Opponents of government-run health care suddenly find need to avail themselves of same
November 6th, 2009 at 12:28pm Pat Cunningham
 
 While I don’t want to make light of people facing medical emergencies, I can’t help but note the delicious irony in THIS ACCOUNT of a teabagger rally staged yesterday at the Capitol in Washington:
 ”By the time it was over, medics had administered government-run health care to at least five people in the crowd who were stricken as they denounced government-run health care.”
 UPDATE: By the way, Michele Bachmann is FALSELY DECLARING that the aforementioned rally was completely spontaneous and “was nothing that we organized, nothing that we planned. We didn’t order one bus, one carload. Nothing. Complete word of mouth.”
Entry Filed under: teabaggers, health care
9 Comments Add your own
1. Neftali | November 6th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
I give up. Let’s go ahead a sign a bill that cost $15,000 annually for each person not currently covered by insurance. Since these doctors saved the lives of the protesters, let’s just have all doctors work for the government while we are at it. That way government can continue to set wages and eliminate the evil profit motives doctors may have. Of course this would also require government to take over hospitals too, so let’s do that. While we are at it, let’s have government take over all the pharmaceutical companies being that they are money driven creeps.
Of course its going to be expensive to pay for all this health care, so let’s increase taxes to say, 80% of everyone’s salary. Most people buy crap they really don’t need anyway. Government knows what’s best, you don’t. Never mind that medicare, medicaid, and social security are already severely under funded. We can just continue to run up the deficit until the dollar is worthless. Then we can all go onto a central world currency backed by a gold standard. Then we can delegate all power from the Fed and US Treasury to the United Nations so they can adjust the central world currency so that all countries have a equal distribution regardless of contribution to the global economy.
Take away all profit-driven incentives I say! Equal pay for everyone in the world!
2. expdoc | November 6th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
Pat doesn’t want to make light of another persons medical emergency but then just has to do it anyway. Thanks for taking one for the team Pat, I’m sure you worried over this decision for hours.
I’m alssure you and all your principled, crusty, liberal friends of gen flower power don’t want to use drugs created by the evil pharma overlords either but just have to do it to stay alive. Life is just full of trade offs isn’t it?
3. Craig Knauss | November 6th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
Doc,
I assume that your clinic receives 100% compensation for 100% of the services it provides. That is correct, isn’t it? If so, I want to congratulate you, because that means your billing procedures, coding, and collection services are flawless, while most clinics and hospitals are not. And how many medical coupons, Medicaid cards and Medicare cards do you receive each day? Do you bill full rate on those or are you able to refuse them, while most clinics and hospitals can not? And I assume you have never had someone supply phony identification or refused to pay a bill. Is that correct? And are the drugs you prescribe the same price in Illinois as they would be in Canada? Or are they substantially more in Illinois for the exact same medication because the U.S. doesn’t have price controls like Canada does. And are you aware that the drug companies still make a profit in Canada, even with the price controls? Obviously, you are located in the ideal world, while my wife’s hospital is not. And her hospital represents the typical case in this country.
4. expdoc | November 6th, 2009 at 10:00 pm
Nope, in our practice we actually we receive about 44 cents on the dollar, which is actually pretty good for a group with a mix of hospital and clinic business. We see about 34% medicare and medicaid which is also a good mix relative to the norm. We have never once turned down a patient because of ability to pay. Patients get medical care and then we worry about payment. If patients truly can’t pay because of hardship we write it off.
I actually don’t work in Illinois. Left about 4 years ago because of the ridiculous malpractice rates. My last year in Illinois I paid 54,000 dollars, this year in Wisconsin 7,000. Your state lost many great docs in my 8 years there for the exact same reason.
The point in my above post is that liberals want to decry corporate profit as evil but refuse to acknowledge the great benefits these companies produce. Jobs for their employees, profits for their investors, life saving medical devices and drugs that we all benefit from. Government produces NOTHING. It may provide services but only with the treasure of it’s people not based on truly generating revenue. Too much government and society is bankrupt and we are headed right down that path.
