Good letter

[dellinger63]

Originally Posted by Riot

Oh, I'm a Republican. You, however, might consider that you possibly are a closet Libertarian

Cap and Trade worked for sulfer emissions

why do you suppose some Dr.'s refuse Medicaid patients but not privately insured patients? And do those Dr.'s tend to be the bottom of the barrel or the cream of the crop?

[Riot]

Originally Posted by dellinger63

why do you suppose some Dr.'s refuse Medicaid patients but not privately insured patients? And do those Dr.'s tend to be the bottom of the barrel or the cream of the crop?

Because Medicaid pays less than some private insurance companies. In my experience (15 years in human healthcare before I became a vet) the ability of the doctor has nothing to do with what health insurances they accept (Medicaid is just another health insurance company, that happens to be the government)

[dellinger63]

Originally Posted by Riot

Because Medicaid pays less than some private insurance companies. In my experience (15 years in human healthcare before I became a vet) the ability of the doctor has nothing to do with what health insurances they accept (Medicaid is just another health insurance company, that happens to be the government)

1) So Dr's are paid less in some cases if they take Medicaid?
2) And in your 15 years did you notice a greater amount of paper work (Schedules etc.) and greater amount of time in getting compensated by Medicaid/Care?
3) If I have a 'private' Dr. now and am forced by situation or circumstance into a Government policy will that Dr. be forced to accept me for treatment?

If you answer 'yes' to all three questions you should be able to see the flaws in the plan.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by dellinger63

1) So Dr's are paid less in some cases if they take Medicaid?
2) And in your 15 years did you notice a greater amount of paper work (Schedules etc.) and greater amount of time in getting compensated by Medicaid/Care?
3) If I have a 'private' Dr. now and am forced by situation or circumstance into a Government policy will that Dr. be forced to accept me for treatment?

If you answer 'yes' to all three questions you should be able to see the flaws in the plan.

Those are the flaws in our current private system, as it's pretty much the same. Blue Cross may not pay as much for a procedure as Humana does.

Doctors have a vast majority of their employees now dedicated to attempting to file insurance papers and make claims. It's a very, very expensive part of overhead for hospitals and doctors. It's not any different just because it's Medicaid. Medicaid is just another insurance company.

The hot new thing now for many doctor practices in smaller towns (like a general or internal medicine practice) is to stop taking insurance, and charge cash for everything (exams, usual lab work, etc). It costs everybody less. The patients pay a very reasonable amount for the cost of the office visit, labwork, etc. (rather than their copay), as the cost doesn't have to be inflated to pay for messing with insurance companies. Quick and neat, cheaper for everyone. They patients only use their insurance if they get admitted to hospital, etc.

[dellinger63]

Originally Posted by Riot

The hot new thing now for many doctor practices in smaller towns (like a general or internal medicine practice) is to stop taking insurance, and charge cash for everything (exams, usual lab work, etc). It costs everybody less. The patients pay a very reasonable amount for the cost of the office visit, labwork, etc. (rather than their copay), as the cost doesn't have to be inflated to pay for messing with insurance companies. Quick and neat, cheaper for everyone. They patients only use their insurance if they get admitted to hospital, etc.

They do haircuts as well? Cheaper for people with no insurance I will concede but how ho-dunk are these people to pay for covered proceedures to avoid the co-pay? Or is it " Mr. Smith we did some blood work and had to send it to the lab so that'll be $24.95. You saved a nickle off your co-pay."

[Riot]

Originally Posted by dellinger63

They do haircuts as well? Cheaper for people with no insurance I will concede but how ho-dunk are these people to pay for covered proceedures to avoid the co-pay? Or is it " Mr. Smith we did some blood work and had to send it to the lab so that'll be $24.95. You saved a nickle off your co-pay."

