
Read through the medical blogs and you will see that doctors, especially the ER Docs feel they should order tests even if they believe they are unnecessary to protect themselves thanks to our overly litigious society.
This is too funny! I first saw this on Grunt Doc's site and now they are popping up everywhere. A lot of the docs get the adult ratings because of their wordage used in certain posts.
Overall people get the adult ratings for profanity, certain body parts or violence. Evidently, the more often words are used about cutting, orifices, excretory functions, bajingos and schwing schwangs the higher the rating or for some people it isn't medical posts - just some vulgarity.
I guess the blog watchers don't consider the "u" words - ureter and urine to be warning worthy. If they did - I'd blow everyone away with an 'X" rating. :)One only has to listen to the talking heads, read the newspaper, surf the net - particularly the medical blogs at any given time or work in the medical field to know that we are in a health care crisis in America.
Thank God for insurance and I am grateful that we have it.
I naively used to believe that all insurance companies always worked on the subscribers behalf and in conjunction with the doctors. I used to believe in Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny too.
My company has made some small mistakes (although repetitively) in not paying the 90% to the non PPO providers that are affiliated with the PPO hospitals but they have a good turn around time for reimbursements and they have covered thousands of dollars. They do provide better coverage than what I know some people to have. Still - the med bills pile up.
The physicians also have their concerns regarding insurance companies.
Dr. Richard Schoor, a urologist down in Smithtown : Suffolk County Long Island, NY and author of The independent Urologist Blog and Dr Schoor's Urology Blog, has written some interesting posts regarding his experiences with insurance reimbursements. Here are a few posts he wrote Back in March of this year: "Here's A Good One" http://theindependenturologist.blogspot.com/2007/03/heres-good-one.html
"5 Reasons For Denials" theindependenturologist.blogspot.com/2007/03/5-reasons-for-denials.html
"Never Say Die"
theindependenturologist.blogspot.com/2007/03/never-say-die.html
"Payment Not Guaranteed" theindependenturologist.blogspot.com/2007/03/payment-not-guaranteed.html
The insurance companies seem to be an adversarial system that looks for opportunities to deny claims or deny insurance applicants regardless of their legitimacy and everyone loses but the CEO's and directors, etc., whose wallets get fatter with each denial.
Doctors have given up many years of their lives pursuing a medical career. They have paid their dues. They work very hard with long days, on call nights and weekends, with a lot of responsibilities and pressures along with having to be ever vigilant in protecting themselves from malpractice suits. They are God's instruments of healing on earth - a truly noble profession.
It isn't right that they should be cheated out of fair compensation for the hard work they do or that they should have to waste precious time resolving insurance denials, etc.
when the time could be better spent with their patients or their own families.
It isn't right that people should be denied insurance coverage or have to fight for reimbursement on claims that should be paid. Sadly - many people don't even know to challenge a denial and that they have paid more money on a claim than they should have.
God forbid someone has a truly catastrophic medical illness causing astronomical medical bills so that even with insurance they could lose their home or not be able to continue their good medical care..
I don't pretend to be an informed politician, physician or insurance worker but I am a concerned voter, patient and insurance subscriber.
Having worked in the health field for 20 years I have witnessed the financial effect insurance companies have had on our hospital system. I have listened to the physicians complain about the ridiculously low or non reimbursements and their frustration with HMOs and treatment of their patients.
A little over a year ago, one surgeon personally told me he was involved in a lawsuit with
Our ED never turns anyone away, not even the uninsured. We always had to hand charity care forms to the self pay patients. I didn't want to embarrass anyone, so I offered it as financial assistance from the state- if they qualified. If the hospitals in NJ don't offer that to the self pay patients then the hospitals can lose money from the state.
I felt sorry for many of the people that didn't have insurance. Some of them were hard working but didn't have benefits. They were the people that fell between the cracks in that they couldn't afford their medical bills, etc. but they weren't poor or sick enough to qualify for public assistance programs like MDCD, SSI, etc. The charity care program covers the ED, in patient and out patient but not the private physicians.
I remember a patient presented to the ED with chest pain and the ED Doc wanted to admit him for observation but he signed out AMA. Why? Because he didn't have any insurance and he was concerned about the medical bill. Neither the medical staff nor his family could convince him to stay.
Even if covered by insurance – co-pays and deductibles can add up quickly. I experienced that myself last year and am on 4 different medical payment plans I set up with the hospital, etc. as a result of hitting catastrophic while simultaneously losing both jobs. The radiologists, anesthesiologists and ED docs don't participate with my plan and so the catastrophic level for them was even higher. One good thing and only because I pushed the ins reps about it is that instead of my ins co. paying them at 75% they have agreed to pay at 90% because the hospitals I used are participating and it is not my fault if the doctors don't. However, I have to review every EOB and call to remind them each time. They apparently don't want to let go of that money!
I have some questions for my friends across the pond, as you Brits say. :) Is the NHS system better than what you know of our American health care system? Are you completely happy with the NHS? Is it a huge burden in your taxes? Are there any drawbacks?
