Health Care Reform Conference

[kiddiedoc]

So, here is our "leader" for Health Care Reform:

"So if they're looking -- and you come in and you've got a bad sore throat, or your child has a bad sore throat or has repeated sore throats, the doctor may look at the reimbursement system and say to himself, you know what, I make a lot more money if I take this kid's tonsils out. Now that may be the right thing to do, but I'd rather have that doctor making those decisions just based on whether you really need your kid's tonsils out or whether it might make more sense just to change -- maybe they have allergies, maybe they have something else that would make a difference."

Does he think the American public is stupid? How many docs that routinely see "sore throats" perform tonsillectomies? Come on.

This is the one real-world example he chose to describe in the speech, and it is moronic.

What's even worse is that he is portraying doctors as practicing in a manner to get the biggest reimbursement possible without regard to the best interest of their patients....an underhanded tactic to lessen the impact of our outcries against his plan.

See through the smokescreen, people. This is a very bad plan and something that could cripple the economy AND destroy the quality of care in America.

 

[SavageOrangeJug]

So, here is our "leader" for Health Care Reform:

"So if they're looking -- and you come in and you've got a bad sore throat, or your child has a bad sore throat or has repeated sore throats, the doctor may look at the reimbursement system and say to himself, you know what, I make a lot more money if I take this kid's tonsils out. Now that may be the right thing to do, but I'd rather have that doctor making those decisions just based on whether you really need your kid's tonsils out or whether it might make more sense just to change -- maybe they have allergies, maybe they have something else that would make a difference."

Does he think the American public is stupid? How many docs that routinely see "sore throats" perform tonsillectomies? Come on.

This is the one real-world example he chose to describe in the speech, and it is moronic.

What's even worse is that he is portraying doctors as practicing in a manner to get the biggest reimbursement possible without regard to the best interest of their patients....an underhanded tactic to lessen the impact of our outcries against his plan.

See through the smokescreen, people. This is a very bad plan and something that could cripple the economy AND destroy the quality of care in America.

Let's put all jokes aside, and be totally honest.

His supporters really are that stupid. He is really that stupid.

 

[volinbham]

Pretty successful speech if you ask me; he trashed doctors as being greed driven frauds and police as being stupid racial profilers. At least with the police he admitted beforehand he didn't have all the facts...

 

[tm3]

i don't agree with obammer, do not support his plan, and the "sore throat" example is a stretch.

but, there is something to high cost and our current health care structure, as described here:

McAllen, Texas and the high cost of health care : The New Yorker

 

[kptvol]

i don't agree with obammer, do not support his plan, and the "sore throat" example is a stretch.

but, there is something to high cost and our current health care structure, as described here:

McAllen, Texas and the high cost of health care : The New Yorker

Didn't read the entire article, but any hospital on the Mexican border that's struggling probably faces a huge problem with treating illegal immigrants for free.

 

[tm3]

Didn't read the entire article, but any hospital on the Mexican border that's struggling probably faces a huge problem with treating illegal immigrants for free.

it is a long article, but very interesting and imo worth the read.

 

[utvolpj]

thanks for your input KD. I can't imagine you (or any of the Dr's I've had) doing very unnecessary procedures just to make a buck.

 

[T-TownVol]

uh...who is it that complains about others useing "scare tactics"?

 

[WA_Vol]

I have yet to see a public poll that showed the majority of the country supporting his plan. IMO it's not going to pass.

 

[volinbham]

I talked to a few Healthcare Policy and Healthcare Economics professors on Friday and none of them like this plan.

They clearly see areas for improvement but by going for the money shot, they feel Obama is jeopardizing the opportunity to make smaller, necessary changes.

 

[utvolpj]

I have yet to see a public poll that showed the majority of the country supporting his plan. IMO it's not going to pass.

I don't think it's going to matter what we want. He won and has the people needed to shove it through. Of course now it looks like there is some opposition which means we will get a bill that really fixes nothing but costs the same amount.

 

[T-TownVol]

I talked to a few Healthcare Policy and Healthcare Economics professors on Friday and none of them like this plan.

