The socialist liberal jackholes have had this "plan" for health care (read: sticking their big noses into another aspect of our lives and appealing to the non-contributing class) on the back burner for years, full well knowing that if is wasn't shoved through just at the right time (read: perfect storm) it would never fly. Well, thanks for electing that perfect storm. There is no way they could have come up that quickly with over 2800 pages, including amendments, in a couple of months, complete with the wherefores, shalls, and other dumb crap. Good God. Just allow competition for insurance companies (whose "immoral" profits are at a gross margin of 2-6 percent) across state lines and few other tweaks and we could "fix" the "crisis", in 30 pages or less. There will be those that fall through the cracks, but unless those cracks are covered with an Iron Curtain (pun intended) a free society will always have them. I'm not talking here about those who make enough but choose not to purchase insurance and instead the new 3G iphone and a 52 inch Sony LCD.
I didn't spend 8 years post graduate study and 3 years residency training to be treated like a pawn in a game of who can pander the most. If you want my services, good sir, you will pay what I am worth.
Thursday, November 05, 2009
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I wonder how long until we have health strikes here in America?
ReplyDeleteOf course the ruling class will always have their private care, so they needn't worry.
Hmmmmm. How would I go about starting a 'ruling class only' boutique practice?
ReplyDeleteI hope you're right, 'Cat.
ReplyDeleteMy very socialist brother injured his elbow badly, in a bike fall and let it fester, then decided to get attention. He had a Hell of a time finding somebody that would just accept him, as a cash customer.
I went to pick him up, after outpatient surgery, and was pleased to see a sign on the entrance door, stating, "We Do Not Accept Patients With Medicare. We Do Not Accept Patients With MedicAid. Patients With Insurance Accepted With Prior Arrangements. Patients With Cash, Visa, MasterCard, and American Express Accepted."
He still, thereafter, voted the straight communist ticket, but I didn't need to say a word. He had already witnessed, first hand, how rotten things have already become.
I hope that all of you that are so inclined, Go Galt and say to Hell with the existing system. I for one, and as a paying customer that has no desire to interact with an insurance bureaucracy, much less a government one, rejoice when I find a sign like that. In. Pay. Out. Insurance for catastrophic purposes.
One solution (for the docs/nurses) might well be to hire out as company docs for medium sized local businesses. This relationship is *not* covered in the new medical plan (as far as I can tell).
ReplyDeleteTreat only employees and family members. Clinic staff on salary as company emploees. Office collections are only a small co pay, plus cost of supplies.No billing-pay in office, or payroll deduct. Patients may pay by HSA, but no insurance involvement at all. Clinic to provide: routine physicals, well child care, moderate emergency care, uncomplicated ortho, routine follow up and meds for most chronic problems.
The company would save a bundle, compared to what they pay for employee insurance. Employee HSA for co pays and specialist. Insurance hospitalization only.
Note: This is not some capitation thing. Straight salary plus commission (from the co-pays).
There are likely many obstacles I am unaware of, but I would suggest this a good model if the new program passes
Glen - I really like that idea! It's analogous to lawyers moving in-house from boutique firms. Why not in-house doctors?
ReplyDelete(I'm not a lawyer.) (And there's probably some major problems with this idea I can't think of.)
There is a shipyard here that does something similar.
ReplyDeleteHeck, look at the company towns back in the bad old days. The mining companies owned the town, the general store, the hospital...
You are not ONLY free to set your own fees, you are also free to chose who you spend your brains and energy on. If you prefer not to treat smokers....you have the right to decline them in your practice, and ditto for anyone whom you consider to be a total waste of your expensive brain. By definition, nurses will never be able to choose quite as freely, but I already decline postions where abuse and non-compliance from someone on the taxpayer's dole is fairly likely. None of us in health care HAVE to even practice in our fields...and THEN what is the Obamessiah gonna do???
ReplyDeletePattie, RN
I'm still interested in finding out whether docs are going to be forced to accept this pile of monkey guano, or can they pull a Nancy Reagan and just say no.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, as is the case in MA,the ability to license the doctors will be tied to compliance of government rules/regulations. Can't have all these physicians going rogue now can they?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, there is where you fall into somebody else's fake trap, and it happens in every single profession.
ReplyDeleteDo you really give a shit if your beautician or barber is licensed by the state? Or some state appointed Board of Professional Regulation?
I can decide for myself if my barber suits my needs, or my dentist, or my MD. I specifically do not want to subsidize an MD that may be approved by the government, but has to settle their unpaid bills on my tab. Why am I, as a customer, not allowed that option? The answer is pussies that won't leave a government-approved umbrella. You want freedom from onerous liability insurance? Market to customers that are smart enough to make their own decisions and stop selling your effort to scum.
Compare (imperfectly) to the auto insurance world. Some people drive safely and pay a certain level of premiums; some people have to buy expensive monthly policies from storefronts. In medicine, we are already darned close to only having one place to buy coverage, today. I used to be able to buy catstrophic only, plus an HSA. I cannot do that, now, in my state.
Creating a mandated universal pool means I lose, forever, any hope of getting back to just paying my own danged bill and maintaining a catastrophic back-up.
Whom are you to decide that some government license prevents providers, and customers from entering into their own contracts? Whom are you to decide that for others, as your pussy ass hides under a bed that has two patients stacked on it? Have you considered bending over and walking to the White House, to be fitted with a sharp-looking lab coat?
Hmmmmm. How would I go about starting a 'ruling class only' boutique practice?
ReplyDeleteI don't know, Doc V. The Hollywierd set do seem to have their own private physicians. And I imagine the Congressional crowd will reserve special privileges for themselves. Cater to either group, and you should do just fine. ;)
CJrun...with all due respect...it seems you misunderstood my point which was that a physician's ability to become licensed to practice medicine and surgery has already been linked to compliance with the state of MA healthcare legislation. My source for this was a Fox business interview with the retired AETNA exec who is currently involved with health care policy.
ReplyDeleteGlen,
ReplyDeleteCompany-paid physicians? So... we would trade the government's involvement into our personal lives with our employer's? Same difference.
It is bad enough that the health insurance company - for which I pay half of the premiums - has more loyalty towards my employer than myself and sends me annoyingly patronizing glossy newsletters on how to avoid whatever it is I went to see the Dr for: sprained ankle, strep throat... Whatever has ailed me, they have the literature for it.
Big Brother comes in many forms.
Have any of you seen this?
ReplyDeleteIt just passed the House.
ReplyDeleteSo the crap sandwich just passed the House this week-end.
ReplyDeleteHopefully it will get a royal flush by the Senate.