Friday Funny: NPs Are Equal to Doctors in Scam Upcoding
This came from a national bodybuilding magazine. The “Doctor” was actually a nurse practitioner. Can you see how interchangeable this is becoming? I love how the NP upcodes, probably to get a level 4, by putting exercise counseling and dietary counseling as the first two items. First, the dude came in for foot pain so why put those first? Second, the PROFESSIONAL bodybuilder knows TONS more than the “chubby nurse practitioner” about these subjects but that doesn’t matter when you need to scam the system.
I had a few weight lifters throughout my career. The mildly elevated BMI’s I commented on the chart that the patient was a weight lifter, was very muscular and is of no concern. The one’s who really had a higher BMI and of short stature, I’d inquire about anabolic steroid use and launch into a diatribe about their use whether they denied it or not.
The one’s who lifted without anabolics I think the only thing that would be of concern in the long run is wearing out the joints. That would take years to transpire though.
I lifted a bit when I was in my 20’s and got up to 200lbs at 5′ 10″ tall. Not too bad but when I got into late residency and didn’t have the time, I did lose the weight and got down to 175lbs.
I tried my darnedest not to be an upcoding whore when I practiced. Though the EHR came in about the last 8 years before I left.
We have one our nurses (not with my encouragement) doing an online NP degree. Not one course yet has been on diseases, or organ systems. So far all she does is read on sociology and write papers. After all that just 500 hours of observation of orthopedics and whoever else will sign her card, and she is a Dr. Not to mention virtually no background of basic science. I had more knowledge and clinical experience my second year of medical school ( I did a 8 week externship of family practice in the summer giving me probably 500 clinical hours too)
By the time I went into practice I had 40,000 clinical hours and 6 years of scientific courses after high school (honors science there too).
I tell my wife my retirement is going to be me being the grumpy old man refusing to be treated by an NP.
Right there with you, except I’m the grumpy old bat.
Well, at least he didn’t call her obese, which she most likely was!!
What a scam artist that NP is!!
All I can say is Caveat Emptor!!!!!
Can’t say obese anymore, it’s shaming. SMH. Read this in Medscape for a laugh:
https://www.medpagetoday.com/special-reports/exclusives/98443