[BlackJack]

Is this a hoax? I can't find anything about this on the Radio Station's Web site. Is there a link to this story? The AP link above is to the old Florida case.

[butter pecan fan]

No hoax. The detail quoted above is a few new paragraphs which have been added into what was getting to be an old story.

Let me add my vote to the "calm down" (at least a bit, anyways) lobby. It seems 99.9% likely this guy was in the same building as the other two. In other words, this isn't an indication of a second attack, just an indication of another victim from a known attack.

Not that I don't understand your feelings. I've already packed up and moved out of the big city for this exact reason.

[bonesmccoy]

Not a hoax. Just see your doctor if you get sick. No different than at any other time, right?

Too bad the GD Clinton Administration killed private healthcare in our nation.

Get this one Freepers... (and I just joined this board!)

Think about this... if your town as a couple of doctor's offices for Internal Medicine, Family Practice, or Pediatrics... those offices are either owned by a medical group or the doctor him/herself.

There are very few strong solo offices in California now.

Why?

Because the HMO's do something called "capitated" contracting. In capitated contracting, the office is paid a flat-fee REGARDLESS of how much work they do for you. Most of the time, the HMO pays an IPA (Independent Physicians' Association) about $50.00 per month for you. The IPA then contracts with individual doctor's offices for about $9.00 So, out of the $120.00 per month you pay the insurer, only $9.00 gets to the physician.

Now, if the hapless doctor ends up in the a biological warfare front line, the poor guy goes broke. He won't have enough money for drugs, supplies, and vaccines.

Who supported the HMO industry and why is the system like this?

YOU GUESSED IT.

HILLARY.

Now, guess what happens. We don't have enough supplies, offices, doctors, hospital beds, or test facilities to diagnose this thing.

But, alas, GRAY DAVIS claims that his administration will support the people and train "thousands" of health care providers. Gov. Gray-out is nuts. You can count the number of testing facilities in Southern California equipped to identify Anthrax on one hand. You see, thanks to the same people, they passed a law called CLIA that forced diagnostic tests (like finding the germ) out of doctor's offices. So, now, instead of the doctor making a diagnosis in 20 minutes, it takes 48 hours.

AND, the doctor STILL doesn't get paid for it (because he's "capitated")!

Guys, I'll bet the dead guy in Florida was insured through an HMO plan. Wish someone in the Palm Beach press would find out.

[Gracey]

Virginia officials, meanwhile, said Monday evening they were alerted to a possible anthrax case in a Virginia man who either previously worked for the Sun or had a contractual relationship with the Florida paper. It was not clear when he had last been in Florida.

[Gracey]

Here's the link:

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAP91HCLSC.html