Posted on 08/14/2009 11:04:11 AM PDT by DogBarkTree
CHICAGO—The American College of Surgeons is deeply disturbed over the uninformed public comments President Obama continues to make about the high-quality care provided by surgeons in the United States. When the President makes statements that are incorrect or not based in fact, we think he does a disservice to the American people at a time when they want clear, understandable facts about health care reform. We want to set the record straight.
Yesterday during a town hall meeting, President Obama got his facts completely wrong. He stated that a surgeon gets paid $50,000 for a leg amputation when, in fact, Medicare pays a surgeon between $740 and $1,140 for a leg amputation. This payment also includes the evaluation of the patient on the day of the operation plus patient follow-up care that is provided for 90 days after the operation. Private insurers pay some variation of the Medicare reimbursement for this service.
Three weeks ago, the President suggested that a surgeon’s decision to remove a child’s tonsils is based on the desire to make a lot of money. That remark was ill-informed and dangerous, and we were dismayed by this characterization of the work surgeons do. Surgeons make decisions about recommending operations based on what’s right for the patient.
(Excerpt) Read more at facs.org ...
Wait, aren’t these the guys who BO says are going to rip out our tonsils and cut off our feet just to make a buck?
You watch is lips, and when they move, he's lying.
Notify the White House that the Leader’s fables are being disputed.
Who are you gonna believe, a bunch of people with medical degrees or a genuine Community Organizer? The guy went to Harvard, f’Petessake! They must be racists.
Sycophant.
Good for the ACS! (Chicago-based, by the way) ... Obama — who has absolutely no work experience in anything but “community organizing” and Chicago politics — continues to parade himself as an expert on everything from the auto industry to surgery. What incredible hubris!
Obama’s tonsillectomy argument made a negative amount of sense. The general practitioner (or pediatrician for children) will recommend a tonsillectomy for a patient who doesn’t respond to other treatments. Financially it makes more sense for the GP to keep the patient coming back every few weeks for more antibiotics instead of ending the cash flow with surgery. It’s like the mechanic you’ve been bringing your clunker to regularly telling you it is time to buy a new car, even though he will lose the repair business.
These doctors just aren’t liberal enough.
If you are liberal/radical/Marxist, you have a different world view than other people. The liberal radical view is that health care costs too much, because : doctors make too much money, hospitals make too much, health insurance companies make too much, pharmaceutical companies make too much, etc. And along with that reasoning goes the idea that everyone in healthcare charges way too much for their services.
don’t confuse the president with the facts. He “knows” that doctors want to do unneeded surgeries to make more money. This ongoing healthcare “debate” we’re having in this country won’t change Barack’s opinions.
Why is Hillary Clinton in Africa at a time when we’re debating healthcare so intensely? She has been front and center in previous healthcare reform efforts. She’s been an advocate for all of this. Why isn’t she at these town halls lecturing people that she is the Sec. of State, not her husband? Why hide her in Africa???????
Dumbest. President. Ever.
This sounds like a fishy rumor to me. It should be reported to flag@whitehouse.gov
If Obama had a lick of common sense, that statement from ACS would leave a big mark...my wife is a general surgeon who was appalled by Obama’s statements.
So if the surgeons aren’t going to make the decision when to remove my child’s tonsils, who will?
The most dangerous part of ObamaCare would be the federal governments ability to fix a price for a service (and make illegal to charge or pay more).
Price fixing never works; it creates shortages and poor quality, as there is no incentive to supply above the bottom.
Think Carter gas lines, but for medical care.
We need a second opinion. Has Roxana Mayer given her statement yet?
The IRS will be paying this terrorist organization a visit.
Sarah Palin just posted this over at her Facebook page.
"Experts" ABC News contacted agreed that anyone not buying the party line is a member of a hate group - and they are forwarding addresses. Charlie Gibsom was overhead saying, "the college os Surgeons was putting out some fishy rumors...."
www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2311664/posts
Members of hate groups will have their email addresses collected. And they will be "watched" by Janet Napolitano ...
The brown shirts are not going to put up with surgeons...
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