Great Email from a Wealthy Doctor... Who Hates the Current System

[JPZenger]

Today I received this email from an old friend who has been an MD for 20 years, and who has become quite wealthy. He also has a son with Asperger's Syndrome and complains how expensive it is to care for him, even though he is wealthy and has good health insurance.

Here's the email:

"Let me talk about Obama's Single Payer Insurance plan. YES, WE CAN!

I need a Neuro-psych evaluation to get my son into a program that can help deal with his issues - which will cost me a hell of a lot of money. Guess what? NO ONE who does the evaluations are in the insurance company network...and the insurance company is not going to cover it UNLESS we go to someone "in network" because it is not an emergency.
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All the B.S. about how "bad it is in Canada..." It's bad RIGHT HERE!!!!!

It may not have gotten bad for the particular individual saying this, but it is BAD, and I am one of the people who has GREAT health insurance, and it is STILL BAD. AND I AM A DOCTOR!!!!

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Insurance companies have manipulated the "lobbyist" system for SO LONG that they have so many laws in their favor, they are well established in doing what they do with an unfair advantage.

And in case you don't understand what insurance companies do, here is how they make money:

1. They take money and promise health care coverage
2. They DENY payments to the doctors.

Many doctors get less than 50% reimbursement from insurance companies.

(For my doctor friends out there - insurance companies are NOT YOUR FRIENDS. They make money by DENYING YOU PAYMENT. Just because that is where you check comes from - just remember, they do there damnedest to make that check as small as possible, and they even give a PRIZE to their employees that reduce payments to their doctors the most!)

My facilities SPECIFICALLY TARGET government insurance plans because they pay close to 100%.

And trust me - if you don't involve yourself in medical billing - insurance companies deny SO MUCH, you are lucky to get whatever you get - and you probably have to HIRE a full time employee just to ARGUE with the insurance companies - so THAT salary is another loss for your business.

GOVERNMENT insurances PROVIDE COVERAGE, and pay their doctors 100% of what they say they are going to pay.

SO you have to wait 3 months for an appointment....SO WHAT?!??! Many people are waiting 3 months for appointments for certain things already!!!! It has NOTHING TO DO with insurance coverage (mammography, dermatology, opthalmology).

I would be HAPPY to wait 3 months. That would be better than what I have right now with my son - which is basically NO COVERAGE, or pay the entire thing myself.

SINGLE PAYER would be GREAT. I would make a lot less money - but I would also have great benefits, sick leave, annual leave, retirement benefits......and I could focus on being a good doctor, and not worry about "making money" and fighting insurance companies.

I really understand this health care issue - and OBAMA'S plan is long overdue - before the health insurance problems collapse, the way the banks did."

End of email

[Stellabella]

1. That is the plain truth.

I don't get what these wussy Democrats don't get.

This is a no-brainer. We need single payer, and the profit care companies need to go out of business.

[HelenWheels]

2. My doctor wants single payer

He told me that a long time ago. Said he's sick of fighting with insurance companies so he can give the care his patients needs.

[slipslidingaway]

3. I'm confused as to what plan this email is speaking of...???

Which plan of Obama's will give this doctor great benefits and why does he confuse single-payer with the public/private option.

:shrug:

"Let me talk about Obama's Single Payer Insurance plan."

"SINGLE PAYER would be GREAT. I would make a lot less money - but I would also have great benefits, sick leave, annual leave, retirement benefits......and I could focus on being a good doctor, and not worry about "making money" and fighting insurance companies."

[unblock]

4. and even if doctors get less per patient or per procedure,

they still make more money because they spend more time seeing patients and performing procedures instead of filling out prior authorization forms and jumping through other insurance company hurdles designed simply to harass and make filing claims tedious enough so that some people just drop them.

[knitter4democracy]

5. Medical Economics says this all the time.

http://memag.com

It's a good magazine, and they say all the time that the insurance companies are no friend to doctors.

Oh, and where is he that he has good insurance? The last time we had good insurance was when the ex was in residency. Since then, it's been crappy plans through some small business group with huge deductibles and co-pays.

[ohtransplant]

6. K&R

Who doesn't get this?

Who doesn't get that it's us against the insurance companies?

Who doesn't get that they make money by freely accepting premiums and then denying coverage?

Who hasn't been hurt by this?

Who doesn't know health care is BAD NOW?

I say we throw out the whole bunch if they can't do what the people obviously want them to do. Remember it's us against the insurance companies.