Jeff Brown, MD

Someone outside the medical industry recently asked Jeff Brown, MD, "What's wrong with medicine?" He came up with a whole list of interrelated issues that have contributed to the mess health care is currently in.

Doctors do not like to go to meetings - just like most other folks. But with most docs now being employed and medical practices shifting to the team model, more meetings are in our future.

Physicians would do well to remember that "You cannot separate business decisions from your personal life, just as you cannot separate your personal self from your work self."

Arguing over money is one of the biggest problems in medical groups and the most commonly cited reason for divorce. Becoming self-aware, and the honesty that derives from it, are critical to a smoother handling of money affairs.

The burden of too-high utilization of health care services and increasing costs is being placed on doctors, who want to please patients and can't kick bad habits. So what are they going to do to fix that?

The old joke goes that if you don't think money can buy happiness, then you just don't know where to shop (rim shot). But social scientists who study this stuff tell us that is not really true.

Many agencies and groups have discovered the startling differences that can occur in health care spending from one state to another. The evidence of these wide and glaring discrepancies is pertinent to every physician and training program.

While no one has any way of knowing the future, everyone could use some financial advice from the smartest people in the business to help them make investment decisions.

Now that most doctors are salaried, it is time that the long-held taboo of discussing how much money people make is considered for the trash bin as dated and unhelpful.

It's always something... The world, money matters and medicine elusively remain one step ahead of us and we are seemingly always in catch-up mode.

The good news is that as a trained doctor, you have a leg up as an employee if you can use the same kind of professional approach to your boss that you have learned to use with your patients. Being observant, thoughtful, and helpful should do it.

We live in politically acrimonious times, and doctors are particularly ill-equipped to influence the process by the nature of our selection, training and experience, according to Jeff Brown, MD.

Elder financial abuse is all around us and is increasing, as horrible as that may sound, but we need to be aware of it and ready to take responsible action if we see it.

Doctors likely remember to "pay it forward," while investors can keep in mind that "The world always seems to ascribe financial success to superior intelligence." You never know what famous quote will lead to a personal/financial advantage.

No one wants to lose face when their investments take a loss. Here are some euphemisms Jeff Brown, MD, has heard people use to hide or explain away financial failings.

The future implementation of the ICD-10 code changes - delayed again - will range from about $83,000 for a small practice to as high as an estimated $2.7 million for a large practice, according to a HIT consulting firm.

Now that the market has surpassed its previous record, many who bailed out with the herd after the 2008 collapse are now feeling edgy about having missed the surge back and are probably wondering, "what is the smart way to buy back into the market?"

Unfortunately, true tax reform is a will-o'-the-wisp that we like to talk about but will likely never see because there are so many varied special interests encoded that we will never willingly give up our personal pet deductions.

"There are aspects of the emotional debate on gun violence that have not gotten much attention and are pertinent to doctors, our work and our pocketbook," writes Jeff Brown, MD.

Startups account for 20% of new job creation, couples waste an average of $3,640 a year on impulse buys and it pays to be beautiful to the tune of $250,000 extra over the course of a career.

Traditionally independent business people, physicians haven't really felt the need to unionize yet. However, as more become employees it is inevitable that doctors will band together to act for their own perceived best economic and work-condition interests.

The complexity of modern financial life has grown exponentially over the years, requiring both spouses have an increased level of financial sophistication so the family can survive and thrive economically.

All of us can modify rigid, non-optimal financial habits. Sometimes we just need a little push to get us to our financial tipping points and force us to make what changes need to be made.

There is no such thing as absolute protection, whether it's against a physical catastrophe, a financial disaster or interpersonal crisis, but there are a few general things you can do in preparation.

in the New Year, when you see financially related ads that proclaim, often in small print, that "Past results do not guarantee future returns," believe them. Predicting, and the implied acceptance of that prediction, is a fool's game.

Jeff Brown, MD, think it's unfortunate that doctors don't know or care what the total cost of care for one patient's illness is; so it's time for a discussion about the high cost of health care and how doctors aren't doing enough about it.

One of the gaping holes in our national struggles with reducing the costs of health care is the limited emphasis upon wellness. Plus, Congressional insider trading, researching charities before donating and the U.S. fiscal union as "an engine of subsidy."

The work-life balance conundrum affects every living soul. If doctors are to hope for any chance at an alleged work-life balance in medicine, they first must confront and manage any guilt they might have about time away from journals and patients

Being well trained, smart and knowledgeable is no longer enough to land and keep a job. These days the emotional quotient - such as likability and social grace - is at least as important as IQ.

More medical students want their training to include more relevance to business, specifically billing and coding. Plus, starting pay negotiations are more critical than ever for doctors as a majority is taking salaried jobs.