No, cheaper for those with insurance, too, as the office doesn't have to pay three extra people to work just to file insurance claims. Thus the doctors office doesn't have to build that charge into their office call charge, etc. They use their insurance still for catastrophic, hospitalization, etc. Don't forget that all that paperwork filing costs money, from the doctor to the insurance company - eliminate that, and you eliminate a huge amount of healthcare costs. You do not HAVE to file an insurance claim, just because you are covered.

[dellinger63]

Originally Posted by Riot

No, cheaper for those with insurance, too, as the office doesn't have to pay three extra people to work just to file insurance claims. Thus the doctors office doesn't have to build that charge into their office call charge, etc. They use their insurance still for catastrophic, hospitalization, etc. Don't forget that all that paperwork filing costs money, from the doctor to the insurance company - eliminate that, and you eliminate a huge amount of healthcare costs. You do not HAVE to file an insurance claim, just because you are covered.

So an office visit with lab work IS cheaper than their co-pay? Really? Do these ho-dunks take their, still under warranty, vehicles to the local mechanic cause he charges less than the dealer will charge the manufacturer as well?

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by dellinger63

why do you suppose some Dr.'s refuse Medicaid patients but not privately insured patients? And do those Dr.'s tend to be the bottom of the barrel or the cream of the crop?

maybe they're afraid it'll take forever to get reimbursed? you know, like the dealers and the cash for clunkers program.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Danzig

maybe they're afraid it'll take forever to get reimbursed? you know, like the dealers and the cash for clunkers program.

You can relax about that now, they added tons of workers are are now flying through the reimbursements

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by Riot

You can relax about that now, they added tons of workers are are now flying through the reimbursements

yay

more govt employees.


as for me being relaxed about it, has no effect on me other than adding to our debt. but i guess that's just not a big deal.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Danzig

yay

more govt employees.

[dellinger63]

Originally Posted by Danzig

yay

more govt employees.

.

Don't worry with the new Health Care system we'll be able to save the funding it by getting rid of Medicaid abuse and insuring the uninsured for less money under a streamlined government plan, with less paperwork and no abuse or fraud. Plus you can get Parenting classes and your family gets to talk to the Dr. when a loved one is going to die. Just typing that out made me

(My family has been extremely lucky as we were able to talk to an attending and other physicians REPEATEDLY each time a family member died) Can't believe that isn't common practice.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by dellinger63

(My family has been extremely lucky as we were able to talk to an attending and other physicians REPEATEDLY each time a family member died) Can't believe that isn't common practice.

It's more about planning before your end comes, I think good doctors always discuss it with their patients, but that discussion was not reimburseable to them (the doctors time for sitting, talking to the family and patient, recommending living wills, discussing end of life care, etc) under Medicare until the GOP put that "death panel" provision in Medicare a couple years ago.

Yeah, the same provision they are bitchin' about now. Hypocrites, aren't they?

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Danzig

yay

more govt employees.

as for me being relaxed about it, has no effect on me other than adding to our debt. but i guess that's just not a big deal.

Sorry to disappoint, but it appears they didn't hire new employees to add to the debt, they just temporarily reassigned some current ones.

[Danzig]

Originally Posted by Riot

Sorry to disappoint, but it appears they didn't hire new employees to add to the debt, they just temporarily reassigned some current ones.

makes you wonder what they'll fall behind on now, if they're doing other work. but you're just not getting my point, the main part being that our govt is already too large, too wasteful, and too eager to spend. of course with people turning a blind eye to the budgetary mess while painting a rosy view of how things suddenly will get better-even tho it's the same govt doing the same stuff-you can understand why they are able to continue to drive us deeper into debt.
here in arkansas, the average govt salary is higher than the average worker salary-i don't think that's the way it should be.

[Riot]

Originally Posted by Danzig

makes you wonder what they'll fall behind on now, if they're doing other work. but you're just not getting my point, the main part being that our govt is already too large, too wasteful, and too eager to spend. .

No, I get your point of view. I admire you for your consistency (no government)