One night I had a patient come in to be registered to be seen in the ED for a dog bite. She told me she refused the rabies shot because she could get it for free when she flew home to
How about my Canadian friends? You have socialized medicine. Are you happy with your health care system? Do you pay for your prescriptions?
Years ago I read an article in Reader's Digest that did not paint a good picture of socialized medicine in
How about the doctors in countries with socialized medicine? Are they compensated well for all the years they have invested in medical school to practice in their profession? Are they happy with the system?
Is every facet of health care REALLY better in the countries that have socialized medicine?
Everyone complains but no one seems to have an answer.
Doctors and any other medical professionals must unite to become a part of the solution to effect change, taking health care in a better direction. Do they have representation in
Shame on the doctors who have betrayed their Hippocratic oath by becoming a part of the system that denies appropriate health care to people in need life saving surgeries, etc.
Is there ANY kind of system in place that acts as a watchdog on behalf of the doctors and the patients??? If there isn't - then shouldn't there be? God knows we have investigative committees for everything today. Should we not have one that will respond to red flags that go up in the insurance system for every denial they issue? One that will PENALIZE THE INSURANCE COMPANY FOR DENYING UNFAIRLY? These companies should be fined when they have unfairly denied a claim, not rewarded with higher incomes at the expense of someone else. And I will go one step further with this idea. I think the insurance employees that erroneously and unfairly deny payment of qualifying claims who work at ALL levels should be held accountable and penalized not rewarded with a higher salary or advancement. We are talking about people's lives and lively hood here!
Politicians must stop taking contributions from the insurance and pharmaceutical lobbyists and start working for the good of the people that elected them to their positions in the first place.
I believe BOTH parties have dropped the ball regarding health care in
So what precipitated this post? Michael Moore! I am NOT a fan of Michael Moore and have considered him to be the extreme far left which is the antithesis of what my political beliefs are. He has been known to distort the facts.
However, his documentary (Sicko) and the resulting discussions have me thinking about all of this again. So… Kudos to Mr.Moore, if his documentary brings this issue to the forefront in time for the presidential elections.
We all know our American health care system needs revisions. In addition to some of the problems I mentioned earlier, they are predicting MDCR will go bankrupt with the influx of baby boomers reaching retirement age. Then what?
Hospitals in inner cities are closing because they aren't making enough money because they are providing services to a poorer population who is either on MDCD or uninsured. What happens to those people in need of treatment? The ones that have or can afford transportation will seek treatment in another facility. And will the strain of extra patients from that population then cause a domino effect of inner city hospital closures? Not to mention the strain on EMT's and paramedics traveling greater distances.
Insurance premiums are increasingly more expensive while coverage and reimbursements decrease for both patients and medical providers.
I do take issue with the comparison of
http://econlog.econlib.org/archives/2007/06/health_care_bel.html
Another interesting post by Michael Kling "Reforming Our Beliefs Concerning Health Care"
http://www.tcsdaily.com/article.aspx?id=062107A
This next post on socialized medicine is from Panda Bear,MD and emergency medicine resident.
Post called "Soothsayer" by Shrodingers Cat an ED Doc from M.D.O.D. blogI am a bleeding heart conservative republican and I believe in free enterprise and national sovereignty, etc., but I do want to know if the citizens in the countries he discussed are as happy with their health care system as the people he interviewed in his documentary?
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I am feeling so very sentimental at this moment. Actually, it has been building for the last couple of months.
I feel like it is our son's first day of school... except... it is actually his LAST day of H.S. and then he will start college in the fall. More milestones!
This son is the baby - who is now 18 and will be 19 in October. Our other son is 26 and soon to be 27 in August.
They both went to nursery school and I was sentimental about their little preschool graduations - again another milestone. But that 1st day of public school - tore at my heart strings.
Both sons were 6 when they began kindergarten and I am glad that we had that extra growth year with them. Another year to plant seeds of good family values, etc. so that they would be that much stronger and wiser to resist the negative influences that they would no doubt encounter along life's journey.
First son was profoundly shy (he's anything but shy now) and resisted going to school that first day. It was time to take him out to the bus stop except this wonderful child decided to crawl under the kitchen table and while sobbing, simultaneously say, "Mommy - P.L.E.A.S.E don't MAKE me go to school!" Truth is I wanted to cry right along with him (he was ripping my heart out at that point) but I went into our bedroom to collect myself instead. The truth is -EVERYTHING in me really wanted to say, "It's o.k. honey. You can stay home and I will just breast feed you for the rest of my life." That is exactly what went through my head at that moment.
He looked so cute wearing his kindergarten bus tag. He seemed both little and vulnerable on the bus while looking down at me as we waved good bye. I stayed there, watching the bus until it disappeared out of sight. The bus stop is right near our property and so I started sobbing across the street, across our lawn - all the way into the house. Then, I started to enjoy my free time and we were both perfectly fine the next day.
Second son was more eager to go but by that time - 8 years later - there were other kids in the neighborhood and they were excited about going to school. Even older brother was at the bus stop as he was still in grade school, but at the other end of the spectrum - 8th grade.
