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My hubby has coronary artery disease, had 5 by-passes 12 years ago, had a pacemaker implanted 5 years ago but has done extremely well because he has continued to take good care of himself. He sees a cardiologist (one ine FL and one in KY twice a year) and has the pacemaker checked twice a year. We went yesterday for his 6 mo. check of his pacemaker yesterday. The following is an excerpt from a two page statement from our FL cardiology center.

"In order for your Doctor to become more efficient he may be asking one of his partners to care for you while you are in the hospital. Also some of your testing may be supervised by another doctor or our Cardiac Care Associate Nurses.

Different to most businesses, in the past we have provided many services at no extra charge. Unfortunately this will have to change. These services include filling out Family Medical Leave paperwork, insurance forms, disability forms, special letters and authorizations, and preoperative cardiac clearance requested by other doctors.

Our doctors are very concerned with the recent approach of the Government towards Cardiology and towards medicine in general. Unfortunately as our cost of providing medical care has continued to rise, the Government and insurance companies continue to decrease our reimbursement."

IMHO, this is only the beginning. Doesn't sound to me like we will be able to keep our DR of choice. And we will have the govt. making decisions about what tests and services will be provided. If you are young and healthy, you will be okay. If you are older, have existing conditions, you will get treatment based on govt. guidelines. If you have the money to pay yourself, you'll get the treatment you want. If not...too bad, so sad! If you aren't concerned, then you either have your head in the sand or up your rectum! JMHO!

Scary RE3

RE3, I am sorry to hear that your hubby has these problems, that is not good.

But....I have to make a couple of points. Why wouldn't the people you are dealing with provide you with details about what they are doing to control costs, rather than simply blaming it on their reimbursments and charging it back to you? Are they not accountable for cost?

Second, "Government Reimbursments"? Does this not constitute government health care? Is this not the same thing I hear on this forum and everywhere else that everyone is fighting against? I hope we are not saying that is is only the older people who are entitled to coverage because they worked all their lives, because that would be the same as saying our children are not entiled to health care because they haven't earned it yet!

So on one hand we say that the government should stay the @#$% out of our health care, then on the other hand we admonish them for reducing the payments to the same 'Government Run' health care!

Honestly I am not trying to be flip about this and I do NOT have my head in the sand or up my rectum!

I have lived more than 3/4 of my life with Government run health care and I can say that it is not a perfect system but it is not the end of the world as we know it. (There is a LOT of good about it too!)

My parents (who have many medical problems at their current age) are getting MUCH better care in Canada than I am right now. The doctor they have right now gives them extraordinary care and attention and I am very happy about that.

I'm not saying that this is 100% the way to go, but I am sick of hearing about people that have gone bankrupt in this country for health care reasons or can't get any at all, when all the providers do is continue to raise the costs to you rather than doing anything to control costs!

Maybe "they" have their head in their rectums!

They have childern's programs for needy childern already. (mostly state run)

As for the rest getting healthcare yes they HAVE to earn it in my opinion. If they don't earn it then they can die like the rest of us would if we didn't. This is why the gene pool is getting so messed up to begin with.

Please everyone watch Idiocracy just once. It is already happening.

Respectfully, KYCanuck, I hear what you are saying but.....To compare the Canadian health care system to the US is ludicrous at this point. That system has been in existence for a long time and set up specifically to be a govt. run system. What is happening in the US is totally different. When my husband reached the age of 65, STRS of Ohio, his pension provider, required him to go on Medicare and he then paid for his secondary ins. He had no choice......Over the years, as costs have risen (as in ALL businesses), the govt. reimbursements have been reduced, ins. cos. collect less and therefore raise premiums. I'm not totally blaming the govt. for rising costs. But this new legislation will do nothing more than take from the rich and middle class and give more to the poor. If you want to fix the system in this country, torte reform would do more than redistribution of the wealth, IMHO! A massive bill which has been poorly constructed will do nothing but create more confusion and bureacracy.

And ya really want to get me going....What incentive is there to be a healthy, responsible person under this system. Go out and eat, drink, drug and smoke yourself to near death! Then spend all your money and apply for govt. health care, which is your "right". Screw the person who has worked hard his whole life, paid premiums out the wazoo, taken care of his health as best as possible, gets an illness through no fault of his own other than genetics or age. Screw him because our resources are better spent on the "rights" of others who were too stupid to care for themselves. Ya better have deep pockets because you are expendable unless you pay for it yourself. Oh, wait...you can't afford it because you have to pay for everyone else! I'm not a cold-hearted person by any means. And I'm all for giving a hand up to those in need! But I'll be danged if I want to increase the hand outs!

