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Government To Use ‘Secret Shoppers’ to ‘Spy’ on Doctors
The Blaze ^ | 06/27/11 | Jonathon M. Seidl

Posted on 06/27/2011 10:42:20 AM PDT by CitizenM

Secret shoppers aren’t anything new. Retail stores use them regularly to gather customer service data. But what happens when the government uses them to check up on doctors across the country? Is that going too far? That‘s exactly what’s about to happen to over 4,000 doctors in nine states.

The New York Times reports that 4,185 doctors in Florida, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia — 465 in each state — will be getting stealth calls from people posing as potential patients. The point is to see if doctors are discriminating against those with government care such as Medicare, and to decipher how long wait times are.

“Access to primary care is a priority for the administration,” Health and Human Services spokesman Christian J. Stenrud told the Times. “This study is an effort to better understand the problem and make sure we are doing everything we can to support primary care physicians, especially in communities where the need is greatest.”

But plenty of doctors don’t see this as a friendly phone call as much as a government encroachment. Or, worse, Big Brother.

“I don’t like the idea of the government snooping,” Dr. Raymond Scalettar, an internist in Washington, told the Times. “It’s a pernicious practice — Big Brother tactics, which should be opposed.”

And that seems to be the consensus of those physicians interviewed by the Times:

You MUST Read more at link, including the comments.


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: bigbrother; doctors; obamacare; socialism
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OMG what a day for news about socialist infringement of rights.

First we had the new govt. mandate insisting that cigarette manufacturers place horrid pictures on cigarette packs. Then, we hear about the TSA finding it appropriate to have a dying old lady remove her Depends and continue her flight sans underwear. Now they are infiltrating our doctors' offices to spy on how the docs run their practice. And,continually, there is the hypocrite, Michelle, telling us how to eat and forcing schools to serve carrots and broccoli instead of pizza...while she munches on french fries and ice cream at every outing. Watch out, Americans. They are coming soon to your business and your homes. They will tell you what you must do; how you must raise your children; and what you cannot do.

1 posted on 06/27/2011 10:42:23 AM PDT by CitizenM
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To: CitizenM
Doctors are slaves of the federal government now, and they had better get used to it or bad things could happen to them.

Know what I mean?

2 posted on 06/27/2011 10:43:57 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (If Sarah Palin really was unelectable, state-run media would be begging the GOP to nominate her.)
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To: CitizenM

From the Department of Irony........I wonder how many of the doctors who are so upset about this believe that it’s just peachy-keen for doctors to snoop on gun owners?


3 posted on 06/27/2011 10:47:47 AM PDT by JoeDetweiler
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To: CitizenM

The Thought Police have arrived.


4 posted on 06/27/2011 10:48:30 AM PDT by Spok
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And how many slots will this take away from someone who really needs an appointment?


5 posted on 06/27/2011 10:49:28 AM PDT by ReneeLynn (Socialism is SO yesterday. Fascism, it's the new black. Mmm mmm mmm...)
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To: CitizenM

No, they will raise your children for you.


6 posted on 06/27/2011 10:49:28 AM PDT by jacknhoo (Luke 12:51. Think ye, that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, no; but separation.)
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To: CitizenM

Obama: “We can not continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we’ve set. We’ve got to have a civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well funded.”


7 posted on 06/27/2011 10:50:38 AM PDT by WKUHilltopper (Fix bayonets!)
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To: CitizenM

“The point is to see if doctors are discriminating against those with government care such as Medicare”

I don’t remember where any doctors are forced to take Medicare patients(YET). What do they mean “discriminate”?


8 posted on 06/27/2011 10:52:28 AM PDT by freeangel ( (free speech is only good until someone else doesn't like it)
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To: ReneeLynn
And how many slots will this take away from someone who really needs an appointment?

Eventually, all of them. No doctors, no slots.

9 posted on 06/27/2011 10:53:26 AM PDT by tacticalogic
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
Doctors are slaves of the federal government now, and they had better get used to it or bad things could happen to them.

How would you like to be a federal employee and have to seek a freedom loving doctors help?

10 posted on 06/27/2011 10:54:45 AM PDT by EGPWS (Trust in God, question everyone else)
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To: CitizenM
Hasn't HUD been using this technique for years to trip up realtors and property managers for "unfair" housing practices? So, what's the problem? Just another government sting operation.

Sting the farmers who sell unpasteurized milk. Sting the doctors. Sting the realtors and property managers. Sting the gun shops. Sting those traveling with "a lot" of cash.