(Older son had been an only child when he started school and didn't have other friends he was going with and he was shy. So, there was a totally different dynamic going on.)
This morning images of younger son were flashing through my mind as he was walking out to catch his ride to school. I was getting flashes of him at the bus stop wearing his little kindergarten name tag around his neck. He was wearing these really nice (Tasteful) Osh Gosh plaid pants, cute shirt and suspenders.
(I loved those Osh Gosh clothes! I got him and older son to wear suspenders up until 2nd grade - after that they refused! I love suspenders on men too as I think they look really sharp - but husband never liked them either. It must be genetic!)
Younger son looked so little,cute and vulnerable on the bus too. I also watched until that bus disappeared but I didn't cry because there were other mothers there and we were all too busy socializing! :) Still when I walked across the lawn to go in the house - I was wistful, but I didn't cry.
PART II
This morning I took a couple of pictures for a memento of the last time he is leaving to go to H.S. and then I took a couple of him and his friend after he got into his friend's vehicle. So this morning - there was no kindergarten bus tag around his neck, no Osh Gosh pants and no suspenders. Instead, the piture will be of our 6 ft something son with a goatee looking down at his Mom. :)
Then I got a couple of shots of them in the truck waving back at me. And now with their very deep manly voices shouting good bye as they drove down the road. I watched the truck disappear out of site. *sigh*
I didn't cry but I could feel the tears - sort of there or maybe they were only in my thoughts. And so I started blogging about my feelings. That was short lived though as younger son called from his cell to ask if I could please bring something to school for him. It was an odd feeling to think that this was the last school errand I would be running - maybe even fitting and even though simple, it felt so good to do it.
Then I went to McDonalds and got a fast food breakfast - comfort food no doubt. I haven't had a fast food breakfast since I stopped working for Lifeline in May 2006. It was s-o-o-o SALTY! I could taste the oil too - yuk! But, I forgot how much I liked those biscuits! :) I came home - made some more coffee and continued writing this post.
Afterthoughts: When they go off to kindergarten they from that point on will be exposed to and sometimes affected by outside influences. That is as it should be - moving forward - forging a path of new beginnings that will hopefully lead them to fulfilling their destinies - what they were created to do. They still have home and family influences but the dynamic does change.
Of course we welcome all the wonderful changes and opportunities but it is the negative forces that you know they will also encounter to varying degrees that caused me to feel like I wanted to put them in a plastic bubble of protection.
Good parenting is realizing that as much as we wish we could protect our children from all the bad encounters and experiences - that we can't. We can and should be there for them as the anchor for their storms and the light house illuminating the better path and be their rock of unconditional love and port of safety. We can and should be their solid foundation from which self confidence, compassion, wisdom, respect and love is developed. We can teach them to think independently - to see a situation for what it is and from that make sound decisions.
Most importantly - teach them about God. Help to instill faith in their creator and steer them into developing a personal relationship with God and because we are Christians - for us, specifically Jesus Christ. I always wanted them to know how much they were loved by God. I taught them that God was there all the time - even when people weren't. I taught them the salvation message and why that was more important than anything else in their lives. I told them that education was important, that money helped to make things nice and that friends and family were especially important but that salvation was THE most important of all because that determines where they will spend eternity. I also taught them to pray for healing because God does heal the sick. I just wanted them to know that no matter what happens in life that God is there for them and if they let him direct their paths, if they seek his guidance - it will always work out for good.
I remember a friend's mother who had 5 kids once telling me that she used to say. "All I can do is my best and now I let God do the rest." In the end that is all we can do. Just try to do our best. We made mistakes as parents. There are plenty of things I wish I could do differently. I think we all can say that about our lives in general. However, it is humanly impossible to always be there for our kids, but God in his omnipotence is. So I taught the boys about having faith in God. I wanted them to understand that there are people that "know of "God and then there are people that "know" God. There is the impersonal text book knowledge type of faith that really is memorization, etc and then there is a real relationship of love, trust and knowledge. One is forced the other is life giving. Even if they stray from God (and I think most of us do) I have always taken comfort in this scripture (I think from Proverbs - not sure) -"Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it." I also believe that when we have an active faith in God that it helps to keep us on the right track and when we stray (I think we all do) it is like a compass, helping us to find our way back.
One day when I was in the check-out line at our local supermarket with our first born son who was then a year old, an elderly lady looked at him, smiled and said, "Ohhhhh, these are the happy years." She meant well but it kind of haunted me because she was inferring enjoy them now - you won't always have this. I know what she meant but I didn't want to think about it. I also wondered if she was lonely.
Then after our 2nd son was born, someone else came up to me and while looking at him said, "Just remember - you can never go back." I did find that useful and have reflected back on that statement many times when making certain decisions.
They have grown up to be two fine, intelligent, discerning and compassionate young men with marvelous senses of humor too. We are privileged to be their parents and are so very proud of them. :)
You really don't realize how fast time moves on. Not so much in grade school, but when they hit H.S. - it seems like time flew by.
**We have a real busy few days coming up. Sunday- Father's day, Monday-my birthday and Tuesday- sons' graduation! So if I go MIA - that is why.