Posted on 06/27/2011 10:42:20 AM PDT by CitizenM
Secret shoppers arent anything new. Retail stores use them regularly to gather customer service data. But what happens when the government uses them to check up on doctors across the country? Is that going too far? Thats exactly whats about to happen to over 4,000 doctors in nine states.
The New York Times reports that 4,185 doctors in Florida, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia 465 in each state will be getting stealth calls from people posing as potential patients. The point is to see if doctors are discriminating against those with government care such as Medicare, and to decipher how long wait times are.
Access to primary care is a priority for the administration, Health and Human Services spokesman Christian J. Stenrud told the Times. This study is an effort to better understand the problem and make sure we are doing everything we can to support primary care physicians, especially in communities where the need is greatest.
But plenty of doctors dont see this as a friendly phone call as much as a government encroachment. Or, worse, Big Brother.
I dont like the idea of the government snooping, Dr. Raymond Scalettar, an internist in Washington, told the Times. Its a pernicious practice Big Brother tactics, which should be opposed.
And that seems to be the consensus of those physicians interviewed by the Times:
You MUST Read more at link, including the comments.
First we had the new govt. mandate insisting that cigarette manufacturers place horrid pictures on cigarette packs. Then, we hear about the TSA finding it appropriate to have a dying old lady remove her Depends and continue her flight sans underwear. Now they are infiltrating our doctors' offices to spy on how the docs run their practice. And,continually, there is the hypocrite, Michelle, telling us how to eat and forcing schools to serve carrots and broccoli instead of pizza...while she munches on french fries and ice cream at every outing. Watch out, Americans. They are coming soon to your business and your homes. They will tell you what you must do; how you must raise your children; and what you cannot do.
Know what I mean?
From the Department of Irony........I wonder how many of the doctors who are so upset about this believe that it’s just peachy-keen for doctors to snoop on gun owners?
The Thought Police have arrived.
And how many slots will this take away from someone who really needs an appointment?
No, they will raise your children for you.
Obama: “We can not continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we’ve set. We’ve got to have a civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well funded.”
“The point is to see if doctors are discriminating against those with government care such as Medicare”
I don’t remember where any doctors are forced to take Medicare patients(YET). What do they mean “discriminate”?
Eventually, all of them. No doctors, no slots.
How would you like to be a federal employee and have to seek a freedom loving doctors help?
Sting the farmers who sell unpasteurized milk. Sting the doctors. Sting the realtors and property managers. Sting the gun shops. Sting those traveling with "a lot" of cash.
Don't sting the employers who employ illegals. Don't sting welfare and food stamp recipients. Don't sting crooked politicians.
Welcome to 21st century America.
Makes you afraid of your own shadow, and I think that is the entire point.
TSA!!!!
And where are the republican politicians on all of these issues you posted?
As for the “shoppers”, I wonder “who” will be hired to do it? Probably someone who is automatically descriminated against.
I went to a doctor's office some years ago ... maybe 8 or 9 years ago for a relatively innocuous condition and I sat down to fill in the 4 or 5 page 'booklet' that was to be my intake data sheet.
I walked out after x'ing every answer yes/no/maybe etc. (not a blank block in the booklet)
do you have trouble getting erections?
do you own guns?
how many?
Do you often feel angry?
against whom?
wife/husband?
boss?
children?
And etc., etc.
“TSA!!!!”
Exactly. They’ve already admitted they’ve conducted around 8,000 “non-airport” activities outside of the airport. The new Gestapo.
All in keeping with Obama’s “report something fishy” theme.
Mystery shopper: Hi, my name is Alexis Jackson, and Im calling to schedule the next available appointment with Dr. Michael Krane. I am a new patient with a P.P.O. from Aetna. I just moved to the area and dont yet have a primary doctor, but I need to be seen as soon as possible.
Doctors office: What type of problem are you experiencing?
Mystery shopper: Ive had a cough for the last two weeks, and now Im running a fever. Ive been coughing up thick greenish mucus that has some blood in it, and Im a little short of breath.
Most offices will get two calls, one pretending to be from someone with private insurance and one from someone pretending to have government care. Still other offices will get a third call from government officials who will ask whether the doctors accept private insurance, Medicaid or Medicare, and whether they take self-pay patients in an attempt to note any discrepancies.
Doctors are simply going to have to get tough and take no new patients without a recommendation from an current trust-able patient, and instruct the callers to go to the nearest emergency room.
For doctors to win and avoid slavery, they must be willing to go Galt.
Shades of the Nazi practice of using civilians and children to patrol the populace. It IS happening now and here. The revolution is boiling just below the surface while our freedoms are being burned away by the Socialist/Marxist/Communist loving politicians and this administration.
And if the govt takes away their license, what then?
Scratch any socialist and you will find a fascist. To enforce socialism, you need government spies in every facet of life. To achieve the socialist ideal you have to put a wall around the country, nobody gets in, nobody gets out.
Have a conversation with a socialist, this is exactly where the conversation goes. It has to or socialism fails.
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