Posted on 03/09/2011 6:58:35 AM PST by GailA
"Your guaranteed Medicare benefits won’t change — whether you get them through Original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage plan.”
“First of all, if you've got health insurance, you like your doctors, you like your plan, you can keep your doctor, you can keep your plan" President Barack Hussein Obama
“Cynics beware, I am romantic about the National Health Service; I love it. … The NHS is one of the astounding human endeavors of modern times.” (Donald Berwick)
Let me get this straight. We are being "gifted" with a health care plan we are forced to purchase and fined if we don't, written by a committee whose chairman says he doesn't understand it, passed by a Congress that hasn't read it but exempts themselves from it, to be signed by a president who smokes, with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes, to be overseen by a surgeon general who is obese, and financed by a country that's broke; administrated by people who want to emulate the worst aspects of socialized medicine programs in other countries (e.g. rationing and death panels)
What the heck could possibly go wrong?
AMMO LIST: OBAMACARE’s WAR ON SENIORS & BUSINESS
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2613747/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 2/25/11 TO 3/5/11
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2679935/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 2/16/11 to 2/22/11
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2674598/posts?page=2
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 2/8/11 to 2/15/11
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2670688/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 1/31/11 to 2/7/11
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2666452/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 1/25 to 1/31/11
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2663175/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 1/17/11 TO 1/24/11
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2658423/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 1/11/11 to 1/17/11
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2655338/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 1/3/11 to 1/10/11
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2651055/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 12/28/10—1-3-11
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2648143/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 12/20—27/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2645539/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 12/13—20/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2641842/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 12/06—13/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2638382/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 11/28—12/5/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2634089/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 11/19—11/26/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2630132/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 11/12-18/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2626065/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 11/5-11/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2621976/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 10/28/10-11/4/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2616214/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 10/21-27/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2611724/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 10/13-21/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2606838/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 10/6-11/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2602474/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 10/01-07/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2599658/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE ROUND 9/26—10/1/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2596442/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 9/20-25/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2592699/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 9/15-20/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2589505/posts?page=3
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 9/11-14/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2587473/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 9/4-10/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2583076/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 8/31-9/3/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2580617/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 8/27-30/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2578484/posts?page=3
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE ROUND UP 8/23-26/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2576135/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 8/20-22/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2574276/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 8/16-19/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2571388/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 8/13-14-15/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2569858/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 8/11-12/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2568537/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 8/8-9/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2566823/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 8/5-6/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2565732/posts?page=19
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 8/1-2/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2562670/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 7/30-31/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2561665/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 7/28-29/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2560329/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 7/27/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2559690/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 7/26/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2559144/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 7/24-25/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2558216/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE ROUND UP 7/23/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2557626/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE ROUND UP 7/22/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2557030/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE ROUND UP 7/21/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2556399/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE ROUND UP 7/20/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2555741/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE ROUND UP 7/19/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2555122/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 7/17/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2554311/posts
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THREAD ROUND UP 7/16/10
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2553687/posts
Sorry for the delay, again still dealing with the arm/neck issue...go for a nerve block on the 18th.
Is there any one who can and would be willing to pick up the url’s and titles to the threads and post them to the Socialized Med Thread for a couple of days after I post next week’s thread?
I also need some one to do the 15th for this thread. Colon screen that day, which means an all day process.
Battle Grows Over Obama Administration’s Health Care Law Accounting
thanks for posting. I understand your dilemma. Cannot be of any assistance cervical neck surgery 3 vertebrae replaced, still unable to use arms, because of the swelling in the neck. This week I finally have feeling in the fingers. will keep you in my prayers.
Sorry you had to have surgery, but I sure can emphasize, mine hasn’t gotten to that point, and doc want to avoid it if possible. C-4-7..then when all this is settled he will see what we can do about the L4-6.
You forgot TennCare the gift from Ned Ray McWherter (D)
Maine gets break in federal health care overhaul [Obamacare Dead: Maine granted waiver, entire STATE
http://www.cnbc.com/id/41978227
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2685838/posts
Obama Administration Appeals Healthcare Ruling
http://www.cnbc.com/id/41976712
appeal
http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/healthlaw0308.pdf
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2685769/posts
I can help. Let me know what dates you’d like me to cover.
