Evil Doctors. We need change!

[verytwistedmind.livejournal.com]

 

 

"Right now, doctors a lot of times are forced to make decisions based on the fee payment schedule that’s out there. So if they’re looking and you come in and you’ve got a bad sore throat or your child has a bad sore throat or has repeated sore throats, the doctor may look at the reimbursement system and say to himself, “You know what? I make a lot more money if I take this kid’s tonsils out.”

-President Obama

All I’m saying is let’s take the example of something like diabetes, one of—a disease that’s skyrocketing, partly because of obesity, partly because it’s not treated as effectively as it could be. Right now if we paid a family—if a family care physician works with his or her patient to help them lose weight, modify diet, monitors whether they’re taking their medications in a timely fashion, they might get reimbursed a pittance. But if that same diabetic ends up getting their foot amputated, that’s $30,000, $40,000, $50,000—immediately the surgeon is reimbursed. Well, why not make sure that we’re also reimbursing the care that prevents the amputation, right? That will save us money.

- President Obama

 But what we can do is make sure that at least some of the waste that exists in the system that's not making anybody's mom better, that is loading up on additional tests or additional drugs that the evidence shows is not necessarily going to improve care, that at least we can let doctors know and your mom know that, you know what? Maybe this isn't going to help. Maybe you're better off not having the surgery, but taking the painkiller.

-President Obama

First of kudos to the President for using the word pittance! That's like using whilst. You just don't get to do that every day!

Second, thank god someone is bringing to light the fact that doctors are evil, and money hungry, hatchet men! This is why I refuse to go to the doctor until Obamacare is in effect! 
Last point, as a young man who has a 94 year old great grandma and a 70-something great aunt I am all for Obama's 'take a pill you annoying old lady' policy!”  They'd be a lot less crazy if they were properly doped up!


 

 

Side note: my Word spell check does not recognize 'Obama' or 'Obamacare' is my Microsoft inherently racist?
If socialism is the new 'N' word I think Microsoft Word (and all Microsoft  2007 programs) should be consider some racial pejorative.

Comments

[reflaxion.livejournal.com]

If you use enough bold words, exclamation posts, and race cards in your posts, does it really invalidate the concept of doctors advocating unnecessary procedures in order to make a larger profit? And can I apply this technique to other arguments, too?

[verytwistedmind.livejournal.com]

The concept and the reality of doctors advocating unncessary procedures in order to make a larger profit are two different things. What my President is doing by making these blanket statements is accusing all doctors of doing this. If this were true he should be focusing more on regulating them and less on his 1017 page bill, that he hasn't read or aware of.

[reflaxion.livejournal.com]

He did not accuse all doctors of doing this. He did say that it does happen frequently. And in fact, the blocks of text you quoted seem to support the idea that Obama would like to find a way to stop the practice of pushing unnecessary drugs and procedures, since they all relate to the topic.

[verytwistedmind.livejournal.com]

Frequently? Don't you think he should have to back that up with evidence?

[reflaxion.livejournal.com]

He's not writing a research paper, he's making a speech. As long as he's not lying, he shouldn't have to do anyone's homework for them. I don't see why people can't take a little responsibility for their own knowledge and look stuff up for themselves.

In any case, I'll back him up on his claim: http://www.naturalnews.com/012291.html (http://www.naturalnews.com/012291.html) It's admittedly a somewhat biased page, but it takes a lot of quotes from other sources, some considerably more reputable than the site itself.

[redheadrat.livejournal.com]

Bureaucrats in DC decided that the physician's time with patient is worth less than their own, but that physician should pay multiples of their expenses for education and the right to treat patients.

Result is: overworked, overstressed people who NEED to try to suck every possible penny out of the customer.

[verytwistedmind.livejournal.com]

I like the phrase "right to treat patients" that should be a new talking point.

[redheadrat.livejournal.com]

Try to treat a patient anywhere in USA and see the consequences.

[fizzyland.livejournal.com]

Everything with you comes down to either "bureaucrats" or "legislation", always with the vagueness.

[soliloquy76.livejournal.com]

Hey, it's a bunch of hyperbole and dilution. What a surprise.

I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you're interested in a productive discussion despite the snarkgasm. Other than the "blanket statement" you mention in a previous comment, what else do you find problematic with those quotes in full context? If you disagree that abuse in the system is a problem, why not include some statistics to support your thesis?

[verytwistedmind.livejournal.com]

Why didn't the President, before demagoguing doctors, back up his statement with statistics?

[soliloquy76.livejournal.com]

http://community.livejournal.com/talk_politics/202972.html?thread=12064988#t12064988

Now you, unless your only purpose is hyperbole and dilution.

[abomvubuso.livejournal.com]

Using pittance and whilst? Sooo eleeteest >:-[

[mahnmut.livejournal.com]

Nah. I just think Microsoft hasn't got enough time to get updated. :-)

[verytwistedmind.livejournal.com]

I agree, they need to update all of Microsoft suites.

[the-rukh.livejournal.com]

There was nothing remotely stating that your 90 year old or 70 year old were the ones he was talking about when he said that sometimes people don't actually need surgery, but I guess if you're making your own reality similar to most conservatives are right now it doesn't matter what he actually says. Its all death camps and socialism.

[mcpreacher.livejournal.com]

i've managed to criticize obama extensively without being called racist, fyi

maybe you're doing it wrong

[geezer-also.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but you generally are on the left, and everyone knows people on the left aren't racists.

[mcpreacher.livejournal.com]

i also managed to withhold my latent white man's urge to call him a thug or a kenyan usurper, so that might have been it

[dwer.livejournal.com]

every day is a struggle of one kind or another, my friend. Rush Limbaugh is just weaker then the rest of us, right? :D

[mcpreacher.livejournal.com]

given how much i've heard him and others complain about how "unfair" it is that he's not allowed to use racial slurs even though "blacks call each other that" i can only assume he barely has the self control to contain his urge

[dwer.livejournal.com]

I hear oxycontin helps with the mental anguish.