Posted on 07/21/2009 4:03:36 AM PDT by Scanian
A world-renowned clinic that President Obama held up as an example of good medicine said Monday that the American people would be "losers" under the House's health care proposal, joining the growing chorus of critics the Obama administration is trying to fend off as the debate intensifies from Capitol Hill to Main Street.
Minnesota's not-for-profit Mayo Clinic, which Mr. Obama has repeatedly hailed as offering top quality care at affordable costs, blasted the House Democrats' version of the health care plan as lawmakers continue to grapple with several bills from each chamber and multiple committees.
The Mayo Clinic said there are some positive elements of the bill, but overall "the proposed legislation misses the opportunity to help create higher quality, more affordable health care for patients."
"In fact, it will do the opposite," clinic officials said, because the proposals aren't [R]patient-focused or results-oriented. "The real losers will be the citizens of the United States."
All day, Republicans took aim at Mr. Obama's weak spot as surveys showed that his poll numbers were slipping on the issue. Republican National Committee Chairman Michael S. Steele charged that the president's plan amounts to a "reckless experiment," dubbing it [JUMP]"socialism."
"He's conducting a dangerous experiment with our health care," Mr. Steele said at the National Press Club as the RNC started an ad campaign, which will run in Arkansas, Nevada and North Dakota using similar language.
In the Senate, Sen. Charles E. Grassley, the Iowa Republican considered key to grabbing some bipartisan support, warned that the House call to raise taxes on wealthier citizens and, therefore, some small businesses to fund the $1 trillion overhaul is a non-starter.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, is floating an idea that could make proposed tax increases more palatable to the more fiscally conservative members of her
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
But.. the AMA and representatives from several hospitals say this is a great idea, just ask Obama. States are scared of it, but so what.
Goes to show it is falling apart.
For an 8-year-old, that is very smart.:)
I've seen bills from Mayo that charge almost $400 for an extended office visit with a physician. Medicare pays about $120 for that same level of service (99214.) Pres_ent Obama, is that what you call affordable?
One thing to keep in mind: when Mayo spokespersons talk about “results-based medicine” they’re talking about something that most people here oppose: centralized, systematized systems and standards for of valuation of therapeutic efforts and outcomes.
Personally, I think it’s insane to try and reform healthcare without doing this, it’s impossible to run any kind of business without rigorous analytical metrics to determine success or failure, for example the way we currently practice medicine is often the equivalent of letting each salesperson decide how they will go about marketing a product, and then allowing them to evaluate according to results according their own standards, and without comparison to the results of other salespeople and sales methods.
Of course the salespeople - and the people who sold them everything from pens and pencils to multimillion dollar CRM systems would love to be in this position - and would have elaborate philosophical justifications in terms of maintaining “personal control and responsibility” for their methods and results, just as most of us (who are incapable in many of the cases that matter the most of actually acting as educated consumers of health care, given the complexity of many of the decisions) cherish our role in what often amounts to the cottage industry of medical decision-making in this country.
But it’s just as crazy a way to purchase and provide medical services as a would be in any other area of human endeavor.
I used to work for a surgeon who trained at Mayo and back then they charged patients what they could afford according to their income. It was started by the Mayo brothers but is probably not the same now.
NO Obamacare
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