This can't be true can it?

1. 69

   MikeNVposted 14 years ago

   How many of you would accept a 21% cut in pay if you didn't have to?  Doctors don't have to.  How many.  Leave your comment if you are willing to accept a 21% cut in pay.
   
   I just read this rather interesting comment...
   
   "OBAMA-CARE KILLED MY DAD ---- Obama just cut Medicare reimbursements to doctors by 21% and my 80-year old father on Medicare was dropped by his primary physician. His last physical exam was canceled and two weeks ago he had a stroke and died. THANKS OBAMA, FOR KILLING MY DAD ... my Mom has also been dropped by her Medicare doctor who told us "under OBAMA-CARE I cannot stay in business serving Medicare patients." Anyone who says Obama-care will improve American�s health care is a god-@#$% liar!"
   
   Who cares right... who needs Old People?  Grandpa was 80 after all... he should just accept his fate.  Under Obamacare they won't get care, they will die off sooner and we can all rejoice in the cost savings. Goodbye Grandpa... get in the box you are too old for anyone to care. 
   
   This can't be true can it? Seriously aren't we all supposed to be healthy now?
   
   I wonder what Doctors are saying? Here is one now... you're welcome...
   
   http://blogs.forbes.com/sciencebiz/2010 … t-pay-cut/
   
   Turns out this "cut" has been delayed but there is some hanky panky going on with payments and Physicans are bailing from Medicare.
   
   Thank You Mr. Obama.
   
   Just wait until the full force of Obama's America Destroying policies kick in.
   
   And anyone who thought the Health Care Reform was actually going to help people is sadly mistaken.
   
   Where are people going to find Doctors?  And how are people going to pay for the rising premium costs which were not addressed at all?
   
   All the Health Care Reform Law has done is raise premiums and cut services.
   
   Whoo hoo.
   
   See you in No no no no nomore November...
   
   Obama = FAIL

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      nightwork4posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      i'm so confused why some americans are so against health care. what i think would be great is that if america could come up with a system that works really well and show the world that they are the great country that they are suppose to be. this worry about losing doctors is just plain foolishness. we have health care here and we have a lot of awesome doctors. the biggest problem with our health care is that too many people use it for reasons that aren't rational. the hypocondriacts abuse it every time they cough or get a little cut. looking out for the fellow citizens of your country is what health care is all about. if you care about your fellow man then money shouldn't be an issue.

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      1. 69

         MikeNVposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         I would agree.  You are confused.
         
         Obamacare is NOT healthcare.  It's nothing more than a Mandated Shift in Wealth.
         
         Americans want healthcare... they don't want Obamacare because it is NOT healthcare.
         
         Now you can be unconfused.
         
         It's pretty cut and dried.

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         1. 60

            nightwork4posted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Really. well according to some friends i have in the u.s. what Mr. Obama wants isn't concidered health care only because it helps too many poor people and not enough wealthy people. wow, i'm even less confused now. thanks smartass.

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            1. 59

               Ohmaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               I think this is a terrible misconception. No one in America is against helping the poor. If Obamacare was designed to help the poor no one would be against that, but the reality is I do work everyday and my Husband who is on medicare was just informed in a letter today that there are another 3 of his life sustaining medications that we will have to pay out of pocket for. That makes 7 in all since the fiasco health care bill was signed and all in preparation for the impending cuts that are coming. In the year before the bill I was paying $200 a month out of pocket for his meds. With this latest change I will be paying over $1000 a month just for his medication alone.
               The only thing Obamacare is doing is helping the middle and lower classes reach poverty level quicker than they would otherwise.

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         2. 60

            nightwork4posted 14 years agoin reply to this

            btw. the only americans that i've noticed that truly want health care reform are the americans that work everyday but still have a hard time getting by. due to this they feel that spending a couple of months wages for a broken arm just doesn't work.

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      2. 62

         TMMasonposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Every great thing this country has produced or done, has been through individualism and liberty... not collectivism and centralized Govt.
         
         Even the founders understood the dangers of centralized govt and railed against it..

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         1. 61

            William R. Wilsonposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Yes.  Individuals won World War 2, going out there one by one with their hunting rifles.  Individuals built the interstate.  Individuals, acting alone, singly, sent a men to the moon.  LOL.

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   2. 61

      William R. Wilsonposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Wait.  You are a libertarian - yet you are outraged over cuts to Medicare?  You should be jumping for joy that government financed payouts for healthcare are being reduced.

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2. 56

   Sab Ohposted 14 years ago

   Not only are a lot of doctors dropping Medicare and Medicaid patients, but a lot are looking to get out of medicine all together.

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3. 77

   Mighty Momposted 14 years ago

   Now why would doctors be dropping their Medicare and Medicaid patients? Hmmm.Could it be because they don't get reimbursed sufficiently to make a living?
   
   Here's a thought. Those of you who are happy with your insurance coverage and don't want it touchedz (God forbid), how about you switch your PCP to one of these poor doctors?
   
   I think that would really solve it.
   You don't have to give up your insurance coverage (which you seem so paranoid is going to happen under Universal Healthcare)
   The doctor gets paid what he/she is worth
   Everybody wins!

