Comments on: Dear Mr President, Medicare Stinks http://distractible.org/2009/02/03/dear-mr-president-medicare-stinks/ Thoughts of a moderately strange (yet not harmful) primary care physician. Sun, 01 Aug 2010 02:31:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Arthur Levine http://distractible.org/2009/02/03/dear-mr-president-medicare-stinks/comment-page-1/#comment-4289 Arthur Levine Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:59:56 +0000 http://distractible.org/?p=2120#comment-4289 Mr. President, Please Don’t Take My Medicare Insurance Away Just because I’m a Senior Citizen doesn’t mean you should write me off in favor of a younger generation who never worked for the benefits you are trying to transfer from me to them. If I need a hip operation, please don’t deny me because I’m old and going to die anyway. If I need a knee replacement, please don’t tell me with the time I have left I can limp around or use a cane or a wheel chair. Who are you and your Congressmen henchmen to decide when I do or don’t need an MRI that might detect a problem that could save my life? What happened to us all getting insurance that is as good as the health insurance that members of Congress have? Why are you trying to take our benefits away? Why are you trying to make it unprofitable for our doctors to give us the care we need? Why are you doing this to us? Do you think we’re disposable? Do you think we won’t notice what you’re doing? Do you think we don’t care? Do you think we don’t vote? Mr. President, Please Don’t Take My Medicare Insurance Away

Just because I’m a Senior Citizen doesn’t mean you should write me off in favor of a younger generation who never worked for the benefits you are trying to transfer from me to them.

If I need a hip operation, please don’t deny me because I’m old and going to die anyway.

If I need a knee replacement, please don’t tell me with the time I have left I can limp around or use a cane or a wheel chair.

Who are you and your Congressmen henchmen to decide when I do or don’t need an MRI that might detect a problem that could save my life?

What happened to us all getting insurance that is as good as the health insurance that members of Congress have?

Why are you trying to take our benefits away?

Why are you trying to make it unprofitable for our doctors to give us the care we need?

Why are you doing this to us?

Do you think we’re disposable?

Do you think we won’t notice what you’re doing?

Do you think we don’t care?

Do you think we don’t vote?

]]> By: Doctors Threaten To Stop Treating Medicare Patients - RX Health Quotes http://distractible.org/2009/02/03/dear-mr-president-medicare-stinks/comment-page-1/#comment-3633 Doctors Threaten To Stop Treating Medicare Patients - RX Health Quotes Tue, 24 Feb 2009 23:03:12 +0000 http://distractible.org/?p=2120#comment-3633 [...] a look at this interesting letter from another primary care physician - Dr. Rob - to the President. After sincerely expressing his [...] [...] a look at this interesting letter from another primary care physician – Dr. Rob – to the President. After sincerely expressing his [...]

]]> By: Audits For Medicare Providers | Colorado Health Insurance Insider http://distractible.org/2009/02/03/dear-mr-president-medicare-stinks/comment-page-1/#comment-3623 Audits For Medicare Providers | Colorado Health Insurance Insider Thu, 19 Feb 2009 22:16:58 +0000 http://distractible.org/?p=2120#comment-3623 [...] Rob, writing at Musings Of A Distractible Mind, has written a powerful open letter to the president regarding Medicare and the plans to audit primary care physicians to make sure that they aren’t defrauding [...] [...] Rob, writing at Musings Of A Distractible Mind, has written a powerful open letter to the president regarding Medicare and the plans to audit primary care physicians to make sure that they aren’t defrauding [...]

]]> By: medrecgal http://distractible.org/2009/02/03/dear-mr-president-medicare-stinks/comment-page-1/#comment-3558 medrecgal Thu, 05 Feb 2009 02:03:01 +0000 http://distractible.org/?p=2120#comment-3558 Medicare is a huge nuisance as far as I'm concerned, and I'm only in medical records! The craziness of the things that have to be documented is enough to make the sanest person question their motives...like "Big Brother" thinks everybody's out to defraud the system. I'm sure you understand to a degree what a headache it can be for everybody when you (as the HIM person) have to keep hounding certain providers to give the required documentation to maintain their "levels" appropriately...and it seems to just keep getting more and more convoluted as time passes. They need to scrap the entire setup and start over with just a few core ideas instead of making it so complicated that you risk fraud every time something is or isn't documented. Yes, indeed...Medicare stinks! (And it's killing our primary care system as sure as anything, which is sad all the way around.) Medicare is a huge nuisance as far as I’m concerned, and I’m only in medical records! The craziness of the things that have to be documented is enough to make the sanest person question their motives…like “Big Brother” thinks everybody’s out to defraud the system. I’m sure you understand to a degree what a headache it can be for everybody when you (as the HIM person) have to keep hounding certain providers to give the required documentation to maintain their “levels” appropriately…and it seems to just keep getting more and more convoluted as time passes. They need to scrap the entire setup and start over with just a few core ideas instead of making it so complicated that you risk fraud every time something is or isn’t documented. Yes, indeed…Medicare stinks! (And it’s killing our primary care system as sure as anything, which is sad all the way around.)

