ObamaCare Versus AMA
ObamaCare vs AMA vs Insurance Companies
As my son lie in the emergency room bed some weeks ago, I had his nurse explain to me that he would be euthanizedby the hospitalists. I would have found that a rather distressing thing to hear if I believed her for one moment. I did not. She went on to blame President Obama and Obamacare as the culprit and explained that neurosurgeons were no longer going to be paid to perform high risk surgeries on individuals of a certain age under Obamacare. She recommended I call my representative. I found it all inappropriate. I have a very good relationship with the doctors at the hospital to which I refer and with the administration of the same hospital. They haven't sent me a survey to fill out yet but my will they get an ear full when I fill out my survey..
First, Hospitalists are doctors who stay in the hospital all night with the patients. The hospitalists were wonderful to my son and I could not have been happier with them. So if hospitalists are part of Obamacare, FANTASTIC!!.
Second, anyone who tries to motivate me politically when my son is sick is taunting a sleeping dragon and should beware. I happen to think the nurse was probably either a) on drugs or b) a psychiatric patient but still to suggest any harm would come to my child because of a political party is just emotional black mail especially when my son was ill. Somehow my old guard republican self doesn't believe Barack Obama has ill intentions for the children of this country. Actually I am quite through with both parties demonizing each other. I am not a person easily manipulated, if manipulated at all, so to try and manipulate me when my son is sick is stupidity on the part of a medical professionals. If I ever had fear it ended on 9/11. So the medical community doesn't have the ability to scare me but only irritate me over there agenda. And I am hard pressed to fight for doctors to make more money. They already have the lions share of wealth of this country. I am in it for the ordinary Joe. As for ObamaCare gong after the dosabled children of this country, I think Obama is a better president then to have time to waste going after anyone in this country let alone a single Mom of a disabled child.
Third, I noticed that the argument was surrounding what the neurosurgeon would be paid for and not whether or not he could preform the surgery on a person of a certain age. And this is a problem I do have with medicine especially since we have built a hospital in Florida as well as a community. Everyone gets treated regardless of the ability to pay. If doctors wish to be Wall Street capitalists then they should work on Wall Street and get out of medicine. A neurosurgeon pulls down what about 400k a year. He can afford to do some philanthropic work. Doctors were never meant to be the wealthy beings they have become. They were suppose to be humanitarians that worked long hours and were diligent in providing care. They have an elevated social status just because they are doctors. So how much money does a doctor need to make in America? The argument the nurse was making against the Obamacare was that the doctors would not be paid for certain surgeries and therefore wouldn't perform such surgeries. I have always been in public service as well and I can promise you it is never suppose to be about the money. The fact Health Care has become such a lucrative financial institution has weakened it and it's moral authority. And let me be clear the doctors I deal with in the rare diseases world do all of the extra hours. They are always on call and they do their jobs. I couldn't nor would I ever dare to tell them how to conduct themselves and they have my profound respect.
Malpractice is driving up medical costs? This is completely untrue. Everyone in the medical community testified to it in Florida and then the legislature dragged everyone back in and put them under oath and they all admitted it was not true at all. There are no frivolous lawsuits in Florida. You can't even get a malpractice lawsuit in Florida. They are completely blocked even though the state is well aware they have licensed doctors in Florida which are forbidden to practice medicine in other states. They have doctors who are forbidden to practice medicine in other countries who move the the USA and obtain a medical licence just the same. So not only are there no frivolous lawsuits but there are no malpractice lawsuits which should be occurring on a regular basis just to discourage doctors; from committing malpractice. But as I write this to you I must praise the doctors who work in public health for small amounts of money and do it with such dedication and diligence. I appreciate public health so much. I think everyone should be a consumer of public health. But then again if I had a really good doctor and partner in my healthcare then I would value then irregardless. I just don't think it should take 6 million dollars to provide care for people. Medicine on most occasions is not that complicated and when it has been in my life the health department has been more then well equipped enough to handle whatever was wrong with me. I appreciate that I am not receiving concierge' medicine but actual medical treatment. And I would submit to you that perhaps there is a good reason that the insurance companies aren't being forced to pay neurosurgeons for certain operations on patients past a certain age. And if the neurosurgeon felt so compelled to perform the surgery he could and write off the costs off his income taxes as he could use the deduction. Fighting over concierge' medicine isn't a good use of anyone's time in this country. Concierge' medicine may not be good for anyone in this country but the doctors' bank account who is providing it.
So I will not listen to the complaints about Obamacare because that is assuming the medical system is not currently broken. I love great doctors but they have to be great in order to gain my love. We have a bunch of rich doctors who are mediocre at best. I would prefer to see a country of brilliant doctors who are middle class. Sadly, the medical profession measures its' greatness on their wealth and not on their ability to serve their communities.
As for the nurse who lobbied me over my sick son in the middle of the emergency room, I need only make a telephone call and her job will be terminated. It is amazing what people think they can do to you when you have a sick disabled child.