Physicians are facing rising prior authorization requirements and increasing denials, and some leaders say it is taking away their ability to make decisions.
Michael Cashman, MD, a dermatologist in Bellevue, Wash., joined Becker's to discuss what he likes least and most about his job.
Editor's note: This response was edited lightly for brevity and clarity.
Question: What do you like least about your job?
Dr. Michael Cashman: The least favorite thing about my job is battling with insurance companies to get treatments approved for patients with insurance. When they get to dictate how many other treatments must be documented as failed or not tolerated, they essentially get to practice medicine, taking away my autonomy in making decisions about what I think is best for the patient.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
MC: What I like the most about my job is the variety and complexity of patients I see. I get to practice both medicine and surgery and see all ages, from babies to nonagenarians, with conditions as simple as the common wart to complex systemic diseases like urticarial vasculitis.