Well, here we are again. And still even though I am a farmers wife and very proud of our farm and all we do for agriculture, all I can think to write about is how current government issues are affecting my patients and patients in my hometown.
I have a family member who has both medicare and tricare (both of which are being affected by current government proposed cuts in medicare spending i.e. the SGR issue that I keep harping on) who drove 2 hrs to see a well know and highly respected specialist in their field about a medical issue that is very serious to them. Once they got there they waited patiently to see this doctor who came into the room upset over the recent SGR issues in Congress and according to my family member took it out on them. The doctor did a good history and physical and told the patient what they needed but that they could not do it cause they had medicare and due to the 21% pay cut they could not make enough on them to even pay their malpractice. My family member, very upset at this point, cause despite my interest in Congresses debates over Medicare they had not taken an interest in this issue - after all why should they - it had not been on CNN, just wanted the doctor to take care of them. Then when the patient ask what they were supposed to do - the doctor said he did not know - he guessed they were just out of luck.
Needless to say my family member is now very interested in the SGR debate in Congress.
But why did it take a person insult to get one interested in this issue? Why is it not NATIONAL headlines that Millions of American Seniors and Disabled patients are risking their access to health care if Congress continues to debate whether or not Medicare and physicians are a group are worth paying?
Its all over the Internet and twitter about the fraudulent abuse of health care dollars and medical mismanagement of doctors - and I am sure that there are a few bad apples in the mix - Hell, I'll even go that there are several, but I know where there is more- Politics. Most doctors I know are honest hard working people that give and give of themselves to help their patients. We don't abuse the system cause we can barely get needed test paid for anymore. I spend more time on the phone and doing paperwork begging for approval of test, medicine and procedures then I get to actual practice medicine some weeks. Since when do I need an insurance company flunky to tell me how to practice medicine - and has all of the PA procedures actually made any difference in health care cost?
I have said it before and I'll keep saying it - If you want to fix health care in this country... Spend your money to get doctors interested in primary care and then actually pay them to do their jobs. Pay for prevention and then encourage patients to actually go and get preventative test done. Encourage Decreased spending on procedures and test - Congress needs to understand that they will get more bang for their health care buck by paying to educate the diabetic about their disease then in paying for the dialysis later.
Wake up American... Call Congress - Yes we need Health care reform but not Obama's way - you do not want state paid for abortions and a board of health telling you as a patient what procedure's you do and don't qualify for...
Lets not all end up like my family Member. Why oh why are are we in this mess?
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