Here is my nightmare experience with the future of healthcare under obamacare-—the Veterans Hospital.
Long read:
Recently I returned from a business trip.
My flight landed mid-morning and later that afternoon I started to feel pretty awful, so awful in fact, I ended up heading to the nearest hospital, a VA hospital. I walked in to the ER late that evening, went up to a bored reception clerk to check-in and was handed the usual papers to fill out and told to take a seat. Looking around the room I could tell it would be a long wait before I was seen.
I took the papers off the desk, grabbed my pen and found out I couldn’t control my fingers. Not good. I started to feel woozy. Really not good. I told the reception guy that those papers would have to wait as I was feely light-headed and then promptly lost my legs and started for the floor. I caught myself and made a “soft” crash to the floor and next I knew I was in a wheelchair being whisked to the head of the line, zipping into the treatment area.
I was wired up and plugged in, running a fever of 102.6 (eventually peaked at 103.1). I felt awful, needless to say. Well, after being fed antibiotics and other drugs for 8-hrs, I began to feel better and was released. With one hand holding some papers they gave me and antibiotics in the other hand, I bolted out of there and went to my small corporate studio apartment for rest and to take those pills for the next week.
After two days of taking the antibiotics I found myself in worse shape, more pain and new symptoms. Argh. . .I went to the same VA hospital and went to the clinic area (where I was supposed to report in the next few days for follow up). I checked in at 1000hrs and waited and waited and waited, was eventually seen by the med tech at 1215 for vitals (fever of 100.5) and was sent back to the waiting room for the doc.
The doc calls for me and we talk and he sends me for labs (blood work and piss-test). I was to wait and see the doc after he reviewed the lab reports. Lab reports came in and the doc said, yup, you are sick. No kidding. He said he was going to give me different antibiotics and send me home. I told the doc I was really feeling bad and that perhaps he should check my temperature again and check the ‘ol prostate. Men usually don’t ask for “the check,” but it seemed like the thing to do at the time. He agreed, took my temperature found it reading 102.5. Still frowning from that reading, he did the usual prostate exam.
Boy-howdy-key-rist-bee-gee-sus-slap-your-grandma-and-call-me-sadie-mae did that HURT!.
Next I know I am in another wheel chair and being whisked onto the infectious disease ward and placed in isolation. What? Did I have the dreaded ‘cooties? Thus began the nightmare with the VA system.
The first night is a blur of morphine and vicodin, IV fluids of all sorts pokes and prods, blood tests and temperature checks. All the time doctors that were so young I am sure they were not old enough to drive, let alone practice medicine, paraded through, asking the same questions over and over. What was especially depressing was the end-of-life decisions they kept asking me, and they were serious about getting an answer (I had no idea how close I was to “checking out.”
Eventually I was alone in isolation and in the dark, just outside the nurses’ station.
One night I awoke with three nurses working on me. Apparently I was “out,” way out when they came to check on me. The infection had spread and my body was getting the heck kicked out of it, so when the nurse came to check on me, she found me unresponsive. I eventually (and gradually) woke up to find the nurses doing that progressive pain thing to wake people up. One was squeezing hard my feet and toes, another was flicking drops of water on my face and a third nurse was giving me a ‘nuggie with her knuckle on the center of my chest. At least these three were the best looking nurses in the ward.
I do recall that if I hit the “call” button at night because of some reason, it took a very long time for anyone to respond. Not just for me, but I could hear the buzzer alarm go off when others would ring for help and the buzzer would go on and on and on.
Great I thought, you are in a hospital and hit the panic button and no one comes. This is the night shift, by the way.
I discovered there is a big difference in the quality of care between the day-shift and night-shift.
Day-shift, overall good to excellent, responded fast to buzzers and respectful when dealing with you. Night-shift, completely different story. Ignoring the panic button and acting like you are upsetting their night if you ask for water, let alone for a refill on the pain meds. I also found them sleeping in the TV room far away from their station.
