Dr. Elisabeth Potter, MD

Dr. Elisabeth Potter, MD Empowering patients with advanced breast reconstruction & aesthetic treatments. DIEP flap specialist.
(2)

09/03/2026

You get what you reward. And our healthcare system may be rewarding the wrong things.

We’ve talked about CPT codes. Now let’s talk about how the work behind those codes gets valued.

The American Medical Association (AMA) convenes a committee called the RUC that makes recommendations about Relative Value Units, or RVUs.

When the RUC makes recommendations about Relative Value Units, or RVUs, the value assigned to a medical service considers:

What IS valued:
• Physician time and work
• The intensity and complexity of the care
• The cost of running a medical practice
• Clinical and nonclinical staff expenses
• Malpractice risk and liability

What is NOT part of the RVU calculation:
• Whether the patient has a better outcome
• The quality of care itself
• Preventing a patient from getting sick
• Being more experienced or exceptionally good at your job
• The additional nonbillable time spent caring for or advocating for a patient

The traditional RVU calculation itself does not measure whether you had a good outcome. It doesn’t reward a physician for spending additional nonbillable time advocating for you. And it doesn’t simply pay someone more because they are exceptionally good at what they do.

Think about what that means.

We have built a system for assigning value to medical services, but some of the things patients might value most about their care are not part of that calculation.

You get what you reward.

If we want a healthcare system that prioritizes excellent care and better outcomes for patients, I think we need to seriously examine whether the way we value and pay for medical care is actually helping us get there.

It’s time to rethink the CPT and RVU system.

08/26/2026

The AMA doesn’t just own the CPT code system. It also has a role in recommending how the services behind those codes are valued.

CPT codes are the five digit codes healthcare providers use to describe the care we provide and bill for it.

The AMA created and copyrighted this system and makes hundreds of millions of dollars annually from publishing products and royalties, which includes CPT licensing.

But here’s the part I think more patients should know: The AMA also convenes a committee of physicians and medical specialty groups that recommends to the federal government how much different medical services should be valued for Medicare.

The government ultimately makes the final decision, but those recommendations help shape how much doctors are paid for the care represented by these codes.

The AMA owns the coding system. It generates significant revenue connected to that system. And it has a significant role in recommending how the medical services represented by those codes are valued.

That is a lot of influence over how money moves through American healthcare…

08/25/2026

The American Medical Association (AMA) is being sued over CPT codes.

CPT stands for Current Procedural Terminology. These are the codes physicians use every day to describe the care we provide and bill for it.

The AMA owns the copyright to these codes, and patients, providers and health systems have to pay to access and use them.

Last year, the AMA made roughly $300 million from licensing and royalties.

Now, a lawsuit is challenging whether a private organization should be able to charge for access to a coding system that is effectively required to navigate the American healthcare system.

I want to hear from you!

If you’re a patient, have you ever had to deal with CPT codes?

If you’re a physician or healthcare provider, what has your experience been?

I have a lot of thoughts about CPT codes and the problems I have seen firsthand. I’ll share those soon 🩵

08/25/2026

I chose to speak publicly because I believe our patients deserve better.

What I didn’t anticipate was how much of my personal information would become accessible in the process.

Over the past few years, I’ve received unexpected messages, unwanted mail, and other contact that has made me feel exposed and, at times, unsafe. So I decided to find out exactly how much of my personal information was available online.

I was shocked.

DeleteMe - remove your online personal info found my information on 34 different data broker websites, including my phone number and home address. In total, they found 326 separate exposures containing more than 2,194 pieces of my personal information.

As physicians and healthcare professionals, visibility can be part of the job. We educate. We advocate. We speak up for our patients. But being visible professionally shouldn’t mean giving up our privacy personally.

Speaking up for patients is work I care deeply about. Having more control over who can access my personal information gives me greater peace of mind to keep doing it.

I partnered with DeleteMe so you can get 20% off with code DRELISABETH. I encourage you to take a few minutes and search your own name. You may be surprised by what you find

08/18/2026

It’s ridiculous. An insurance company openly admitting that they don’t treat their members fairly, asking me to play a part in the games they play with patients lives. Hard no. I care about the patient I’m advocating for and every other patient who will be in her shoes.

Price transparency is patient care
08/14/2026

Price transparency is patient care

08/11/2026

It’s been a minute since I have checked in, I have missed you all and wanted to share some updates!

I’m still out of network with Blue Cross and United . Today was another reminder of why I keep pushing for change.

This morning, I performed a DIEP flaps on a patient whose sister recently had surgery with me at Redbud. She saw the experience her sister had and wanted the same for herself. Because I’m still out of network with her insurance, she chose to pay an additional $5,000 out of pocket penalty charged by Bluecross to have her surgery with me at Redbud. I wish none of my patients had to pay out of network fees to have their surgery at Redbud. At the same time, I am deeply moved that my patients are willing to spend their hard earned money to choose where and with whom they receive their care. I don’t take that trust lightly.

I want all patients to have choice. Choice in their surgeon. Choice in where they have surgery. Choice without unnecessary financial or insurance barriers standing in the way.

That is a big part of why I’m still pushing so hard. I choose to change what healthcare looks and feels like one patient at a time.

There’s also a lot happening in my life outside of work. Some of it hard. A lot of it really good. You may see some new faces around here, including more of my sister and some of her littles.

I’m taking care of myself. I’m surrounded by people I love. And even when things are hard, I know I’m exactly where I am meant to be.

Now it’s your turn. I’d love to hear what’s been happening in your lives, too. Leave a comment and let me know what’s been going on. Let’s connect ❤️

08/05/2026

For years, physicians were taught not to talk about money with patients.

The idea was that discussing cost would make medicine feel transactional and erode trust.

But here’s the problem: how can patients make informed decisions if they don’t know what their care will cost?

I’ll be honest...I didn’t truly understand the cost of healthcare until I opened my own surgery center and saw it firsthand. It changed the way I think about transparency, accountability, and the conversations we should be having with patients.

Talking about finances doesn’t undermine trust. It can build it.

Patients deserve to know what care costs. Physicians deserve to understand where healthcare dollars are going. And together, we deserve a system that’s more transparent and accountable.

That’s why I’m encouraged by efforts like the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act, which aims to bring more price transparency into healthcare.

I’m curious what you think.

Should doctors and patients be having more open conversations about the cost of care?

My advice for medical students and residents in this critical moment.
08/03/2026

My advice for medical students and residents in this critical moment.

08/02/2026

People often ask me what I do to take care of myself. Here’s one of the biggest ways I fill my own cup.

For me, movement is more than just exercise—it’s a chance to reset, clear my mind, and recharge. It’s how I make space for myself so I can show up with energy, focus, and compassion for my patients.

And having Chloe, Birdie, and El Rey by my side makes it even better.

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6818 Austin Center Boulevard Suite 204
Austin, TX
78731

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