Posted on 11/27/2010 7:17:28 AM PST by SumProVita
From the right-wing extremists at the Washington Post:
Want an appointment with kidney specialist Adam Weinstein of Easton, Md.? If you’re a senior covered by Medicare, the wait is eight weeks.
How about a checkup from geriatric specialist Michael Trahos? Expect to see him every six months: The Alexandria-based doctor has been limiting most of his Medicare patients to twice yearly rather than the quarterly checkups he considers ideal for the elderly. Still, at least he’ll see you. Top-ranked primary care doctor Linda Yau is one of three physicians with the District’s Foxhall Internists group who recently announced they will no longer be accepting Medicare patients.
“It’s not easy. But you realize you either do this or you don’t stay in business,” she said.
Recall that these steep cuts to Medicare reimbursement rates are the way in which the Obama administration was able to claim that a) Obamacare cost less than a trillion dollars and b) it would bend the cost curve. In fact, the administration now has a stark choice between instituting the “doc fix” which would rescind the Medicare cuts or welcoming in the era of decreased access and rationing via long wait times. They don’t have long. The rate cuts to Medicare reimbursement are set to begin December 1st.
(Excerpt) Read more at verumserum.com ...
Will seniors still be able to get health care if they simply pay the doctors in cash?
My doc says every 6 months. I say “when I get sick or my blood pressure changes from “my norm”.
The physicians cannot accept cash from those patients. If they do they will be fined. Second offense means prison. Nice, huh?
Like always, the rate cuts will be waived. The joke is that the CBO figures to calculate the costs of Obamacare had to assume that the cuts were going to made even though everyone knew that they never are implemented.
But there's no death panels!
Most specialists, dental and medical, have waiting lists, and that has nothing to do with Medicare.
Last year, I had to see an endodonist. The earliest appointment I could get was nearly 3 months. Luckily, they had a cancellation the next week, and I got the appointment if I could get to the endodonist's office within a hour (I live 30 miles away). I took the appointment.
Perhaps a few. There remains, however, a general sense of helplessness or “I may not like it, but what can one person do about it” attitude among the populace.
And, of course, that’s just what the arrogant bureaucrats want us to believe. HCAHPS - as currently structured - is the TSA of healthcare.
I’ll be eligible for Medicare next year. What if I don’t sign up and keep my private insurance plan...?
How is this not a blog?
I’ve read a few articles recently that said the same thing they are not accepting new medicare patients think how bad that will get as more people join the program yikes.
“I got the appointment if I could get to the endodonist’s office within a hour (I live 30 miles away). I took the appointment.”
...that happens with me a lot too...luckily, I’m retired and can drop everything and jump in the car....health care professionals all seem so busy these days...you take what you can get...and btw, because I know my face time with the doc is tightly scheduled; I take a list of questions in with me....worse thing in the world is to remember that I forgot to ask him something on the drive home.
I really don’t know about that. What I do know is physicians face prison if they take cash or any form of payment. No wonder many of them are planning on retiring. I know some who are saving every penny they can right now because they will be quitting when the rationing gets worse.
the cuts in Medicare Are already forcing practices to limit the age of new patience. The British medical system for seniors first.
I’m not medicare yet but usually have to wait 6-8 weeks to see my ob/gyn. I opted this last time for the nurse practitioner. Just have to plan ahead.
That doesn't deal with the situation of some doctors and practices not taking Medicare at all. If your doctor is one of those, the decision is much harder.
Your private plan may have something to say about it? Why would they continue that expense if you are elegible for Medicare?
Long delays are not out of the ordinary for state Medicaid patients. That’s been going on for years.
I’m surprized it just now becoming an issue with Medicare.
A doctor (specialist) in the family who is a partner in a huge practice in a southern state said recently that they are dropping Medicare. Their patient base is in the thousands. They simply can’t afford it.
You tell that to the face of a patient with cancer, or diabitis, and a score of diseases that cannot be treated with flower of thistle, etc.
Be thankful you have good health and have the luxury of spouting such drivel. Wrapping it all in superior “Jesus” talk is an embarresment and you should be ashamed.
Nope. With The First Uhh-Umm-Err's approval ratings still in the high 30's, he could roast live kittens on TV and they'd still vote for him because "at least he's not a ... (cue ominous music)... REPUBLICAN or TEA-BAGGER ...."
Yep...this was evident here in Tennessee over 2 years ago when my husband was looking for a new physician after a move. Several doctors here would not accept any new patient on Medicare (even if they had Tri-care), because they were not getting paid.
I would love to see Obama and others who pushed Obamacare get an incurable disease that their platinum health care plan is helpless to address.
I think doctors can do a lot more to sink Ostupidass from running for a 2nd term just by acting like this in anticipation of what will happen to them in a 2nd term
2 years of geezers complainign will hurt a lot
No I don’t. Not unless it is publisized. And that is our job. These folks are going to be too sick, and dying to do it. Obama, and every other communist nation, wants the older citizens to ‘just die already’...because they are the ones who are the witnesses of the truth about society.