]]> By: james gaulte http://distractible.org/2009/02/03/dear-mr-president-medicare-stinks/comment-page-1/#comment-3557 james gaulte Wed, 04 Feb 2009 21:47:47 +0000 http://distractible.org/?p=2120#comment-3557 News like that makes me very glad I am not in practice any longer.News like that makes me very worried that the physicians who will be taking care of me have to put up with that type nonsense and worse. News like that makes me very glad I am not in practice any longer.News like that makes me very worried that the physicians who will be taking care of me have to put up with that type nonsense and worse.

]]> By: Ken O http://distractible.org/2009/02/03/dear-mr-president-medicare-stinks/comment-page-1/#comment-3555 Ken O Wed, 04 Feb 2009 11:32:30 +0000 http://distractible.org/?p=2120#comment-3555 Ref Para 3 "While my...the process." I'll take that as being asked, and confirm the cost/benefit budget analysis argument stated! Serious question about bullet point (1) though. I thought your legal system was based on ours, in which case there is a presumption of innocence <b>in court</b>, but of guilt when dealing with government auditors. ;) Ref Para 3 “While my…the process.” I’ll take that as being asked, and confirm the cost/benefit budget analysis argument stated!

Serious question about bullet point (1) though. I thought your legal system was based on ours, in which case there is a presumption of innocence in court, but of guilt when dealing with government auditors. ;)

]]> By: SeaSpray http://distractible.org/2009/02/03/dear-mr-president-medicare-stinks/comment-page-1/#comment-3554 SeaSpray Wed, 04 Feb 2009 08:17:24 +0000 http://distractible.org/?p=2120#comment-3554 You should send this out! Even submit to CNN, etc. btw...I couldn't find where you wee in CNN blogging section. ? It will be a sad day if elderly patients lose their trusted doctors and possibly have no one to see because they won't be able to pay for a visit on their own. I would be devastated if I lost my urologist or pcp and I am not elderly. They have had their docs for years and would feel so lost. And you wouldn't have gotten to know that lovely elderly lady that you wrote about visiting. I hope it works out for you and other docs... and patients. How different is MDCR now from when you 1st began your practice? You should send this out! Even submit to CNN, etc.

btw…I couldn’t find where you wee in CNN blogging section. ?

It will be a sad day if elderly patients lose their trusted doctors and possibly have no one to see because they won’t be able to pay for a visit on their own.

I would be devastated if I lost my urologist or pcp and I am not elderly. They have had their docs for years and would feel so lost.

And you wouldn’t have gotten to know that lovely elderly lady that you wrote about visiting.

I hope it works out for you and other docs… and patients.

How different is MDCR now from when you 1st began your practice?

]]> By: judycolby http://distractible.org/2009/02/03/dear-mr-president-medicare-stinks/comment-page-1/#comment-3551 judycolby Wed, 04 Feb 2009 02:04:20 +0000 http://distractible.org/?p=2120#comment-3551 Dr. Rob, You are going to send these letters, aren't you? I think it would make good reading for all politicians. Dr. Rob,
You are going to send these letters, aren’t you? I think it would make good reading for all politicians.

]]> By: Roy http://distractible.org/2009/02/03/dear-mr-president-medicare-stinks/comment-page-1/#comment-3550 Roy Wed, 04 Feb 2009 01:34:08 +0000 http://distractible.org/?p=2120#comment-3550 Twittered: @doc_rob Good Medicare posts. MC is going down tubes fast with RAC. Feel bad for older pts. See <a href="http://bit.ly/rPcJ" rel="nofollow">Shrink Rap post on the beginning of the middle of the end of Medicare</a>. Patients with Medicare need to let their representatives in Congress know that the squeeze on docs may win the Medicare budget battle but lose the war ... and their doctors! Twittered: @doc_rob Good Medicare posts. MC is going down tubes fast with RAC. Feel bad for older pts. See Shrink Rap post on the beginning of the middle of the end of Medicare.

Patients with Medicare need to let their representatives in Congress know that the squeeze on docs may win the Medicare budget battle but lose the war … and their doctors!

]]> By: Robin http://distractible.org/2009/02/03/dear-mr-president-medicare-stinks/comment-page-1/#comment-3548 Robin Tue, 03 Feb 2009 22:20:57 +0000 http://distractible.org/?p=2120#comment-3548 A quiet "amen" from the patient corner. We don' t want to lose the Dr. Rob's in our country. A quiet “amen” from the patient corner. We don’ t want to lose the Dr. Rob’s in our country.

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