Doctors looking for an out

• Name: Dr. Jason Dees
• Age: 40
• Specialty: Family physician

During his 10 years as a family physician in New Albany, Miss., Dr. Jason Dees saw an exponential jump in the amount of time he had to spend on paperwork, fighting insurers for reimbursements and collecting money from patients.

Instead of becoming bitter about it, Dees took an unusual step. In 2012, he left full-time medicine and joined Mississippi-based health insurer Magnolia Health Plan as chief operating officer.

Although he was still making money practicing, he'd become more interested in the business and policy side of health care. "I thought about how best as a doctor I could bring the administrative challenges we face to the forefront, and try to make a difference," he said.

Dees said his expertise as a physician has helped bring a medical perspective to the business side of health insurance, especially when dealing with the health-care needs of a large Medicaid population like Magnolia's.

Dees still sees patients one weekend a month. He said this helps him make better business decisions because he's able to stay current with ongoing issues facing doctors.

NEXT: 'A matter of survival'