eric ______
The Working Stiff Journal Vol. 1 #3, November 1998
Physicians, Organize Thyselves by Eric Hayes Patkowski
The Union Physician's Network, a "multi-disciplinary geographically-spread group of medical doctors, chiropractic doctors, osteopathic doctors, osteopathic doctors, podiatry doctors and psychologists and every specialty thereof", was formed in 1992 by Tony Brozek, who worked for seven years as a unioned baggage handler for a major airline while studying chiropractic medicine. He suffered three work-place injuries, and each time he was sent back to work by the company doctor before full recovery. At that point he set out to make sure that injured workers received the best health care possible by doctors committed to patient advocacy and patient care.
As the law now stands, insurance companies are allowed legal representation in cases involving injured workers, whereas the injured workers have no such recourse. Workers do, however, have the legal right to choose any doctor when they are injured on the job, and it is UPN's goal to replace insurance doctors with the UPN doctors.
UPN acts as patient advocates in the workplace by giving the same amount of time and attention on all injured workers, regardless of ability to pay and regardless of company policy. UPN doctors also do what most other doctors will not do - be the patient's advocate at the required medical exams ordered by the insurance companies. In the past, such exams often consisted of a simple reflex check, after which the doctor would draw up his report and more likely than not recommend that the patient's case be dropped and force the patient back to work before full recovery. With the UPN presence at the exams, and with parallel reports drawn up and sent out by the UPN doctors who observe the exams, the injured worker receives better treatment and faces better odds against the company and their doctors.
Injured workers come from almost every union local in Texas, including OCAW, Teamsters, AFSCME and IBEW, though injured workers do not have to be members of unions to utilize the services of UPN. In fact, UPN encourages patients to let their co-workers, friends and families know that UPN will act as advocates for any injured worker.
While workers compensation cases is their main focus, UPN also refers workers to UPN physicians for regular or major health care. For workers covered under group insurance plans (like city, county or state workers) UPN can direct them to UPN doctors who are covered under the insurance plan.
The code of conduct for UPN physicians is the simple philosophy "I will treat my patients like I would treat my mother, my father, my sister and my brother." This often puts them at odds with insurance companies, who will refuse to pay out for things like x-rays and other procedures. UPN doctors often aren't paid as a result, but when such cases come up and are filed at a Benefit Review Conference, UPN's win-rate is close to 95%, so doctors wind up getting paid and the patient's health care is not compromised. The common bond that unites UPN doctors is their recognition that patients and doctors are all brothers and sisters with the same problems, and that ultimately, patients and doctors needs each other.
UPN is undergoing tremendous growth spurts, and their patient list is growing daily. Their list of UPN doctors is also growing - there are UPN doctors in every major city in Texas, with 150 doctors state-wide. All the doctors within the network are affiliated with AFSCME/AFL-CIO, and are members of the Doctors Council of Texas. UPN has been asked by several states to come in and help organize their physicians and set up similar programs, but it is UPN's position that Texas is the focus of its work, and that after all mechanisms are in place in Texas, UPN may go national.
Once physicians apply to the Doctors Council of Texas and then become part of UPN, they are then free to focus on treating the patient without having to worry about workers compensation paperwork and follow-up, which is the role of UPN, which also provides patients with 4 or 5 UPN-screened attorneys in their area if it is felt that legal representation is necessary to protect the patient's rights.
The biggest obstacle for UPN is the big insurance companies, who have tried to intimidate and discourage doctors, as well as sabotaging them by sending UPN cases on to peer review which takes up precious time and energy. This is enough reason to support the work that UPN is doing and to convince co-workers and doctors to consider joining the UPN family.