The Refill: Will Neuromodulation Use Increase?

“The Refill” is a Q&A column designed to provide Clinical Pain Advisor’s readership with various opinions, beliefs, and suggestions on managing a pain management practice.

Today’s expert: Gary Schwartz, MD, a board-certified physician in both pain management and anesthesiology. After finishing his anesthesia residency at St. Vincent’s Hospital and Maimonides Medical Center, he completed an interventional pain fellowship at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. 

Dr. Schwartz received his doctor of medicine from State University of New York (SUNY) Upstate College of Medicine in Syracuse and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Union College in Schenectady NY. Currently, he is an interventional pain physician in Brooklyn, New York.

RELATED: The Refill: How Anesthesiologists, Pain Medicine Specialists Can Demonstrate Value — Part 1

Clinical Pain Advisor: What is the biggest challenge to your practice?

Dr. Gary Schwartz: The biggest challenge is to constantly stay busy, keep up with regulatory/government requirements, and prepare myself and staff for transitioning to the new International Classification of Diseases-10 (ICD-10).

CPA: How have you been impacted by the Affordable Care Act?

GS: There have been many new insurance plans and different options within those plans. A lot of patients now have higher copays or deductibles which have to be explained to them. Some patients also have had to switch medications or receive prior authorization for their current medications as their insurance has changed. On the other hand, it has opened up our practice to new patients, who otherwise may have not had access to care.