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Article: ONE-MAN SAFETY NET; Robin Hood of poor hospitals treats patients few others will.(NEWS)
- Article from:
- Crain's Chicago Business
- Article date:
- November 9, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2009 Crain Communications, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: MIKE COLIAS
Dan Ivankovich recently gave Victoria Harbin something that dozens of other orthopedic surgeons wouldn't: an appointment.
During a half-hour surgery last week, the surgeon relieved a painful condition in the 44-year-old patient's hand that prevented her from straightening her middle finger and thumb. Medicaid, the state health plan for the indigent, will pay Dr. Ivankovich about $525a fraction of what he'd get from a private insurer.
"Medicaid is like a four-letter word for most doctors, he says. "They don't want it.
The 45-year-old son of Yugoslavian immigrants is a rare breed among private-practice surgeons: Most ...