It was during the night-shift I met Nurse Ratchet from One Flew Over the Coo-Coos Nest.
I was drowsy and woke up at 0115hrs and found my urine collection jar nearly full (they collect that stuff). A nurse’s aide is supposed to record and empty the urine jar and apparently for hours, she had not. Because at 0100hrs I was due a hit of morphine I waited for the nurse, expecting her to arrive with my meds. I eventually went back to dozing. I woke up again at 0300hrs and urine jar still full and no meds. This is now a little over six-hours since the urine jar was emptied and two-hours over-due for my morphine.
I hit the call button and heard the buzzer go off. After 10-minutes and no one came, I got up and went to my door and stood there. Saw the nurses’ station empty. In fact, no one was in view at all. After a few more minutes Nurse Ratchet came up and turned off the buzzer at the nurses’ station and I said I needed my morphine. She gave me a ”surly” look, like I was interrupting her night, told me she would get it. After quite a while, Nurse Ratchet did come back with the morphine for my IV. As she was giving the morphine, I asked for my vicodin, as it was due at 0300hrs.
Nurse Ratchet grunted and mumbled something about getting another nurse and left. 15-minutes later and no one came. I again got up and hobbled to my door and saw just one guy sitting there. He is a good RN and he asked what I needed. I told him. He got up and looked down a hallway behind the station and saw Nurse Ratchet. He asked her if she would get my (over-due) pain meds. She doesn’t get up and says she told Nurse So-and-So to get my meds.
Nurse So-and -So, a good nurse, she hears this conversation from where she is standing. Nurse So-and-So was standing in a door to another isolation room and said she told Nurse Ratchet that she was working one-on-one and could not leave her patient. It appears Nurse Ratchet thought her responsibility was over by just passing the word and NOT ensuring proper care or follow-up.
The good male nurse then tells Nurse Ratchet to get me my vicodin. The good male nurse then left to tend to his own patient.
I waited in my door expecting her to arrive momentarily, but many minutes later, she is still missing. I peaked down the hallway and see Nurse Ratchet filing her nails and sitting with her feet up! Good gawd. I am overdue pain meds, in great pain and she is just sitting there.
At that time the good male nurse came back and I told him about Nurse Ratchet filing her nails and not making any effort to provide the pain meds. The good male nurse flew back to Nurse Ratchet and forcefully told her to give me my meds.
After about another 5-min Nurse Ratchet emerges from the hallway and asks what I wanted (like she didn’t know.). I said my pain med, vicodin. She turns slowly and disappears down the hall. A few minutes later another nurse arrives and gave me my pain med.
One wonders if I would have EVER received any pain meds if I had not painfully got out of my bed and made sure I was cared for.
The next morning I told the doc and the Nurse Manager. I explained the situation and told them I do NOT want Nurse Ratchet to come close to me because she was unprofessional, uncaring, and apparently sadistic and most likely vindictive.
The next few days never varied much in treatment and the comings and goings of doctors. It was during this time I truly understood that real care in a hospital is provided by the nursing staff. Good nurses mean great care and recovery. Bad nurses mean pain, discomfort and possibly even death.
For example. . .
Early one morning I got up, and yes, embarrassing to say, positioned Mr Happy for a drain in the urine jar, let go, and missed. I went on the floor. (Hey, I am not John Holmes, okay).
Embarrassed, I went and found a (sleeping) nurse’s aide and told her. She came back to my room with a few towels and mopped up the area, and then left. I sat on my bed, wondering when housekeeping would arrive to disinfect the floor. 13-mins went by and no housekeeping (I timed it). I went out and found the same nurse’s aide, sleeping, woke her and asked her when we can expect housekeeping.
Incredibly, she asked, “Why?”
I told her that the floor needs to be disinfected because docs and nurses and others would be in and out, tracking throughout the hospital whatever they pick up from my floor. I was infectious at that time and anyone entering my room had to suit-up. Her answer was “Housekeeping won’t come out this early.”
