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The Doctor Won’t See You Now - American health care is in a bureaucratic death grip. (Mark Steyn)
National Review Online ^ | Dec 14, 2012 | Mark Steyn

Posted on 12/15/2012 4:14:00 PM PST by neverdem

A few years ago, my small local hospital asked a Senate staffer if she could assist them in obtaining federal money for a new building. So she did, expediting the process by which that particular corner of northern New Hampshire was deemed to be “under-served” and thus eligible for the fed gravy. At the ribbon-cutting, she was an honored guest, and they were abundant in their praise. Alas, in the fullness of time, the political pendulum swung, her senator departed the scene, and she was obliged to take a job out of state.

Last summer, she returned to the old neighborhood and thought she’d look for a doctor. The sweet old guy with the tweed jacket in the neatly painted cape on Main Street had taken down his shingle and retired. Most towns in the North Country now have fewer doctors than they did in the 19th century, and the smaller towns have none. The Yellow Pages lists more health insurers than physicians, which would not seem to be an obvious business model. So she wound up going to the health center she’d endowed so lavishly with your tax dollars just a few years earlier...

(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial; Political Humor/Cartoons
KEYWORDS: marksteyn; obamacare; steyn
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To: RobbyS

I suspect the best and brightest will set up ops in the Caribbean, out of US govt control but easily accessed.
Thank God I’ve got enough money to get there and pay myself.


21 posted on 12/15/2012 6:27:59 PM PST by nascarnation (Baraq's economic policy: trickle up poverty)
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To: HiTech RedNeck

I was amazed at the utter blindness of those who actually thought that “The Affordable Health Care Act” actually had some reason to be named that. Many seemed to believe that it would mean free health care for all and were astounded when I told them that it would require anyone who did not have employer furnished coverage to buy health insurance and there would be penalties for those who did not. I also told them that if this monstrosity passed and survived to be put into effect that it would in fact mean no real health care for anyone except a few at the very top with everyone else having to pay in one way or another for something they would most certainly not receive. They thought I was as crazy as an outhouse mouse! I wonder if they will ever remember what I told them when they are waiting a year to see some nurse practitioner with an unpronounceable name who speaks with an incomprehensible accent and prescribes some drug they cannot get and which probably would do them no good if they did.

I think I will see if I can find an old mountain woman who still knows the old home remedies. I certainly won’t get any help from the so called “MAINSTREAM MEDICINE” practitioners.


22 posted on 12/15/2012 6:36:18 PM PST by RipSawyer (I was born on Earth, what planet is this?)
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To: HiTech RedNeck

“Single payer or not, it is so not going to work.”
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Oh, it’ll work alright! It will accomplish at least one of the goals on the Georgia Guidestones, you know the one about reducing the population?


23 posted on 12/15/2012 6:40:55 PM PST by RipSawyer (I was born on Earth, what planet is this?)
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To: RipSawyer

Well said. Bravo.


24 posted on 12/15/2012 6:40:58 PM PST by listenhillary (Courts, law enforcement, roads and national defense should be the extent of government)
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To: RobbyS

” We will soon be like Britain: you get the NHS, or if you have enough money, your own private doctor. “

Not *JUST* if you have enough money. You ALSO need to get *permission* from the NHS to do that - I heard recently.

(probably greasing palms will work - ok for those with $)


25 posted on 12/15/2012 6:49:12 PM PST by PraiseTheLord (economic civil war ?)
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To: Buckeye McFrog
. It's meant to drive all private insurers out of business though before it collapses. Hello, Single Payer.

That's nonsense! Eyewash! Balderdash! Sparky Barky himself told us we could keep our own healthcare insurance if we wanted to! So there!

"Health care is the keystone of the arch of Soviet power." -- V.I. Lenin

26 posted on 12/15/2012 6:53:49 PM PST by lentulusgracchus
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To: Salman

Similar, yes, but they are serious as a heart attack about it. You need it for everything.


27 posted on 12/15/2012 7:06:40 PM PST by riri (Plannedopolis-look it up. It's how the elites plan for US to live.)
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To: Marcella

Our family doc quit to take a job with a veterans group-—but I’m sure he just wanted out of the regulation that’s coming.


28 posted on 12/15/2012 7:35:09 PM PST by LS ('Castles made of sand, fall in the sea . . . eventually.' Hendrix)
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To: LS

“but I’m sure he just wanted out of the regulation that’s coming.”

