Mayo Says: Hold The Medicare

IBD's Capital Hill ^ | 12/31/2009 | Ed Carson

[Slyscribe]

The Mayo Clinic will stop accepting Medicare patients at one of its primary care clinics in Arizona. Why? The government doesn’t pay enough: [snip] This is nothing compared to what might happen under Democratic health overhaul plans, which would slash Medicare spending by nearly $500 billion over 10 years.

[hennie pennie]

*bookmark*

[darkwing104]

Signs of things to come.

[johniegrad]

It will be interesting to see how the government tries to retaliate.

[perfect_rovian_storm]

Operator: Excuse me, Captain Oveur, but I have an emergency call on line 5 from a Mr. Hamm.
Captain Oveur: Alright, give me a Hamm on 5, hold the Mayo.

[Young Werther]

The Democrats are implmenting a new strategy. They were the "tax and spend" party. Now they are the tax and don't spend for the reason the tax was levied. I've paid social security and medicare "taxes" for the past 48 years. LBJ "borrowed the social security cash for financing the Viet Nam War and now we are running out of funds for my retirement. Medicare was an additonal levy to pay for my senior health care needs. They are now "reduce" Medicare payments to fund ABORTIONS!

They are consistently WRONG! We need to kick them out!

[TruthConquers]

The only Uncle I have in Canada that has the money, went to the Mayo clinic years ago and it saved his life.

Canadians will be just as screwed as Americans will be very soon.

[Blood of Tyrants]

The Rats have a solution to this: just make a law FORCING them to accept whatever the government decides to give them.

[Leisler]

Practicing Medicine is a Privilege, not a right.

Failure to obey dictatorial commands can and will result in loss of medical license, fines and or prison time.

( give it about 6 months )

[Abby4116]

I thought (and I may be wrong about this) that everyone over 65 MUST sign up for Medicare. You can have a supplemental plan, but Medicare is a must.

Does this mean that this Mayo facility will not be treating those over 65 unless they pay for the visit out of pocket?

[Praxeologue]

I read the article. As a Canadian, I don’t understand something. Couldn’t a patient use Medicare and then top it up with an additional cash payment to satisfy Mayo’s requirements? Or is that not allowed under the Medicare program?

[johniegrad]

We are not that far away from your suggestions right now.

The Mayo Clinic has one significant advantage that no other medical group has, the size of their foundation.

They can basically lose money on the practice of medicine and still come out on top.

However, watch the government try to start taxing foundations. There has already been some discussion about it concerning large university endowments.

[Arizona Carolyn]

I bet it is that huge cut in cardiology reimbursements that takes place tomorrow.

[goodnesswins]

VOTES have CONSEQUENCES.....

[Leisler]

There is no Bill of Rights to practice medicine. ( Left think )

[OregonRancher]

Right on both counts.

[Flint]

Just because you have to sign up doesn't mean you have to use it.

You don't like Medicare then get another policy and use it.

[Right Wing Assault]

see how the government tries to retaliate

Nationalize the hospitals, draft all the doctors into the military. Do it by presidential decree. Most people won't say a thing.

[Brugmansian]

Huge story. This needs to be splashed everywhere. Democrats can pass a trillion dollar stimulus, they can bail out Goldman Sachs but they can't fund Medicare. This is a killer political issue. Its not just those who are on Medicare who are affected. Lots of kids have adjusted their lives and finances to use the current system for their parents. Lots of kids pay a lot for their parents even with Medicare. Now they and their parents are going to get hit with more.

If a Republican congress had done this, it would be wiped out the next election.

[darkwing104]

Couldn’t a patient use Medicare and then top it up with an additional cash payment to satisfy Mayo’s requirements? Or is that not allowed under the Medicare program?

The patient can get supplemental Insurance. The problem is that far too many Americans have adopted an entitlement mentality...They expect to get everything for free and they vote to get more freebies. Too many people have made a career of living off of the dole.

The taxpayers are getting to the point where we can no longer support them. It's become a way of life for so many able bodied people. Also, the Medical Professionals need to make a living also. Hard work should be rewarded.

You can only do so much charity work before you yourself becomes a Charity Case.