The discipline of insurance medicine.

The other day, I was talking to a physician whose patient wanted insurance. I was clarifying some comments that the physician had inscribed in his patient record and the physician was being somewhat obtuse. As the conversation progressed, I could hardly miss the derision in his tone. He held me, the insurance company medical director, responsible for the increasing physician hassle factor, silly cost containment strategies, mother-may-I games on the telephone and companies which make obscene profits on the backs of the physicians. I explained to him that I am a life insurance medical director, and what it is, exactly, that I do for the proposed insured. After half an hour of enjoyable continuing interchange, we parted, knowing more about each other, understanding our different perspectives and hopefully each possessing a better understanding of our respective client’s need, for the physician, his patient and for me my company’s proposed insured.