Doctors Join Limbaugh Case

Insight Magazine ^ | 01-23-04 | Les Kjos

[Always Right]

"We're concerned about the doctor-shopping law," Orient said. "It's called getting a second opinion." She said refraining from telling the second doctor what the first doctor said only helps ensure an unbiased opinion.

I understand what they were trying to do with the law, but they lowered the bar so low that someone who shops for a second opinion could be unknowingly committing a felony.

[Glenn]

I'm all for keeping the government out of my medical records. Now if I only knew who else had access to them via my insurance provider.

[aegiscg47]

When I was driving in to work this morning there was a report on the CBS news that Rush's attorney was involved in some kind of plea bargain and the prosecutors rejected it because they want Rush to plead guilty to a felony. Has anyone else heard anything about this?

[Sacajaweau]

btt

[Mamzelle]

DOCS--don't involve yourselves with celebrities; don't take them as patients. It's always a loser.

[veronica]

Prosecutors refuse rehab deal for Limbaugh, insist on guilty plea

Creeps. OBVIOUSLY they are after Rush in a very unfair fashion.

[veronica]

Rush doesn't have the right to expect health care from a physician because he happens to be famous?

[Catspaw]

The story is in the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel and on CNN:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-prush23jan23,0,6767877.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines

[Prodigal Son]

I still haven't figured out what business it is of the State which pills Mr Limbaugh takes.

[NC28203]

You can get a second opinion, you just can't get a second prescription.

[Mamzelle]

If a doc can get out of treating a celeb, he really ought to, for his own safety. Even when things go right, they end up in hot water. Celebs can walk into any ER in the US, and the attendings better get on the phone and find out who the treating physician is.

Celebritiies think they're little gods. Unfortunatey, there don't seem to be exceptions. Could I tell you stories...like a famous preacher who expected helicopter service every time he needed to go to the doctor...

A celebrity's rights? I guess he'll have to look harder for a doc. We all have to worry about our medical care these days and where we're going to get it--guess I don't feel too sorry for the celebs. At worst, they could go overseas.

[Wolfie]

If at first you don't succeed, prosecute, prosecute again.

New Charges Pile Up On Pain Doc

[veronica]

Rush does not think he's a "little God." That's absurd. Why should someone be penalized because they are successful and in the process they become famous??

Are you saying that Bob Hope, for instance, should not have been able to find a physician and should have been forced to go overseas to get a check-up??

[Hildy]

The State doesn't care which drugs you take, the care how many you take.

[Arrowhead1952]

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) also had joined the case on Limbaugh's behalf.

ACLU - on Limbaugh's behalf!

I never thought I'd see those words in the same sentence. I am speechless.

[Prodigal Son]

Ok. I still haven't figured out what business it is of the State how many pills Mr Limbaugh takes.

[Always Right]

You can get a second opinion, you just can't get a second prescription.

Within 30 days. How many blue-haired ladies know that? It is quite possible somebody would get an alternative prescription from a second doctor a week after the first and decide to go with the new one instead. This law is written so a normal practice turns into a felony. It's a bad law. The law was written to make it easy to get a prosecution and relied that prosecutors would use good judgement in applying the law. And the only way to find out if the law was broken is to not only get the medical records, but to know what the patient and doctor discussed. There is no law violation if other prescriptions were disclosed, but how do you know what the patient told the doctor. The law is bad.

[Mamzelle]

An interesting story, I suppose...was there some particular reason you posted it to me?

Looks like a pusher is getting his from the details in the story, but beware the quelling effect this will have on honest physicians may well come to bite you.

Pain treatment in the past forty years or so goes in waves of caution on the part of prescribers. Docs get accused of pushing, then your pain will go untreated as docs are scared of being accused of pushing. They get accused of being heartless, then start prescribing more aggressively again. Back and forth. May your intractable pain not get caught in the cautious stages...

Pain meds carry risk, that's the real truth. Pain is a bad thing that docs want to treat; the risk can be managed, but it'll always be there.

[veronica]

It's very obvious the prosecutor is after Rush for political reasons. Too bad Jeb can't fire the guy.