Boston Chron - President of IndeDocs Leading Charge on Reforms That Put Patients First

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Leading surgeon Dr. Marcelo Hochman challenges current hospital-enriching system; seeking partners in healthcare reform as independent doctor numbers dwindle

CHARLESTON, S.C. - BostonChron -- Dr. Marcelo Hochman is creating a path to change the current system and break the stranglehold hospital systems have on the healthcare marketplace. Independent doctors—those not employed by hospital systems—are critical to an environment that empowers patients to choose where and from whom they receive their medical care. When hospitals bar competition, patients have fewer options and more expensive, lower-quality care than they would if there were more competition. Dr. Hochman believes meaningful change begins with enacting legislation in three crucial areas:

Provide Tax incentives to Doctors Who Provide Charity Care
When a hospital agrees to charity care, they have avenues for government-sponsored compensation and reimbursements. The doctors actually providing the care have no such incentive, and although many want to offer care to those who can't afford it, fewer are able to absorb the costs on their own or even get the needy patient into a facility for treatment. Offering tax incentives to physicians who provide charity care will greatly increase the number of physicians involved. Having helped U.S. Senator Tim Scott write the not-yet-passed Charity Care Extension Act, he is working to partner with South Carolina legislators to introduce a similar bill at the state level. This offers more options to patients, who will no longer be forced to cut through layers of hospital red tape just for the possibility of pro bono care.

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Repeal Certificate of Need Laws
For decades, entry into the healthcare market has been limited by the Certificate of Need (CON) requirement, the necessary "permission slip" awarded by the state to expand or create new healthcare services and facilities. This pernicious process allows current CON holders to block new applicants from entering into the playing field. He has extensively voted in support of Certificate of Need (CON ) Reform and supports the passage of South Carolina Bill S164, which would eliminate CON requirements for nearly all healthcare facilities.

Prohibit Non-Compete Agreements in Healthcare
Non-compete agreements, which hospitals and facilities use to prevent Doctors from practicing medicine in areas near to their place of employment, serve the same purpose (to limit competition) and produce the same result (fewer options for patients).

"The bottom line is this: patients should have the ability to choose their doctors as well as where they receive their healthcare. Physicians should be able to practice where they wish and provide the services for which they are medically qualified. The real goal of healthcare policy should not be maximizing a hospital's financial health, it should be to enable the doctor-patient relationship to flourish on the patients' terms." –Dr. Marcelo Hochman

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About Dr. Marcelo Hochman
The founder of The Facial Surgery Center, Dr. Marcelo Hochman is a double Board-certified facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon, President of the Independent Doctors of South Carolina, Past President of the Charleston County Medical Society and provides pro-bono care for children with vascular anomalies. He champions legislative projects to repeal the Certificate of Need law; exempt Doctors from non-compete clauses as a condition of employment and seeking a tax incentive for individual doctors who provide pro-bono charitable medical care. He can be reached directly at DrHochman@FacialSurgeryCenter.com for questions and interviews.