I hear what you are saying and you are correct comparing the two is not really valid at this point as the Canadain system is very well established. I also agree that I don't want to give hand outs to the people who don't work for it, I say make them buy some sort of insurance and pay at least part of their way. Today those same people just go to an emergency room and get "Free" health care that we are all paying for regardless. If you make them contribute some of it, at least we are ahead of where we are today.

I'm really talking more about people like you and I (and yes, I have worked my Butt off for a lot of years, 23 with the same company) and I feel "I" deserve affordable health care and I should not have to worry about being one serious illness away from going bankrupt. I am also talking about the hard working people who can afford insureance right now but may have young children and have the fear hanging over their heads that their children don't get seriously ill.

You are also ABSOLUTELY correct about a massive health bill to correct the system but our own government and a lot of the people will not allow that to happen. The result is what we got, some basterdized version of the original plan where nothing but the special interest is taken care of.
Do I agree 100% with the Health Care reform that just passed, no, but it is something and maybe, just maybe it is a step in the right direction. Baby steps!

Please, please don't take my comments as a slight or in any way disrespectful, I respect your opinions and I like a good debate because if nothing else I just may learn something along the way!

E_HILLMAN wrote:They have childern's programs for needy childern already. (mostly state run)

As for the rest getting healthcare yes they HAVE to earn it in my opinion. If they don't earn it then they can die like the rest of us would if we didn't. This is why the gene pool is getting so messed up to begin with.

Please everyone watch Idiocracy just once. It is already happening.

E, what I was refering to about children was what they just passed that they can't get refused for pre-existing conditions, I think that is a Fantastic thing. Keep in mind that poor children are not the only ones to develop serious illnesses or have accidents.

I also agree with you about people earning it. Today they just have to walk into an emergency ward, get free health care and we all pay the bill....In Full! If we force those people to at least pay some portion of their health care then they have no choise but to contribute to and earn it!

Also read my post to RE3, I am not necessarily talking about poor people I am talking about reform that will protect the hard working middle class people like you and I so we don't have to live in fear of getting sick and loosing everything to pay for it!
I think we are taking some baby steps in the right direction! JMO

KYCanuck wrote:

You are also ABSOLUTELY correct about a massive health bill to correct the system but our own government and a lot of the people will not allow that to happen. The result is what we got, some basterdized version of the original plan where nothing but the special interest is taken care of.
Do I agree 100% with the Health Care reform that just passed, no, but it is something and maybe, just maybe it is a step in the right direction. Baby steps!

Please, please don't take my comments as a slight or in any way disrespectful, I respect your opinions and I like a good debate because if nothing else I just may learn something along the way!

Does health care need to be reformed? Absolutely. My concern is that this "bastardized" version just doesn't cut it and we have no way of paying for it. Now that people are actually reading the bill and seeing all the pitfalls, it is only going to get worse. That cardiology group of which I was writing has always done the utmost to keep costs down. The cardiologist my husband has been seeing was willing to actually listen to the patient and not order unnecessary tests and procedures as SOP. But even under that scenario, he sees himself being pinched. This "reform" will do nothing to help him and will hurt his existing patients, IMHO. I also believe that giant steps were taken, not baby steps. And aren't the bleeding hearts gonna be sad when their mad constituents figger out their "free ride" is further down the road than they thought? Holy crap! WTF is the IRS doing regulating this thing? They can't even pay their own taxes so how the heck are they gonna administrate this? I must jist be gittin' old, 'cause I feel too stoopid to comprehend it!

And don't worry about my opinions. Have you seen the way these bozos talk about sweet lil ole me? Sheesh! Now, quit makin' me say bad words on Easter!

re3too wrote: And don't worry about my opinions. Have you seen the way these bozos talk about sweet lil ole me? Sheesh! Now, quit makin' me say bad words on Easter!

I hear the way "E" talks to you but I don't believe anything he says!!!

KYCanuck wrote:

re3too wrote: And don't worry about my opinions. Have you seen the way these bozos talk about sweet lil ole me? Sheesh! Now, quit makin' me say bad words on Easter!

I hear the way "E" talks to you but I don't believe anything he says!!!

Well, then you is the smartest Canuck I ever did know!

re3too wrote:

KYCanuck wrote:

re3too wrote: And don't worry about my opinions. Have you seen the way these bozos talk about sweet lil ole me? Sheesh! Now, quit makin' me say bad words on Easter!

I hear the way "E" talks to you but I don't believe anything he says!!!

Well, then you is the smartest Canuck I ever did know!

Well thank y........................Hold on, how many Canucks have you known!!!!

