National Public Radio Features FP's Story

Radio listeners tuned to National Public Radio's popular Morning Edition program March 26 had a chance to hear what it's like to practice family medicine these days from FP Rebecca Jaffe, M.D., of Wilmington, Del.

The story, "Doctors Shoulder Mounting Insurance Burdens," focuses on Jaffe's frustrations with a health care system that forces her to engage in time-consuming battles with insurance companies to obtain the care she knows her patients need. It is the second installment in an ongoing NPR series about overhauling America's health care system.

"Insurance hopes to keep people well until they're 65 and on Medicare," and then the problem shifts to someone else, said Jaffe in a print version of the story that also is available on NPR's Web site.

Jaffe, a member of AAFP's Commission on Health of the Public, told NPR health reporter Joanne Silberner that some insurance companies that underpaid her for procuring and administering vaccines expected her to make up the shortfall by seeing more patients. "I just felt that was so wrong," said Jaffe, adding that good medical care takes time.

A number of FPs may relate to Jaffe's stories about her efforts to locate free medications and care for patients who otherwise would go without these drugs and services.

"Somebody's got to do it," said Jaffe. "Who else is going to advocate for these people? I'm stuck being a secretary more than a doctor sometimes."

Jaffe doesn't provide any solutions for fixing the health care system, but she calls the physician payment system "skewed" toward subspecialists and tells Silberner that she is earning 7 percent less this year than last.

NPR's Morning Edition touts a market share of more than 13 million listeners. Part one of the series -- "Health Care Back in the National Spotlight" -- aired on March 19.