MD's WONT ACCEPT MEDICARE HERE?! (student loan, theater, utilities)

[warptman]

Notrees, hurry up and blame Palin...

[AADAD]

our nation is ill. bold action which is what we wanted from any candidate has yet to be achieved. it reaches a point where one MUST act. we cannot go backwards. how can our nation defend itself with our citizens suffering, many of our schools in tatters and our bankers calculating their new handicap. That is why people liked Obama and why they like Palin. They say, Here it is, lets fix it. He turned into a muted leader and she into a tv star. The American people despise both of them now because they are fakes sound good look good and carry no stick.

Health care for millions will make our country stronger by making our citizens more healthy and a healthy person can be educated and work. it's at the core of a nation's strength. We love this country and what it can be. If someone thinks we are washed up, Tehran is an option and good luck with that.

My apologies.......I used to be "nice" before I became an ER Nurse now I know that life and death decisions must be made. I think most Americans agree with me. It's time to kick some.

[AADAD]

Originally Posted by warptman

Notrees, hurry up and blame Palin...

the lady is on my list sir.

[notreesininceland]

Originally Posted by AADAD

the lady is on my list sir.

Warpt, you have just been knighted. Go have a beer now.

[warptman]

:d

[AADAD]

Lol..........=)

[theatergypsy]

Politics aside - I previously worked for many years as OM for a physician. The speciality in which we were involved meant that a large percentage of our patients were on Medicare. The majority of those also had a secondary carrier, for which they (or in some few cases, a previous employer) paid a monthly premium.

For the sake of argument, the physician charged $60.00 for an office visit. Medicare approved $40.00 of that amount. The doc now must write off $20.00
Now, Medicare will only pay 80% of that or $32.00, leaving the secondary carrier, (or the patient if they have no secondary carrier), to pay the other 20% or $8.00. In most cases, the doctor only has to bill Medicare, because Medicare usually flips the claim right over to the secondary carrier.

Now, the doctor, since he/she can't practice in the park, must pay for an office. Also needs desks, chairs, filing cabinets, phone system, computer (because Medicare insists on being billed that way),
exam table, medical instruments, waiting room furniture, aaaaannnddd the electric bill, phone bill, heat, water and sewer bills, paper goods, etc etc etc. There is also no small matter of employee salaries, malpractice insurance, student loans. For his employees, he must pay his own portion of their tax/social security/UC liability, and his own tax liability.

So far, we haven't even touched on the doctor's own personal expenses, not to mention those of his family, should he be foolish enough to think he can afford one. He still must have a house, utilities, clothing, food, a car, <gasp> how dare he think he's entitled to a car! - and all of this comes out of that $40.00. Certainly, he can charge a little more for a hospital visit, but the bulk of patients will be seen in his office. And he must document every visit and every diagnosis and every treatment prescribed at length, to be open for audit at anytime.

As far as waiting? Yes, in many cases the doctor falls behind in his appt. schedule, and while you may love to berate the person staffing the desk, it isn't his/her fault. Perhaps an emergency patient (or two) (maybe you?) had to be squeezed into the schedule. Perhaps a patient presented with a complicated set of symptoms. Perhaps a terminally ill patient needed a little extra time with the doctor. So schedules fall apart. Nobody likes it. Not the patients in the waiting room. Not the staff who have to work late. Not the doctor who still must make hospital rounds when he leaves the office.

I have long since retired from working in the medical field, but certainly not from living in it. My wonderful team of doctors have kept me living through heart disease, open heart surgery, a diseased, gravel-filled gall bladder requiring surgery, and most recently, colon cancer, with surgery and chemotherapy. I'm not totally out of the woods yet, but I pray for my caretakers every night. And everytime I get and Explanation of Benefits from Medicare indicating what they have paid my docs, I say to myself, "It's not enough."

[BudinAk]

Originally Posted by notreesininceland

The Palin family obviously found it okay to exploit the 'socialist' system in Canada to its advantage, but now turn around and rail against it because it suits her political agenda. There's a word for that. Hint: it starts with the letter H.

It is puzzling that I have to explain this to those who are allegedly adults. Now I would understand if a 6 year old had trouble.

What do you expect a 6-yr old kid to do? Argue with mommy and daddy over where they should go for health care? Like: "no, I won't go to that socialist clinic in Canada..."
And now you think it reasonable to blame Palin for actions that her parents did nearly 40 years ago? Please!...

Bud

[RDawg]

...and the thread just keeps on keeps rollin'

Wow.

[notreesininceland]

Originally Posted by BudinAk

What do you expect a 6-yr old kid to do? Argue with mommy and daddy over where they should go for health care? Like: "no, I won't go to that socialist clinic in Canada..."
And now you think it reasonable to blame Palin for actions that her parents did nearly 40 years ago? Please!...

Bud

No, but it is reasonable to blame her parents for their actions nearly 47 years ago.