And more, towards the end of the article — the law has many pilot programs and one “promising” approach is to eliminate “fee for service” and pay doctors “to coordinate care for a fixed sum”.
You know what that means — if you have a chronic illness or need tests to diagnose what you have you won’t get it, since the incentive for doctors will be to NOT treat you.
“Congress might have little choice in coming years but to accede to unpopular limits on payments for doctors, hospitals and other health care providers of the kind that lawmakers have ignored in the past. The board would give them political cover to do so.”
There you have it, the NY Times endorsing the establishment of the Death Panels.
Wish we could bring about the Grey Lady’s demise.....
“Fee for service” means an end to private practice. Doctors will become employees of hospitals who will basically become a GSE.
There will be no ‘incentive’ to do any more than necessary to keep the patient comfortable. Doctors clamouring for this provision can treat according to protocol, guilt free.
The Cuban model looks very successful to these people— “We ain’t got that treatment, so how can you have it?”
Now I live in the South, and we seem to be a bit more clear-thinking down here, but I don’t know ONE doctor who supports this bill, and I know a bunch of docs.
This is crazy!