well as psych meds?

I don't see why not, assuming you're comfortable with the meds and the conditions you're treating.

I can't speak to reimbursement in detail, as I don't do any nursing home work right now. In general, however, nursing home work is most profitable when it's a major part of what you do. If you're only popping in and out to see a handful of patients, your time is going to be better spent in the office.

I imagine you find nursing home jobs like you'd find any other job. Word of mouth, headhunters, classified ads, etc.

 

[Faebinder]

Nursing homes... not worth the time.... if you are doing it for the sake of charity and being a good person... then more power to you and God bless you.

 

[rossuniversity]

Would a fellowship in say addiction be needed u woudl think? or it could be done without it...if say im comfortable with prescribing psych meds...thanks just curious

 

[deleted87716]

Would a fellowship in say addiction be needed u woudl think?

I don't imagine that addiction medicine training would do you much good in the nursing home, unless you're planning to wean all of your 90-y/o LOLs off their benzos.

 

[Faebinder]

You're killing me.... addiction is even less appealing than geriatric medicine... not only is not compensated... it's like fighting a daily losing battle with those sort of patients... many dont want to get off the addiction. That's my personal opinion of course... more power to you.

 

[lateness]

Hello,

I know psychiatrists who go to nursing homes a few days a week and just go rewrite meds. Can i as a FP go take care of their medical as well as psych meds? and how is reimbursement most are medicare pts... just curious

Thanks alot
how do u get those contracts?

i had a friend who did see a lot of psych patients.. claimed it was good enough in terms of extra reimbursement and income,,
he is an IM primary doc. spent lots and lots of time with psych patients,
i dont know how much more lucrative it was for him..

 

[lowbudget]

Kent, Don't some health plans carve out psych diagnoses and treatments, such that non-psychiatrists don't get paid for certain psych services? I know people code for "Fatigue" and "Palpitations" rather than depression and anxiety because they're afraid they won't get paid for the 300 codes.

 

[deleted87716]

Kent, Don't some health plans carve out psych diagnoses and treatments, such that non-psychiatrists don't get paid for certain psych services? I know people code for "Fatigue" and "Palpitations" rather than depression and anxiety because they're afraid they won't get paid for the 300 codes.

This seems to be less of a problem now than it used to be. Still, if a patient has multiple issues going on, some medical and some psych, I'll always code the medical diagnoses first...just to be on the safe side. If all they have is depression or anxiety or whatever, I'll just go ahead and code it. So far, I'm unaware of any plans that aren't paying, and we watch out for that kind of stuff.

 

[Faebinder]

hmm.. something i didnt consider... thanks for pointing it lowbudget.