Yes, I think doctos are leaving private practice and going with groups so whoever runs the group can do all the paperwork. We have entered a new world of crap in many parts of our lives.


29 posted on 12/15/2012 7:40:14 PM PST by Marcella (Prepping can save your life today. Galt is freedom.)
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To: neverdem

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops STILL supports Obamacare. The Pope has been sceptical of national bishops’ conferences for decades. He needs to be besieged with letters begging him to abolish them—or at least OURS. This evil, anti-Catholic, pro-totalitarian organization needs to be SHUT DOWN.


30 posted on 12/15/2012 8:20:17 PM PST by Arthur McGowan (If you're FOR sticking scissors in a baby girl's neck and sucking out her brains, you are PRO-WOMAN!)
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To: LS
Our family doc quit to take a job with a veterans group...ours quit to work for an urgent care center with regular hours and set income in North Carolina - and a couple of years later we learned he was working as an oil well physician in Saudi Arabia, paid big dollars by some shiek - but then he apparently never did much like being a physician - his mother told my wife he was always berating her and his father (also a doctor) for encouraging him to go into medicine - wished he had gone into computers instead.......
31 posted on 12/15/2012 9:35:28 PM PST by Intolerant in NJ
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To: neverdem

For ninety bucks at Walgreens, she can get a health screening with an NP at her convenience.


32 posted on 12/15/2012 10:13:57 PM PST by ArmstedFragg (hoaxy dopey changey)
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To: TheOldLady; Rummyfan; Howlin; riley1992; Miss Marple; Dane; sinkspur; steve; kattracks; ...

Mark Steyn ping.

Freepmail me, if you want on or off the Mark Steyn ping list.

Thanks for the ping neverdim.

Sorry to all if this triple pings again.


33 posted on 12/16/2012 12:20:55 AM PST by JLS
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To: TheOldLady; Rummyfan; Howlin; riley1992; Miss Marple; Dane; sinkspur; steve; kattracks; ...

Mark Steyn ping.

Freepmail me, if you want on or off the Mark Steyn ping list.

Thanks for the ping neverdim.

Sorry to all if this triple pings again.


34 posted on 12/16/2012 12:20:55 AM PST by JLS
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To: TheOldLady; Rummyfan; Howlin; riley1992; Miss Marple; Dane; sinkspur; steve; kattracks; ...

Mark Steyn ping.

Freepmail me, if you want on or off the Mark Steyn ping list.

Thanks for the ping neverdim.

Sorry to all if this triple pings again.


35 posted on 12/16/2012 12:21:12 AM PST by JLS
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To: HiTech RedNeck
Single payer or not, it is so not going to work.

Well it sort of depends on your goals, if your goal is to reduce the population it will work just fine.

36 posted on 12/16/2012 7:17:55 AM PST by American in Israel (A wise man's heart directs him to the right, but the foolish mans heart directs him toward the left.)
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To: neverdem

Every time I read or listen to Steyn I feel smarter


37 posted on 12/16/2012 11:13:00 AM PST by Mr. K (some days even my lucky rocketship underpants don't help...)
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To: Marcella
re : So, I had to get another doctor, even though I had this one for over 16 years - he dumped me and the rest of his patients in one day))

So you dumped your doctor and the new doctor dumped you and you're complaining about loyalty?

Not really trying to put you down; this is a cultural thing...to believe we are entitled to something from someone else that we don't ourselves provide for another person...

Particularly with doctors, it's like they're our parents and when economic reality hits them they're supposed to behave sacrificially.

Love the name Marcella. It's Raggedy Ann's little girl...

38 posted on 12/16/2012 2:41:12 PM PST by Mamzelle
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To: Mamzelle
“So you dumped your doctor and the new doctor dumped you and you're complaining about loyalty?”

Somehow, you misunderstood what happened. I had my doctor for 16 years. He just went with a concierge group and sent us a letter we were not his patients anymore unless we joined the new group at a cost of $1,650.

See, he dumped me and the rest of his patients. I had to find a new doctor, which I now have.

39 posted on 12/16/2012 3:06:16 PM PST by Marcella (Prepping can save your life today. Galt is freedom.)
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To: Marcella

Ah, I thought two docs involved. Never mind. The concierge thing will probably not work out for your previous doc.


40 posted on 12/16/2012 3:09:55 PM PST by Mamzelle
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