Health care - administrative incompetence

Emet said:
I'm not happy with the bill, nor what may lie ahead in regards to attempts to repeal or defund. I can only dream it may be improved.

But considering the political climate, I can't imagine how a better bill could have been passed.

But that's just me.
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Dude, "the Democrats" could have pushed a good bill through via reconciliation. Obama sold out to vested interests and TOLD the rest of them not to, and TOLD them to vote for a crap bill.

http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2010/10/05/daschle-interview/

And none of those bastards are telling the truth about what happened, especially Obama. Not like we have a right to complain, either. The PO was dishonest politics from the getgo. Shame on we progressives.
 
Garrison0fMars said:
I don't think you can really improve a turd :P

It depends on what you mean by political climate. If the majority that actually wanted a robust public option actually organized for such an action, rather than being apologetic, I think the "political climate" would be very different, on this issue at least.

As it stands, it's really just a mimic of what Romney did in Massachusetts, and may very well set back the mindset for health reform in the future because people will associate that with all "GUBMINT RUN HEALTHCARE!"
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Well, I appreciate your opinion. I also respect the opinion of Paul Krugman.
 
xjx388 said:
It does not do that.

It only let's you deduct healthcare expenses over 10% of your AGI. This is an increase over what we can currently deduct, but we should be able to deduct much more than that. 50% I say. More, maybe.

It puts more people on Medicaid/Medicare. This is bad. The government has no incentive to fight fraud and abuse. Thus, we have our current system. The private sector has every incentive to reduce waste. Get rid of the government programs, get rid of the waste.
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Yes, it does.

And I'm really having a hard time believing your wife is an MD PCP at this point over the highlighted part. The Fed gov is abusive to an extreme fault prosecuting supposed "abuse and fraud".
How can your wife be a PCP MD and you not know about this?
 
kellyb said:
Yes, it does.

And I'm really having a hard time believing your wife is an MD PCP at this point over the highlighted part. The Fed gov is abusive to an extreme fault prosecuting supposed "abuse and fraud".
How can your wife be a PCP MD and you not know about this?
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Are you in the industry? Do you see what goes on day in day out? It's because we own an FP clinic that we see first hand the fraud and abuse. It's home health, it's DME, it's ambulance, it's imaging and yes, it's doctors. And what is done about it? Oh, you'll see every now and again someone getting raided or shut down, but it's very very rare and doesn't stop the millions being wasted on fraud and abuse. The government simply doesn't have the resources to stop it.

Private insurance companies, who want to make a profit, must put a stop to these thing or else they'll go out of business.
 
kellyb said:
Krugman always agrees with the Wall Street banker arm of the Democratic party. He's not a total hack, but close.
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I don't think we'll do it through some all at once federal measure, probably have to do it state by state, like Canada did. Vermont shalt (maybe) lead the way...
 
xjx388 said:
Are you in the industry? Do you see what goes on day in day out? It's because we own an FP clinic that we see first hand the fraud and abuse. It's home health, it's DME, it's ambulance, it's imaging and yes, it's doctors. And what is done about it? Oh, you'll see every now and again someone getting raided or shut down, but it's very very rare and doesn't stop the millions being wasted on fraud and abuse. The government simply doesn't have the resources to stop it.

Private insurance companies, who want to make a profit, must put a stop to these thing or else they'll go out of business.
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What % of your patients are on Medicare?

Why doesn't private insurance, which covers far more of the population, stop this rampant (according to you) abuse?

Again, I don't know how you don't know about how hard core the federal government is on doctors who might even be APPEARING to spend "too" much gov money on patients.

You are honestly the FIRST MD-associated person I've ever encountered who holds these particular ideas. And I hang out on rightwing MD blogs.
 
xjx388 said:
Are you in the industry? Do you see what goes on day in day out? It's because we own an FP clinic that we see first hand the fraud and abuse. It's home health, it's DME, it's ambulance, it's imaging and yes, it's doctors. And what is done about it? Oh, you'll see every now and again someone getting raided or shut down, but it's very very rare and doesn't stop the millions being wasted on fraud and abuse. The government simply doesn't have the resources to stop it.

Private insurance companies, who want to make a profit, must put a stop to these thing or else they'll go out of business.
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Where's that other conservative? She is apparently actually involved in HC (even though she hasn't stated such.)

This is just unreal. The federal government doesn't prosecute abuse and fraud? Most MDs live in fear of being falsely accused of fraud by the feds! I have never, ever, ever heard a different story from a confirmed MD. Not even left wing MDs.
 
kellyb said:
Where's that other conservative? She is apparently actually involved in HC (even though she hasn't stated such.)

This is just unreal. The federal government doesn't prosecute abuse and fraud? Most MDs live in fear of being falsely accused of fraud by the feds! I have never, ever, ever heard a different story from a confirmed MD. Not even left wing MDs.
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Don't get me wrong. We live in fear of this as well. But doctors are easy targets. It's easy for Medicare to say, "Hey Dr. X, you are charging way too many 99214s. Let's see your records." These kinds of audits happen all the time because it requires little investigation. But doctors are not the problem, for the most part. It's all the ancillary services where the real fraud and abuse lies.
 
kellyb said:
What % of your patients are on Medicare?

