Posted on 11/24/2012 8:49:23 AM PST by SeekAndFind
Obama won, Obamacare is the law, and, as my wife says, I will just have to learn to dance to a new song.
Now, don’t get me wrong, Obamacare is awful. Forget all the “free stuff” it provides. Children covered on their parents’ plan until 26 years of age? A scam, making young adults — excuse me, children — pay for complete, comprehensive health insurance when all they need and should pay for is major catastrophe insurance. Then there is the “annual ” or “preventative” exam, which according to Obamacare is “free.”
You gotta love this stuff. I wish I had the chutzpah of the people who wrote Obamacare. What they did not tell you, and I am, is that it covers absolutely nothing more than the bare minimum.
I have now posted a notice in my office and each exam room stating exactly what Obamacare will cover for those yearly visits. Remember Obama promised this as a free exam — no co-pay, no deductible, no charge. That’s fine and dandy if you are healthy and have no complaints. However, we are obligated by law to code specifically for the reason of the visit. An annual exam is one specific code; you can not mix this with another code, say, for rectal bleeding. This annual visit covers the exam and “discussion about the status of previously diagnosed stable conditions.” That’s the exact wording under that code — insurance will not cover any new ailment under that code.
If you are here for that annual exam, you will not be covered if you want to discuss any new ailment or unstable condition. I cannot bait and switch to another code — that’s illegal. We, the physicians, are audited all the time and can lose our license for insurance fraud.
You, the patient, will then have to make a decision.
Do you want your “free” yearly exam, or do you want to pay for a visit which is coded for a particular, new problem? You can have my “free” exam if you only discuss what Obamacare wants me to discuss.
This happened to me personally, as a patient, when I went for my physical. It is the law. If you are complaining of a new problem, then you have to reschedule, since Obamacare is very clear as to what is covered and what is not. Obamacare — intentionally — makes it as difficult to be seen and taken care of as possible.
Patients can be very tricky. I have had patients make an “annual” exam, only to want to discuss and be treated for another ailment. I can’t do it.
I can hear the complaints from you guys already — I become the bad guy. “Why don’t you just take care of the problem, and not bill out any different code? You’re a rich doctor, and we are entitled to free stuff.”
It doesn’t work that way. First, doctors are not rich and, like most of you, actually work terribly hard for a living. Second, Obamacare is the law — and as I said earlier, we are audited all the time now.
Also — I don’t ask for free gas when I go to the gas station, or ask for free food from the supermarket. Additionally, Obamacare has a 23% cut in Medicare reimbursement to doctors and hospitals.
These lower payments won’t cover the cost of staying in practice to take care of the patient.
Private doctors are becoming a thing of the past. By 2014, less than 25% of physicians will be in private medicine. Obama was right in stating you can keep your doctor if you want to — the problem is he or she will rarely be available.
On top of all of that, doctors will be obligated — that’s right, obligated — to talk to you about things you may have no interest or need to talk about.
You may just want to have a pap smear or check your cholesterol. However, I am now mandated by the government to talk to you about your weight, exercise, family life, smoking, sexual abuse(!), and even to ask if you wear seat belts. And I am mandated to record your answers.
I am a physician. But I need to tell you to wear a seat belt and then record your answer.
I have received interesting responses from my patients since I put up the notice. Almost all are supportive and totally understand. The very few who complain? The same patients who always ask for free samples, who always complain that we do not validate parking. These are also the same patients who call my office and ask for free samples even when they are not even being seen.
Obamacare and its 2,000-plus pages are here to stay. I will still give my patients 100% of my time, energy, and knowledge. I still love being a doctor — my patients’ doctor. I will, however, abide by the law and follow it to the letter. I will have to learn this new dance. “Free” has its price.
Does anyone in FReerland know whether or not doctors are mandated to ask patients about their ownership of firearms?
How is ownership of firearms related to requiring a colonoscopy?
If they do, my response will be "I don't talk about that. I don't want to spoil the surprise."
My doctor’s office already does ask about ownership of firearms.
No one in their right mind will sign up to be a doctor from about last year through the unforseeable future.
Taking care of oneself will be primary. The obese will be under the bus- they’re there already, they just don’t know it.
Doctors should have been way out in front on this and this article is four years late.
But the AMA is a pro abortion group. Always has been. That’s against the Hip. Oath.
They sold their souls to this and the future of medicine as it was in the U.S. was over on Nov 6th.
They have only themselves to blame.
We are on our own.
Prevention, diet, wound treatment, antibiotic treatment, exercise, knowledge of disease symptoms and treatment etc. Get with the program.
This MD is just whining.
:: I have now posted a notice in my office and each exam room stating exactly what Obamacare will cover ::
Read the comments and no, I arnt kitting meself.
Is there a link to Dr. Weiss’ notice, as posted? That would be instructive, I think.
LOL
I have a great doc. When I come in to see him, (maybe once a year), he asks me how I’m doing, checks everything up and then sends me on my way. If the law prevents him from being a better doctor, he just does what he should be doing.
Ah, but “health” is whatever your new owners think “health” is about. It doesn’t matter if our kids want to be checked for strep throat; they are our kids and will get the medical tests we say they will get.
Now we have a new mama, and she alone will decide what “health” issues we see a doctor for.
That’s what Obamacare is about.
Every time I read something like this, I am astounded by how awesome my doctor is.
:: No one in their right mind will sign up to be a doctor from about last year through the unforeseeable future. ::
Unfortunately, I believe this plays right into the hand held by the (ObamaZombie) collectivists.
Not enough doctors? Okay, lets mandate a lowering of standards such that more “deserving” students can play doctor.
That also serves the redistribution plan because now these pseudo-doctors can make a “living wage” just like all those successful doctors that graduated at higher standards (and left the profession in disgust!)
Pediatric doctors sure as hell do it!
Coming soon, obligated to ask if you are a gun owner - some pediatricians already do, though they are not yet mandated to do so.
Silly question....ever hear of the silver bullet?
Vladimir Lenin said it best: "The key to Marxism is medicine."
I don’t know if it’s a new law or just some new recommended standard, but it is on all the forms at ob/gyn and pediatricians these days.
Seems to be inescapable. I write nunya in the space.
RE: Silly question....ever hear of the silver bullet?
Only as it applies to Were wolves, but not colonoscopies...
This 2700 page "thing" was written by morons, supported by morons, passed by morons and signed by a moron....so what could go wrong here?
...it may take a few months and a lot of anguish, gnashing of teeth and further wasting of money to find the solution, but its there...staring everybody in the face.
When this "trap door" is found, the regime will quickly move to close it, but hey, this ain't 2009-2010...the regime doesn't have us by the short hairs anymore...the "door" will be impossible to close....(unless, of course, our fearless Speaker doesn't throw us under the bus like our fearless CJ did)
...but, sigh....this may be the ramblings and dreams of an old man, just wishing...and hoping that my grandchildren's life will be better than mine, and my life has been good...
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