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   1. 56

      Sab Ohposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      "Here's a thought. Those of you who are happy with your insurance coverage and don't want it touchedz (God forbid), how about you switch your PCP to one of these poor doctors?
      
      I think that would really solve it. "
      
      
      That wouldn't come anywhere near solving it even if that were a practical option.

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4. 61

   JON EWALLposted 14 years ago

   MIKENV
   Here's a tidbit, you probably haven't heard as yet.
   Who is the largest healthcare insurer in the world?
   Yep, the US government
   The US government administers medical programs, ship, veterans administration (VA),Medicaid and Medicare.
   By the way some of those government managed programs are going broke.
   Which insurance companies/programs have denied claims by their members?
   US government #1 has denied 8.5% of service claims
   Aetna #2 has denied 6.2% of service claims
   
   Like majority leader Pelosi said '' we need to pass the bill to find out what's in it ''. President Obama stated that the government will not pay for abortions in the healthcare bill. President Obama said that you will not be forced to change your doctor. Recently the media reported that in 2 states the government is paying for abortions and that a insurance provider notified their clients that they will be forced to change their doctor.
   Shortly after President Barak Obama signed the bill , businesses  were forced to commit healthcare  funds as required by the bill. Congress woke up to what is in the bill.
   Wake up America, your country is being transformed by radical progressives in our government.
   Presently doctors having Medicare patients have their fees cut. The healthcare bill cuts their fees further leaving many doctors deciding not to accept Medicare patients. Mayo clinic, one of the nations best, is not accepting new Medicare patients.

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5. 54

   honiposted 14 years ago

   For years now doctors have been refusing to accept patients, way before ObamaCare. For years now people have been dying because doctors wouldn't treat/accept them, way before ObamaCare. For years now the insurance companies have been telling doctors and hospitals what to do. All these years people have been quiet and accepted it.
   
   It took Obama to open people' eyes. I've been upset for years how insurance companies were running the show. Now people are upset at the government (or is it Obama that they are hollaring about)?

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   1. 61

      JON EWALLposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      honi
      WHAT PART OF THE COUNTRY are you talking about?  Just wait until Obamacare kicks in at full speed, you're attitude regarding doctors, hospitals and government controlled providers will open your eyes to what is in the healthcare bill.
      Unemployment is 9.5% plus and there are 14 million people out of work. Those 14 million are not paying into the insurance pool. If you understand what the paying pool means in the insurance industry, you can understand why your premiums will increase especially when Obamacare adds another 10 million more of those not paying for insurance. Look to a doctor shortage, long lines and waits for service including  paying higher premiums and taxes.

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   2. 69

      MikeNVposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Clearly you are uneducated.
      
      Not accepting patients is a lot different than dropping existing patients because they can not afford to treat them and stay in business.
      
      Go ahead and enjoy your Obmamcare... if you can even get into a Doctor to get the "care".
      
      Obama = FAIL!
      
      Oh yeah ask me how I really feel about Obama.
      
      Congress has special exemptions for everything and votes themselves the best of everything.  Elderly people who have paid into the system for years and years are left to die.
      
      Obama = FAIL!
      
      This is NOT about paying Doctors more it's about cutting their pay to the point they can not make a living.
      
      Primary Care Physicians are essential to the system.  And with insurance, staff, record keeping, office space, etc... they can not afford to service medicare patients.
      
      And insurance companies are not the bad guys... Kaiser operated deep in the red in 2008.  If you really dig into the insurance companies you'll find most of them have very thin margins. There are some Monopolies for sure that need to be broken up.
      
      But Obamacare is a total disaster.

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6. 77

   Mighty Momposted 14 years ago

   Of course my suggestion was tongue-in-cheek. I don't always end my posts with "LOL" or smiley faces.
   
   But seriously, if the doctors need to be paid more -- and I believe doctors should be paid very well for the amount of training and expertise they have -- what are the logical sources of such payment?
   We've established that the government-funded programs are not the answer.
   So the only other options are
   a) insurance companies
   b) private payers

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   1. 56

      Sab Ohposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      To start with, two words: Tort Reform

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      1. 61

         Doug Hughesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Tort Reform = Red Herring
         
         "CBO now estimates that implementing a typical package of tort reform proposals nationwide would reduce total U.S. health care spending by about 0.5 percent "
         
         from http://cboblog.cbo.gov/?p=389
         
           That's a HALF OF ONE PERCENT.  When the insurance companies thought health care was dead, they raised rates in CA by 20-something percent.  And you  still have wingnuts saying 'tort reform' with a straight face and moderates going - 'well, maybe.'  Tort reform is a gift to the insurance companies and a GODSEND to incompetent doctors who mutilate patients with malpractice. It's not going to do anything for costs or patients

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7. 77

   Mighty Momposted 14 years ago

   I agree on tort reform. That will help doctors because they won't have to carry whopping amounts of malpractice insurance.
   
   But that alone is not the answer.
   We need serious insurance industry overhaul.
   There are millions of Americans who cannot GET health insurance even if they wanted to and would pay (dearly) for the "privilege" of having it.
   If the insurance companies accepted more of these people the risk pool would increase and the hospitals and doctors would be treating fewer people for free (let's not forget they are duty bound not to turn anyone away for lack of means to pay).
   More people paying INTO the system. Fewer people getting services without paying.