Don't sting the employers who employ illegals. Don't sting welfare and food stamp recipients. Don't sting crooked politicians.

Welcome to 21st century America.

11 posted on 06/27/2011 10:55:13 AM PDT by Former Proud Canadian (We .. have a purpose .. no longer to please every dictator with a vote at the UN. PM Harper)
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To: CitizenM
They have been using “secret shoppers” for years against health insurance agents.

Makes you afraid of your own shadow, and I think that is the entire point.

12 posted on 06/27/2011 10:59:42 AM PDT by Kansas58
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To: WKUHilltopper

TSA!!!!


13 posted on 06/27/2011 11:01:19 AM PDT by catman67
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To: CitizenM

And where are the republican politicians on all of these issues you posted?

As for the “shoppers”, I wonder “who” will be hired to do it? Probably someone who is automatically descriminated against.


14 posted on 06/27/2011 11:03:42 AM PDT by Terry Mross (I'll only vote for a SECOND party.)
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To: JoeDetweiler
"I wonder how many of the doctors who are so upset about this believe that it’s just peachy-keen for doctors to snoop on gun owners?"

I went to a doctor's office some years ago ... maybe 8 or 9 years ago for a relatively innocuous condition and I sat down to fill in the 4 or 5 page 'booklet' that was to be my intake data sheet.

I walked out after x'ing every answer yes/no/maybe etc. (not a blank block in the booklet)

do you have trouble getting erections?
do you own guns?
how many?
Do you often feel angry?
against whom?

wife/husband?
boss?
children?


And etc., etc.

15 posted on 06/27/2011 11:07:08 AM PDT by knarf (I say things that are true ... I have no proof ... but they're true)
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To: catman67

“TSA!!!!”

Exactly. They’ve already admitted they’ve conducted around 8,000 “non-airport” activities outside of the airport. The new Gestapo.

All in keeping with Obama’s “report something fishy” theme.


16 posted on 06/27/2011 11:10:24 AM PDT by WKUHilltopper (And yet...we continue to tolerate this crap...)
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To: CitizenM
The Times obtained a mock script of what a mystery caller might say:

Mystery shopper: “Hi, my name is Alexis Jackson, and I’m calling to schedule the next available appointment with Dr. Michael Krane. I am a new patient with a P.P.O. from Aetna. I just moved to the area and don’t yet have a primary doctor, but I need to be seen as soon as possible.”

Doctor’s office: “What type of problem are you experiencing?”

Mystery shopper: “I’ve had a cough for the last two weeks, and now I’m running a fever. I’ve been coughing up thick greenish mucus that has some blood in it, and I’m a little short of breath.”

Most offices will get two calls, one pretending to be from someone with private insurance and one from someone pretending to have government care. Still other offices will get a third call from government officials who “will ask whether the doctors accept private insurance, Medicaid or Medicare, and whether they take ‘self-pay patients’” in an attempt to note any discrepancies.

Doctors are simply going to have to get tough and take no new patients without a recommendation from an current trust-able patient, and instruct the callers to go to the nearest emergency room.

For doctors to win and avoid slavery, they must be willing to go Galt.

17 posted on 06/27/2011 11:12:56 AM PDT by Navy Patriot (Holy flippin' crap, Sarah rocks the world!)
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To: Former Proud Canadian
So...get out and ask Obama supporters: How are you liking that "Change?"

Shades of the Nazi practice of using civilians and children to patrol the populace. It IS happening now and here. The revolution is boiling just below the surface while our freedoms are being burned away by the Socialist/Marxist/Communist loving politicians and this administration.

18 posted on 06/27/2011 11:16:48 AM PDT by CitizenM (He who is silent is understood to consent)
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To: Navy Patriot

And if the govt takes away their license, what then?


19 posted on 06/27/2011 11:45:28 AM PDT by Soothesayer9
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To: CitizenM
Unfortunately the Hussein supporters are for this stuff.

Scratch any socialist and you will find a fascist. To enforce socialism, you need government spies in every facet of life. To achieve the socialist ideal you have to put a wall around the country, nobody gets in, nobody gets out.

Have a conversation with a socialist, this is exactly where the conversation goes. It has to or socialism fails.

20 posted on 06/27/2011 11:54:03 AM PDT by Former Proud Canadian (We .. have a purpose .. no longer to please every dictator with a vote at the UN. PM Harper)
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