Good gawd. I have MRSA, an infection and other medical issues, and they won’t come and clean the floor? What about the nurse that will have to walk through that sticky floor and then go to other patients and their room? How about the nurse that comes every 6-hrs to get more blood? This is unacceptable. I waited until I saw a cleaning lady and asked her to disinfect the floor. She did, no problem.
Another unhealthy experience is the showers. I used the shower a couple of times, once early in my stay, another time near the end of my stay.
First shower: The good nurse disconnected my IV’s and wrapped in plastic my IV leads on my arm. Good. I walked down the hall to the shower and found two stalls. Both with visible mildew. Ugh. I also noticed small black gnats flying in the showers. Ewww, Then I saw that other patients had pulled off some of their bandages during their shower and left them on the hand-holds on the wall. It was like a third-world experience.
Days later, night-shift, second shower: After being disconnected from my IV tree, I started for the shower and then remembered to get my IV-leads wrapped to keep soap and moisture out of them. I found my nurse’s aide and asked her to wrap my arm and she had no idea what I was talking about. I had to get the plastic for her, cut it and help her tape it securely. I then went to the shower and found nothing had changed, still mildew, flies and the same old bandages.
Another major health hazard I encountered was the pajama-type of clothes. They are comfortable, for sure. I needed a change and asked for new PJs. The nurse’s aide delivered the tops and bottoms and I put them on, only to find many snaps on the shirt were missing. I took the shirt off, went to the nurse’s aide and gave her the unusable shirt and asked for another. She gave me a new shirt. No issues.
Now fast forward two-days. I need another change and I discover that after I put the new shirt on, it is the SAME top with the missing snaps. (?) The nurses aid had taken the original snap-less shirt I gave back and returned it to the linen closet for re-issue to me or other patients. They are supposed to toss those previously worn garments in the soiled bin.
I give back the top and tell the nurses aide to get me a new shirt and to toss the other shirt.
Another day goes by and I need another change. I ask for new clothes and was, yes, you guessed it, given the same shirt that I turned in the other day. The shirt with the missing snaps.
Okay, think about that, someone ill, contagious with sores, in a room where the nurses and doctors “suit-up” before entering, tries on a shirt and gives it back and that shirt is returned to the linen closet for re-issue? How sanitary is that? I turn in a shirt I had worn and the nurse’s aide put it back in the linen closet for re-issue. Gag. Are you kidding me?
Eventually I was no longer infectious (much) and they came and told me I was moving from my single room to a room with two other guys. Wonderful These guys were hurting, one constantly moaned and the other would yelp in pain at random moments (and watch his TV at full volume because he was nearly deaf.
When told they needed my single room, I decided I would just pack up and go to the nearest private hospital and check in and get a private room. I have private medical insurance, after all.
When I told the nursing staff my intention they went nuts, “You CAN’T leave!” They said. “Oh yes I can. Watch me” I replied. Eventually the head doc of the infectious disease department came by and we talked. It was then he told me just how close I was to checking out.
I decided to stay, even though the distance between the beds was a mere 36”. I am not kidding. The room was clearly designed to hold two people but had four beds in it. Oh, and as I was being moved into the room, the nurses put up a WARNING sign to those entering the room—a suite-up before entering warning sign. Get that? I am being put in a room with two other guys already sick and I have an infection that warrants hospital staff to suit up but it is just great for the patients in the room to be exposed.
The next morning, I found myself walking past the floor’s conference room. The trainee medical student wanna-be doctors were assembling for their overview of cases. As I approached the door I heard my name mentioned:
Med student: “. . .and XXXXXX (my name)”
Female Med student: “I heard he caused quite a scene last night” (the night I tried to leave).
An Arrogant Pompous Med Student: “Yeah, I heard of that. He’s an ####, selfish bastard, and would not give up the private room”
Upon hearing this, I was angry and stepped into the doorframe and said: “Hey!”, everyone turned to look at me, an old guy looking like death, standing there with his IV-tree, “You! I’m XXXXXX. If you have an issue with me, be a man and come talk to me! Now, you weren’t there. You don’t have all the facts. You don’t know the whole story so I suggest you stop talking out your ####!” (I then apologized for the profanity)
Stunned silence from the dozen or so students in the room. I turned and left.