Why doesn't private insurance, which covers far more of the population, stop this rampant (according to you) abuse?

Again, I don't know how you don't know about how hard core the federal government is on doctors who might even be APPEARING to spend "too" much gov money on patients.
You are honestly the FIRST MD-associated person I've ever encountered who holds these particular ideas. And I hang out on rightwing MD blogs.
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You think I don't know this?

Again, are you in the industry somehow? If so, I find it amazing that you don't understand the true extent of fraud and abuse in the medical industry. Ask these bloggers you hang out on.
 
xjx388 said:
You think I don't know this?

Again, are you in the industry somehow? If so, I find it amazing that you don't understand the true extent of fraud and abuse in the medical industry. Ask these bloggers you hang out on.
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So now you're just back peddling.

I don't want to violate the forum rules, but let it be know that I Don't Believe You Are Personally Involved In Health Care At All, Even As A Desk Clerk Married To An MD.

No way, no how.
 
xjx388 said:
Don't get me wrong. We live in fear of this as well. But doctors are easy targets. It's easy for Medicare to say, "Hey Dr. X, you are charging way too many 99214s. Let's see your records." These kinds of audits happen all the time because it requires little investigation. But doctors are not the problem, for the most part. It's all the ancillary services where the real fraud and abuse lies.
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You live in fear of the fed gov accusing you of abuse and fraud because you know how common false accusations are, but think a main problem with US health care is abuse and fraud because the US gov doesn't prosecute/has no incentive to prosecute it.

Right, dude.

Whatever.
 
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kellyb said:
You live in fear of the fed gov accusing you of abuse and fraud because you know how common false accusations are, but think a main problem with US heal care is abuse and fraud because the US gov doesn't prosecute/has no incentive to prosecute it.

Right, dude.

Whatever.
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I swear he's either a parody or a troll.
 
xjx388 said:
It does not do that.

It only let's you deduct healthcare expenses over 10% of your AGI. This is an increase over what we can currently deduct, but we should be able to deduct much more than that. 50% I say. More, maybe.

It puts more people on Medicaid/Medicare. This is bad. The government has no incentive to fight fraud and abuse. Thus, we have our current system. The private sector has every incentive to reduce waste. Get rid of the government programs, get rid of the waste.
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I know, I know, you hear all the jokes but honestly, my mom in law was great. A seriously awesome individual. So I'd really rather you didn't refer to her as waste.

The private sector had incentive (profit) to drop her. They did. It's impossible to tell how much the stress and anger of fighting the private sectors paperwork had to do with her death but I believe it contributed. The government also contributed stress but at least it gave her the treatment she'd been paying for.

Here's what gets me. The insurance companies had to change the system in order to get away with ditching waste. They had to lobby for it, hire lawyers, create entire new divisions that do nothing but cut waste like my MIL and her expensive treatment. All that money they spent could have been used to pay for her treatment.

Of course, she's only one person. They've amortized that cost over 1000's of people. That's how business works.
 
Fraud, Abuse, and Waste--sounds like a CEO's compensation package. Can anyone say Halliburton, Enron, BP, Exxon, Goldman Sachs, AIG, and a plethora of Corporations far to numerous to mention.

As long as the Corporations are running the Government and Privatizing anything they can get their grubby little hands on, Fraud, Abuse, and Waste will be the name of the game. Then Right Wing politicians bought and paid for by Right Wing Corporations can point to Government agencies staffed by their Right Wing cronies who are running them into the ground and say "See, Government doesn't work. Told you so. Nyah Nyah..."



As for Paul Krugman, we shouldn't be too hard on him. He's the only US Economist to sound the alarm of the Death of Keynesian Economics. He was the only one brave enough to get on National Television and say that the Stimulus package was nowhere near big enough to stimulate a flea. He was the only one to call the Obama Administration on it's continuation of Bush Economic Policies.

He's the only US Economist brave enough to suggest raising taxes on the wealthy. He was the only one to express doubts about bailing out the banks that screwed us. He's the only one to suggest that maybe the US government should be bailing out Main St and Homeowners as well. He was the only one that said maybe the people (Tim Geithner and Gang) who helped destroy the economy weren't the best people to put in charge of "Cleaning Up" the mess (they're cleaning up all right, all the way to the bank).

He's no Lefty, but I'll take Krugman's brand of economics over the Right Wing Friedman economics deal we've been getting the last 30 years.

GB
 
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I don't have a problem with Krugman (though he's too apologetic to the Democrats for my taste oftentimes), but I find his analysis of the PPACA to be rather misguided.
 
Garrison0fMars said:
I don't have a problem with Krugman (though he's too apologetic to the Democrats for my taste oftentimes), but I find his analysis of the PPACA to be rather misguided.
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Well, he's an old fashioned Centrist, before the Centre was moved from the 50 yard line to the 20 yard line at the Right end of the field (which makes him a raging Liberal nowadays). Can't expect him to be a full on Lefty when he's not. I'm pragmatic that way. ;)


GB
 
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