Obamacare Leaves Doctors On the Hook for Deadbeats

reason.com ^ | November 9,2013 | Tori Richards

[cableguymn]

it’s no sample. It’s the whole tank full.

[House Atreides]

“...Uninsured medical bills are typically repaid at 3 to 7 percent currently....”
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I think that more and more doctors (and some hospitals) are REQUIRING that insured patients pay the co-pay and deductible in advance of the office visit or procedure—for all but emergency treatment. At least the smart ones are. And more and more doctors are not taking the non-insured unless they pay in advance. The first time that happened to me (paying my copay in advance for a procedure I’m having tomorrow) I was a little irritated. But after thinking it over for a few minutes, I think it’s a great idea. It will lower the cost overtime by eliminating the need for paying customers to, in essense, subsidize the non-paying customers.

[freerepublicchat]

Medicare is responsible for throwing things out of whack in the first place.

The government subsidized medical care for seniors, driving up prices and forcing the young and middle aged out of the market. Now Obamacare comes along trying to fix the problem the government created, making things worse.

[Caipirabob]

So we only have to pay for 9 months of coverage and re-register with the gestapo?

[Wuli]

EVERYTHING about Obamacare is not about the pluses and minuses of anything the regulators dish out; IT’S ALL about unquenchible, unwaving federal dictat through “regulation” and that NO ONE, not even Congress can question a lot of it because a lot of it is removed from Congressional oversight MINUS Congress excising many of the regulatory bodies that Obamacare establishes and/or writes whole swaths of regulation legislatively in legislation that nullfies independent authorty to many Obancare bodies.

[logic101.net]

Best observation I’ve read in a long time.

Actually not mine; caller to Rush.

[lavaroise]

i was being sarcastic and forgot the disclaimer.

[ApplegateRanch]

Plus, if you dump 30 million folks into a system without increasing the capacity of that system it will lead to huge problems.

That is a red herring, because we're dumping 50 million out of the system, which more than makes up for it.

Of course, those 50 million were basically responsible people, with decent coverage, who paid their premiums and bill; but you can't have everything!

[JediJones]

Sixth, the FDA, for the first time in history, has begun to revoke approval of already-existing drugs because of their cost.

This is why the U.S. has "high health care costs" compared to some other countries. In countries like the U.K. with nationalized health care, they refuse to approve drugs that are "not cost-effective" even if they work perfectly. Yet the libs keep telling you socialized medicine doesn't stifle innovation...

[JediJones]

Krusty Burger is now IRS Burger, and Homer orders lunch...

Homer: Lesse, I’ll have four tax burgers, one IRS-wich, withhold the lettuce, four dependent-sized sodas, and a FICA-ccino.

Kid: Fill out schedule B. You should receive your burgers in six to eight weeks.

[Vermont Lt]

Actually, it’s not. Here in MA the addition of “insured” folks over the existing population has caused a huge shortage of Doctors. In some rural areas of the Berkshires the wait for a standard Dr appointment (non-emergency) has stretched out to close to 300 days.

The inability of many newly insured to pay their deductible and co-pays, a one time “tax” was applied to profitable hospitals to be provided to the community health hospitals to the tune of a one time hit of $60million, and a longer term target of $200 million.

So, anyone that tells you we won’t have a doctor shortage, with a long term goal of a single payer system is pulling your leg.

Look up “Distressed Community Hospital Funds in Mass.”