The docs came by after almost a weeks stay and told me I was now released. Yeah! Couldn’t wait to get out of there. Paperwork quickly done, meds issued and I was out of there. I was told to return for a follow up visit a week later.
A day and a half later they docs called me at 1700hrs and told me to get back to the hospital immediately, right now, for direct admission to be treated with an IV-drip for for up to 14-days, as they discovered a lethal bacterial infection they just in my blood. Whoa. Hold on, I told them, I was NOT going back into the VA hospital. No way. No how.
I would instead fly to to my home where my family is and I can receive clean, competent care at a private hospital. The docs were adamant about me returning immediately but I would not budge.
Eventually they gave up.
I verified I was cleared to fly (non-infectious).
Flew home and within a day I found myself being seen and treated in a safe, clean, friendly environment.
Let me tell you, the difference in care and treatment by a [private doc and nursing staff is a world apart from the awful VA hospital.
Sad thing is, and I am being harsh, the usual VA patient on the ward that I saw was some guy who served for a few years and then spent the next 20-30 years abusing his body with drugs or alcohol. I did not fit their profile and they did not know how to handle someone that was informed and aware of their patient rights.
The VA docs never briefed me on what they were doing, what meds they were administering, nothing until I insisted on a daily brief. The “usual” VA in-patient just sits there and takes what they give them.
I am thankful I had options, that I had private medical insurance and Tri-Care for life so I did NOT have to rely on the VA system.
Under Obama-Care that choice, that freedom to “fire” poor hospitals and doctors will be taken away from you. In this case, I would have been sentenced to continued poor care and treatment because under Obama-Care I would have no choice—I would be stuck with the hospital and doctors I was assigned.
I am sure I would have died if I returned to the VA hospital.
Some people think government run healthcare is great because it is “free.” Free? Sure, but at the price of your own personal freedom to pick your doctor, fire her if need be and to go to whatever hospital you choose for quality care.
Good reasons to stay the H out of VA hospitals.
But it’s the same with the schools systems.
You had it really rough. I would not have had the patience you did. I have a loud mouth and am not afraid to pick up the phone and call the news stations. Which is what you should have done.
They have health codes to meet just as food joints have codes.
The 15th for this thread, and 18 & 19th of March for next thread which I’ll get up on the 17th. I try to do 1 a week. I know I’ll be in no shape to get on the computer on any of those days. And I truly appreciate you doing it.
It would help if those who posted obamacare threads would cross post here too.
No problem. Take care of yourself!
That is AWFUL! When did this happen to you?
I have no choice, hubby keeps a close eye on what I’m doing. And those lortabs make me tired and sleepy all the time.
A Romneycare Fix for Romney
http://townhall.com/columnists/jeffjacoby/2011/03/10/a_romneycare_fix_for_romney
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2686518/posts
Obama appeal keeps overhaul provisions alive
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/money/obama-appeal-keeps-overhaul-provisions-alive-1310241.html?cxtype=ynews_rss
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2686485/posts
Ronald Reagan’s Warning About Socialized Medicine – video and complete transcript
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2686461/posts
I am still in Texas being treated well by PRIVATE medical care, not a government-run version of health-care.
I saw up close and personal what awaits us all if we proceed down this government-run obamacare road—disinterested and sadistic staff, filthy conditions, over-crowding. With government run anything you end up with inefficiencies and a system that just doesn't give a darn, and why should they, they have no competition.
This experience of mine really, and I hate to admit this, scared me, not just for the medical implications, but for the future of our healthcare industry.
We are on the road to adopting Soviet-style medical practices, with the elites having the best care and special treatment and the rest of us suffering greatly.
Was this VA hospital in Tx?
Will you be making an official complaint about the way you were treated? Perhaps through the VA IG? Or one of your Congress critters?
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