Just one place to start that would save the US billions. Get rid of Reed & Pelosi. She wants to give ALL ILLEGAL's access to our SS, Medicar along with free food, housing and spending money. I say WHAT PART OF ILLEGAL don't you understand. Ship their arss back where they came from. Just on this weekend. Spokesman for hispanic district says that the Mexicans are affraid to fill out the census, WHY? Because they are affraid that immigration will come and visit. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And the saga continues.....If anyone here believes that this new healthcare will not change business as usual, you need to get you head out of your arse! When we are in KY, we need a primary care physician just in case. Our former one will no longer accept my hubby's insurance (a Medicare Advantage Plus plan) and there are NO Drs. in Somerset who will accept new patients who are on Medicare. All we need is someone just in case and to order routine blood tests. I can't even begin to tell you how pi$$ed I am! Guess we'll just have to be like all the other deadbeats and illegals and go in thru the ER! "You do have chest pains don't you dear? I'm sure it's a heart attack, not a sinus infection!" Years of paying premiums and only using the care when needed and now we're gonna be focked! Lies, lies and more lies!

I am sorry to hear that Barb. I wish folks like yourself could get this message to the whole USA. This focker is ruining our country and has done many things that are beyound repair. I am fortunate that I work and have great insurance. If I ever quit, I have no idea about insurance. I know that with all my health issues, I havn't seen many agents knocking at my door wanting to insure me. Plus I can't imagine how much it is going to cost me. So I guess I will work until I die at the desk. What a sad state of affairs this man has put onto us.

Spare Change wrote: I wish folks like yourself could get this message to the whole USA.

I could shout it to the rooftops but most aren't going to believe it until it comes up and bites them in THEIR a$$! Just had a "conversation" with John's 32 year old Obama lovin' grandson this weekend trying to get him to understand reality but to no avail. As long as it benefits him NOW, he doesn't give a rat's a$$ about the ramifications for older Americans and hischildren's future. Talk about short-sighted! Afraid we've raised a couple of generations of'em!

I think you may be right re3too. Although, this world is changing so fast for them too they probably just expect it to be like that....

Everything is made to throw away, technology changes so fast they are willing to spend thousands a year to keep up with it, it's a whole different world out there for the younger crowd.

Can you imagine spending a few hundred a month on TV, Internet and Phone just 20 yrs ago??? So many things unnecessary but they are totally absorbed they feel it is a necessity.

A month since my last rant.....Called John's cardiologist here in KY today to schedule a check of his pacemaker. In the course of the conversation they asked if there had been any change in ins. since his last visit. I told them he had been switched from straight Medicare with a secondary ins. plan to a Medicare Advantage Plus plan. I was informed that this Dr. is not a provider and we would have to pay ourselves. I also called some other local Drs.again trying to find a primary care physician and no one is accepting new Medicare patients (they don't have to if they have met their quota.) So good luck to anyone who's trying to find a Dr. and your primary ins. is Medicare. The rep at the ins. provider I spoke with today said this is happening a lot. Sounds like a "death squad" to me!
I hope people are satisfied with the "change" they've gotten!

Wow Barb

So sorry you are going through such a hassle. I really hope come November we can change things in Washington and get rid of this new law.

Sunset Lady wrote:I really hope come November we can change things in Washington and get rid of this new law.

The best health care in the world is quickly going to hell in a hand basket.

Barb, states are suing the feds everyday. I bet you can find an attorney that would take this and run with it.Probably at no charge, he just needs to be republican. I truly think you should go to the news nedia, this is true Obama bull$$h1t.

Part of the problem is that there has always been a Medicare quota. What I suspect is happening is that Drs. that previously accepted Medicare assignment are now pulling in their horns as a form of protest. Can't prove it but that is my theory. Meanwhile, TS if yer gittin' old!

Did ya'll read ProVle's saga of healthcare at the lake (on lc.com)? That kinda chit is only gonna get worse under Obamacare due to fewer qualified MD's going into practice because of fear of lawsuits, poor compensation and lack of torte reform. That piece of chit "law" ain't worth the thousands of trees killed to put it in print! Sell your toys and save your money so you can pay your own way IF there are any drs. left who will actually work for your money!

that really blows re3too.
it's a god blame shame in this great country of ours we can get a pizza to our house faster than you can an ambulance.

E_HILLMAN wrote:They have childern's programs for needy childern already. (mostly state run)

As for the rest getting healthcare yes they HAVE to earn it in my opinion. If they don't earn it then they can die like the rest of us would if we didn't. This is why the gene pool is getting so messed up to begin with.

Please everyone watch Idiocracy just once. It is already happening.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSROlfR7WTo