>>The physicians cannot accept cash from those patients. If they do they will be fined. Second offense means prison. Nice, huh?<<
Who would know?
It’s just going underground. When I was the Office Manager in a medical office, I was not allowed to tell people we took cash. My doctor didn’t take checks, cash only. Handed over in the office and the payments never hit the books.
Obama and the socialists in Congress need for the older population to die off sooner so that more of their estate assets are left to be taken when they die. They have plans for that money, and they don't appreciate a bunch of old, white folks thinking they're entitled to it just because they earned it.
Many state's have a group that explains insurance choices. In Florida the group is called SHINE... You probably have the equivalent... Be careful with groups that also sell - as they'll push you into something that works for them - rather than for you. I recently heard a horror story about a medical advantage plan... lots of pit falls out there. I'll say a prayer for you.
Be thankful you have good health and have the luxury of spouting such drivel.Good health, that's a joke! I have two auto-immune illnesses, both incurable (or so they say) and I am on disability because of one of them, yet I seem to be finding partial cures through holistic health (because no mainstream doctor has been able to help me thus far). And I did say most, not all. Did you not read that? And I am not ashamed regarding my belief in Jesus and His workings.
Bluntly, if the doc doesn't take Medicare, you're SOL with that doctor. He won't see you in the first place.
True story - my mom (78 years old) has two herniated disks. It took over a month to see a specialist, and now she is having to wait until January 6 for surgery. Meanwhile she is in excruciating pain, flat on her back and cannot do anything except take the pain pills they are giving her - Oxycontin. Very sad to see our health system at this point ...
If you have the money, doctors are setting up private care practices - you'll be a member for a set annual fee plus expenses. Have fun watching your children and grandchildren who can't afford such care to do without... Or you can go broke trying to protect them... This is some democrat's way of giving us 'choice'...
I'm starting to hate democrats.
To bad all that hasn’t taught you to be more thoughtful and compassonate towards others in what you say.
There are a lot of people with chronic medical conditions, some catastrophic and complex, others with conditions that may appear “simple”, but have long term, life changing consequences if not treated.
They see what “national healthcare” means to them, and they are frightened.
A I’m doing great, too bad about you attitude is just wrong.
I once had a very good customer, a physician. I would call him to pay me and he said come by and tell his receptionist and she would. After the first time I knew the drill. She would take a cigar box from under the counter and pay me.
Once I went and she hauled out the cigar box and it was empty. She just shrugged and said “sorry, Some one else beat you to it...... maybe Thursday”
HA! Did you get paid?
I remember my boss taking money out of his wallet for payments.
Yes, he always paid. He was a doctor, not a lawyer. Doctors pay, lawyers are a different story. I didn’t do work for lawyers unless I knew them personally.
It’s going to be difficult to pay cash for a mammogram or a colonoscopy. They are being rationed. The plan is for no mammograms until age 50 and no colonoscopies over the age of 70 and that may change to 65.
Sneaking somebody in at 11pm for a procedure won’t be easy and what physician will risk it with no malpractice insurance. Won’t be impossible though. I know a neurosurgeon who sedated his labrador and did a mylogram at midnight in MGH! Many many years ago.
Death Panels will be next and then people ordered by Big Brother to Hospice Centers instead of getting care. Do you think they will name it The Obama/Reid/Pelosi Auschwitz Center?
I once read an article about a lawyer buying a new house in CA. When the developer found out his chosen profession, he backed out of the deal, saying he refuses to sell homes to lawyers.
The various experts called by the columnist all agreed that the lawyer had no recourse. You cant discriminate based on age, sex, race, and the like, but you sure can on occupation.
Has any disabled veteran younger than 50, been informed that they no longer will be getting medical coverage through the Veterans Administration. i live on disabled military benefits and i do work. But I have service related injuries and I have received a letter telling me that the VA will no longer provide my care and I must take medicare. I did refuse the end of life counseling that was required of being a disabled veteran. Just thought to ask if some others have received this letter. I have a couple of attorney friends and medical doctors whom are trying to get to the bottom of what is going on. No insurance will cover me because of the severity of the injuries rceived while in service.
Here I am preparing for another cervical neck surgery and the appointment is next month. Years ago injured in the Marine Barracks Bombing in Lebanon, I have undergone one cervical vertebrae replaced in May 2010 and now have to have three more replaced. Without the replacement of cervical vertebrae 2-3 I will have to go on a ventilator. What a bunch of BS.
Our backup health plan is to go to Ram I hospital in Chiang Mai, Thailand. It is a “for profit” hospital. Impractical and of no use in critical cases? Yes, but faced with a seven month wait for an internal medicine Dr in USA, we went there and took care of a problem that wouldn’t wait. Now we do go to Thailand every year for several months so our solution is not available to most but we know several people w who live there because of socialized medicine in Europe.
obamacare paid for by cuts & taxes on most vulnerable Veterans, retired Military, disabled & Seniors
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