5. expdoc | November 7th, 2009 at 7:32 am
For all of my Applesauce friends: Now is the time to start reading about what is contained within the bill being “debated” on the house floor today. Educate yourselves so you at least understand the implications for your families. Here’s a start, I encourage you to read the entire link:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704795604574519671055918380.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_sections_opinion
Sec. 202 (p. 91-92) of the bill requires you to enroll in a “qualified plan.” If you get your insurance at work, your employer will have a “grace period” to switch you to a “qualified plan,” meaning a plan designed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. If you buy your own insurance, there’s no grace period. You’ll have to enroll in a qualified plan as soon as any term in your contract changes, such as the co-pay, deductible or benefit.
• Sec. 224 (p. 118) provides that 18 months after the bill becomes law, the Secretary of Health and Human Services will decide what a “qualified plan” covers and how much you’ll be legally required to pay for it. That’s like a banker telling you to sign the loan agreement now, then filling in the interest rate and repayment terms 18 months later.
View Full Image
Associated Press
Protestors wave signs in front of the Capitol on Thursday.
.On Nov. 2, the Congressional Budget Office estimated what the plans will likely cost. An individual earning $44,000 before taxes who purchases his own insurance will have to pay a $5,300 premium and an estimated $2,000 in out-of-pocket expenses, for a total of $7,300 a year, which is 17% of his pre-tax income. A family earning $102,100 a year before taxes will have to pay a $15,000 premium plus an estimated $5,300 out-of-pocket, for a $20,300 total, or 20% of its pre-tax income. Individuals and families earning less than these amounts will be eligible for subsidies paid directly to their insurer.
• Sec. 303 (pp. 167-168) makes it clear that, although the “qualified plan” is not yet designed, it will be of the “one size fits all” variety. The bill claims to offer choice—basic, enhanced and premium levels—but the benefits are the same. Only the co-pays and deductibles differ. You will have to enroll in the same plan, whether the government is paying for it or you and your employer are footing the bill.
• Sec. 59b (pp. 297-299) says that when you file your taxes, you must include proof that you are in a qualified plan. If not, you will be fined thousands of dollars. Illegal immigrants are exempt from this requirement.
6. Craig Knauss | November 7th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Doc,
You have pretty much proven my point. The prices a business, any business, if it is to stay viable, charges have to cover all costs plus provide a return. I am NOT against anybody earning a reasonable profit. After all, profit is defined as the reward for assuming risk. So if a business has considerable losses, it has to raise its prices to cover those losses (which reduces risk) and still provide a reasonable return. While a government run may regulate certain fees that can be charged, it also dramatically reduces risk that bills will not be paid. It is not foolproof. There is still a chance for patient fraud. But there is a considerable amount patient fraud right now. My wife sees it every day. If everyone has some form of basic health insurance, the fraud will be reduced, and collections by the service provider will increase. And in some cases, overall net income will increase, as well. I suspect that will be the case at your clinic. Now is increased revenue really all that bad? My wife and her co-workers don’t think so.
7. QuentinK | November 7th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
Well expdoc, I say let’s give the government a chance since the current system has PROVEN to be rip-off. I had an operation for a deviated septum and was quoted that I would have to pay for about $400 of the expense with pre-approval from Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Even though there were no complications there were ‘normal’ cost over runs which led me to owe about $4500 after BCBS denied coverage of these ‘normal’ cost overruns. To use your analogy that would be like the same banker deciding not only to increase the rate of your loan but retroactively increasing the purchase price with no means for you to cancel. The current system sucks.
Public option now!
8. expdoc | November 7th, 2009 at 11:53 pm
Craig,
The “government” can only get away with what it is charging because of cost shifting to the private sector. If clinics and hospitals had to survive on Medicare rates for every patient they will close. Unfortunately it is simple math.
In fact, at one clinic where I work, they can only afford to see a certain number of Medicare patients each day. If the slots are full the patients wait, all for lack of reimbursement.
Ya’ll on this site have no idea what you are rooting for.
9. expdoc | November 8th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
By the way Q. Under the public option you just won’t get that unnecessary surgery. Saves money bud, get used to it.
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