Don't get me wrong, every doctor is personally going out on a financial limb, but we always put our patients first. The organization, which has an agreement with Brigham and Women's and Massachusetts General Hospitals in Boston for more sophisticated surgeries, plans to send patients to local hospitals as much as possible. We have been able to provide sophisticated diagnostic services here, with less overhead costs than the hospital. In all emergency situations, any patient must be treated at any hospital in the nation. For elective surgery, Southcoast said it will take patients only on a pre-approval basis.
Payment is a key issue for hospitals nationwide.
But Secure Horizons said it would only pre-approve patients if it has a written contract from Southcoast allowing this. But we need to hear from Southcoast, in writing, that we can do so. Southcoast's decision to discontinue all contracts with Medicare Managed Care Plans, it says, was due to increased Medicare cuts as a result of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. If they don't have the money, they can't pay. But Secure Horizons yesterday said it has made an offer to Southcoast that would meet its needs.