They clearly see areas for improvement but by going for the money shot, they feel Obama is jeopardizing the opportunity to make smaller, necessary changes.

your joking, right?
BHO can not live with this....it is all or nothing

 

[kiddiedoc]

i don't agree with obammer, do not support his plan, and the "sore throat" example is a stretch.

but, there is something to high cost and our current health care structure, as described here:

McAllen, Texas and the high cost of health care : The New Yorker

Thanks for the link.

 

[tm3]

Thanks for the link.

actually, it's from heath shuler.

my wife was at a conference in washington a couple of weeks ago and got to meet with heath and talk about health care. he gave her a copy of the article.

 

[utvolpj]

actually, it's from heath shuler.

my wife was at a conference in washington a couple of weeks ago and got to meet with heath and talk about health care. he gave her a copy of the article.

did he ask her to read it for him?

sorry

 

[volinbham]

actually, it's from heath shuler.

my wife was at a conference in washington a couple of weeks ago and got to meet with heath and talk about health care. he gave her a copy of the article.

It's interesting but I think the writer is drawing some pretty large conclusions from one anecdotal investigation where he appeared to already know what conclusion he was seeking.

 

[tm3]

did he ask her to read it for him?

sorry

heath's only the 2nd democrat i've ever pulled the lever for.

orange runs deeper than party affiliation.

i won't admit publicly who the other one was.

 

[CountVolcula]

This is the way I see Government controlled health care going:

Well, Mr. Doctor, I know you live in this certain town, but we already have enough Heart Surgeons there. If you want to practice Heart Surgery, you will have to move to this town and practice. If you want to stay here, you will be in general practice. By the way, you can only see X number of patients, because we have to divide the wealth amongst all the doctors. You will also only be allowed to charge X amount for your services. Also, you will not be allowed to make a decision on a surgery unless you speak with th Government Insurance rep to make sure that surgery is approved. Medication will also be closely monitored. You will be expected to push generic medication only, especially that which is produced in China. We have to pay off the debt we incurred from them to pay for this plan.

Patient, you are only allowed to see this certain doctor. Yes, I know you have been going to this doctor for X amount of years, but we have changed your plan. Also, you can only make X amount of trips to the doctor each year, after that, the Government Insurance rep must approve that and any subsequent trips to the doctor. You have this list to choose from and no one else, because the Government knows whats best for you.

 

[droski]

obama had a guy on cnbc this morning suggesting that doctors get paid a salary so that they don't order countless excess tests and such. so who sets the salary?

 

[WA_Vol]

I've read that idea before. Give doctors a standard salary specialists, 150k, Family Doctor 100k, etc.

 

[volinbham]

Let's just go ahead and figure out how much everyone should make.

 

[CountVolcula]

I should make 1.5 mil

 

[CountVolcula]

obama had a guy on cnbc this morning suggesting that doctors get paid a salary so that they don't order countless excess tests and such. so who sets the salary?

The Peoples Board of Setting Salaries and Sh**

 

[kiddiedoc]

I've read that idea before. Give doctors a standard salary specialists, 150k, Family Doctor 100k, etc.

If doctors were salaried at your rates, we would have exactly zero qualified candidates in the 2010 incoming medical class.

 

[kiddiedoc]

obama had a guy on cnbc this morning suggesting that doctors get paid a salary so that they don't order countless excess tests and such. so who sets the salary?

Just another example of faulty logic. I don't get paid for many of the tests that I order (as they are performed at either the hospital or outside labs), and most of our in-house labs don't generate enough revenue to even matter.

There is judgment involved in deciding when to order tests, when to watch and wait, or when to treat emergently. That is one of the skills that accomplished physicians must be comfortable with. There is a time and place that we must "go with our gut," and I could provide you a handful or more of those scenarios when I was able to diagnose or treat a potentially life-threatening condition based on experience and judgment alone. I can assure you that you don't want a government-paid "insurance gatekeeper" making that call.

As to the New Yorker article, I agree that it is an overgeneralization based on a single (broken) medical system. I am just not a big fan of doctors having vested interests in the hospitals they work in/for. Seems like an obvious conflict of interest, to me.