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   1. 61

      JON EWALLposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Mighty Mom
      
      ''  So the only other options are
      a) insurance companies
      b) private payers''
      May I add a comment.
      A ) government run insurance companies will control
      B) private payers that means the bottom guy's will be paying more
      
      Just wait until Obamacare kicks in at full speed, you're attitude regarding doctors, hospitals and government controlled providers will open your eyes to what is in the healthcare bill.
      Unemployment is 9.5% plus and there are 14 million people out of work. Those 14 million are not paying into the insurance pool. If you understand what the paying pool means in the insurance industry, you can understand why your premiums will increase especially when Obamacare adds another 10 million more of those not paying for insurance. Look to a doctor shortage, long lines and waits for service including  paying higher premiums and taxes.

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8. 77

   Mighty Momposted 14 years ago

   I hope you don't feel sorry for poor li'l ol' Kaiser Permanente.
   They are a NONPROFIT.
   And if they lost money in 2008, not to worry. They more than made up for it in 2007.
   
   http://ekaiserinsurance.wordpress.com/

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9. 59

   writeonbroposted 14 years ago

   Rush, CNN and Breitbart need to stop masquerading infotainment  as news and facts.
   
   It's unfortunate that so many conservative (self-appointed conservers of the 1950's status-quo) Americans are being victimized through fear and misinformation from the mainstream media's undue influence on the information highways.
   
   Quality health care is only delivered by physicians who have compassion for human suffering.
   
   Socialized health care just like a free market version has its drawbacks. 
   
   What kind of treatment do you think you are really getting from a doctor who treats you because of the amount of money you can pay or the lack there of.
   
   What if the fire department operated that way.
   
   Come judgment day I would hate to be standing next to any doctor  who dropped a patient because of their inability to pay his country club fees.
   
   My Personal experience has been....
   
   My mother 69-year old mother was dropped by her insurance company after paying for 65 years on an policy that had one year left.
   
   The insurance company had already lost a $206 million class action suit(http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m … _86868864/)  for this tactic and other disparaging insurance practices.
   
   They were exposed after laying off 6% of their employees on December 16,2008 gladly handing out $165 million in bonuses to in March to wealthy execs with bailout money.
   
   Aah...
   
   Who should protect the needy from the greedy.
   
   My father had never been sick a day in his life. When he was too weak to get out of bed, we were told by the HMO they would not pay if he took him to the emergency room, instead of waiting until the next day to get an appointment to with his primary care physician.
   
   
   We need government oversight for corporations and greedy physicians. 
   
   BTW...there are plenty of good, Christian doctors practicing medicine... who will gladly handle the needy on Medicare and Medicaid, that the greedy don't want to treat.
   
   My fiancee's Gynecologic Oncologist surgeon took the time and trouble to get his practice registered with her medicare provider rather than send her to complete her cancer treatment with another doctor.  "Oorah!"
   
   Finally,
   
   It's only when you do what you love that money, peace and happiness will follow. One without the others ain't jack!

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   1. 56

      Sab Ohposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      "BTW...there are plenty of good, Christian doctors practicing medicine... who will gladly handle the needy on Medicare and Medicaid, that the greedy don't want to treat."
      
      It's not a matter of "greed" when a doctor is forced to admit he/she cannot afford to treat anyone if a great number of patients are an economic loss. Would it be more 'moral' for them to go out of business and  not be able to treat any of their patients?

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10. 61

    Evan G Rogersposted 14 years ago

    it's impossible for government to fix this problem.
    
    1- governments don't have anything in stake when they go about spending other people's money. Thus they will spend it less properly.
    
    2- stealing money from the public, then funneling it into a specific sector HAS to raise that sector's prices - if all of a sudden more people can afford to buy health insurance, then... ... yup, prices will go up.
    
    3- the AMA has a license-granting monopoly granted to it by the US government. Believe me, I'm against quacks, but the simple fact is that there are a LOT of high-quality doctors that can't practice medicine just cuz they can't speak English (even though they could hire a translator). A true monopoly always raises prices, and in this case, the price would be the labor of the doctor.

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11. 62

    TMMasonposted 14 years ago

    The founders would be heated that we are rushing headlong into centralized govt.
    
    I believe they may even consider another revolution against the tyranny of it all.

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    1. 61

       Doug Hughesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       News Flash - the 'founders' have been dead 2 centuries. I don't think they are in a position to consider a revolution against 'the tyranny of it all'.
       
       Any teabaggers who want to try revolution - can share a  prison cell with the Hutaree or other wingnut domestic terrorists. That is if they survive.

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12. 62

    TMMasonposted 14 years ago

    The percieved morallity, or lack there-of, of socialized health-care is not the issue.
    
    The issue is... it is not Constitutional.
    
    And that is all there is to it.

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    1. 61

       Doug Hughesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       I suspect the constitutionality will be tested in court. I have my opinion and you have yours and the US Supreme Court has the final word.
       
       It's part of that Constitution thingie.

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