Dr. Niran Al-Agba

How These Useless Doctors’ Exams Are Raising Health Care Costs (via Fortune Magazine Online)

MOC is a cash cow for the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) and its 24 specialty boards, which administer the exams. According to its most recent tax filings, ABMS president Lois Margaret Nora made nearly $700,000 in compensation from the organization in 2016. Thirteen other executives made over $150,000 from the nonprofit in the same year. In total, ABMS spent over $10 million on compensation, more than half its annual revenues, which largely come from inflated testing fees.

Niran Al-Agba2020-05-26T01:28:30+00:00April 16, 2018|Categories: Physician, Practice|Tags: Burnout, Maintenancy of Certification, MOC, Patient Physician Relationship, Physician Advocacy, Physician Autonomy, Physician Suicide|

Do Physicians Deserve Our Mercy? #silentnomore

Many families have brought their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to us for more than 40 years. We have seen them through the darkest moments of their lives, at their most vulnerable, and brought them into the light. Now, our patients must guide me through unimaginable heartache and grief.

Niran Al-Agba2020-05-26T01:31:57+00:00October 17, 2017|Categories: Physician|Tags: Mercy, Patient Physician Relationship, Physician Advocacy|

Taking Our Seat at the Table: The Practicing Physicians of America

Physicians must stand up and be counted. Our time is now. Practicing physicians can deliver valuable insight and novel perspective on how to enact change. We must give the power to make healthcare decisions back to the patient and their doctor, rather than to the insurance and pharmaceutical industries.

Niran Al-Agba2020-05-14T03:22:03+00:00January 26, 2017|Categories: Physician|Tags: Anti-MOC, Burnout, MOC, MOC Reform, Patient Physician Relationship, Physician Advocacy, Physician Autonomy, PPA ACA|

Building Better Metrics: Patient Satisfaction Can Be Done Right!

Recently I wrote about empowerment and the importance of letting patients make their own health care decisions. Our job is to make sure patients are given information and then allowed to choose (continue reading →)

Niran Al-Agba2020-05-03T22:59:19+00:00October 4, 2016|Categories: Patient, Policy|Tags: Burnout, Patient Advocacy, Patient Physician Relationship, Patient Satisfaction, Physician Advocacy|

I Wish My Doctor Knew…

I Wish My Doctor Knew… I am scared of being deported. A few weeks ago, a child said they were worried about who was going to be elected, because they were afraid of being sent back to El Salvador. I asked if he was born in the US and he replied he was but his parents were not and he was afraid they would be sent away. He is just seven years old. I honestly did not know what to say.

Niran Al-Agba2020-05-03T22:48:10+00:00September 4, 2016|Categories: Patient|Tags: Child Advocacy, Child Safety, Immigration, Patient Advocacy, Physician Advocacy, Take Back Medicine|

Practicing Medicine My Way.

“To say the things he truly feels; and not the words of one who kneels. The record shows I took the blows – and did it my way.” My way would involve fewer bureaucrats making significant healthcare decisions that impact the entire country and its population at large. Both patients and physicians are taking blows from those in charge of the system who know nothing about the world of primary care.

Niran Al-Agba2020-05-03T22:23:22+00:00August 29, 2016|Categories: Physician, Practice|Tags: Physician Advocacy, Physician and Media, Physician Autonomy|

MACRA is to Medicine what No Child Left Behind was to Education

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act is to the education system what MACRA is to healthcare. Why must we keep repeating history?

Niran Al-Agba2020-05-03T22:42:21+00:00August 2, 2016|Categories: Policy, Practice|Tags: Education, MACRA, No Child Left Behind, Physician Advocacy, Physician Autonomy|

Going Rogue

As the reality of MACRA (Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015) looms, the pressure is on small practices to survive. CMS plans to penalize 87% of solo physicians and reward bonuses to 81% of practices with more than 100 physicians. It is time for passive resistance, defined as protesting against a law using peaceful methods such as refusing to obey or refusing to leave a building. I vehemently refuse to leave the building.

Niran Al-Agba2020-05-03T23:02:44+00:00July 20, 2016|Categories: Practice|Tags: Burnout, Independent Practice, MACRA, MIPS, Physician Advocacy|

CMS + MIPS/APM = Death of the Private Practice Physician.

We should pay physicians for time spent engaging patients in conversation, instead of rewarding them for checking boxes on a computer screen. Physicians were trained to care and comfort people, not chase blood pressure numbers and pain scale scores. Changes masquerading as meaningful have only increased physician workload. We are widgets in the ever expanding assembly line. Do you think the MIPS will give us more time to practice medicine? If you believe it will, then I have a bridge to sell you.

Niran Al-Agba2020-05-03T16:56:12+00:00June 27, 2016|Categories: Policy, Practice|Tags: CMS, Health Policy, Independent Practice, MACRA, MIPS, Physician Advocacy, Physician Autonomy, Rural Care|

My Response to Sarah Kliff: We Are Frustrated, Weary, and Stressed Too.

In my humble opinion, that type of communication provides tremendous value. Paying more to a physician who provides services that benefit patients directly is a metric worth tracking. If physician and patient can work together by rowing in sync on the same boat, maybe we could get those in control of the healthcare system on board with us after all. Medicine is not a one-way road. You are spot on about that.

Niran Al-Agba2020-05-03T17:05:22+00:00June 14, 2016|Categories: Physician, Practice|Tags: Burnout, Physician Advocacy, Physician and Media, Physician Autonomy, Physician Suicide|