I like that idea. People dedicated to getting the truth out and counteracting these lies. People who's only JOB is that. I love it.

A place a consumer can call to get accurate information. The number should be posted in every federal government facility (post offices, etc.) A public service announcement on TV would be nice.

Currently, there is only http://www.healthcare.gov/

The site contains a lot of information, but not all seniors have access to or use computers.

rumors and innuendos start that soon become the gospel truth ... and eventually all of this crap becomes cemented as factual ... and once that happens, it's psychologically extremely difficult to get the "real" truth out. Obama needs a large full time staff fighting this crap, effectively.

My brother is on SS Disaility and about a month and a half ago had to be rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery. His recovery was long and difficult. During that time there were several instances of the nurses, and once by a doctor, where they blamed Obama Care for complete B.S. I believe we have a concerted effort on behalf of the medical profession to lie about the Act. If Obama is not careful, he will lose it this way. I spoke with others at the hospital, and that is what they were told as well. It usually went like, "...because of Obamacare, we have to run these tests again..." Or "... You can't have that due to Obamacare..." I believe the docs and nurses are being told to do this at their continuing education courses or by some other means. We need some whistle blowers!

I work in the hip replacement floor, lots of oldsters.

Of course, there's still a lot of doctors bullshitting about stuff.

which is considered one of the best in the world, the doctors here were probably last in their class. When Gov. Good Hair Perry signed the medical malpractice tort reform, he went all over the state doing ceremonial signings. He came to Beaumont to sign because we had the highest number of medical malpractice verdicts in the state. I protested with many union members that our firm represents. I saw the doc who amputated the wrong leg of a patient because he was found to be drunk during the surgery walk past to go into the ceremony, as well as several other terrible docs. We have one Orthopedic group and they are very large. They only play Fox News on all of their many TV's. If they find out that their patient has a law suit, or has filed a comp claim, they drop them. I hope it is just my area doing this, but it was definetely a planned, concerted effort. I told them to stop with the lies about Obamacare. It felt good to call them out, but I doubt it did any good.

and still does.

I just had a major discussion with a couple of folks who voted Republican in large part because of the uncorrected lies about the affordable care act. They are now blaming their pension plan changing the rules as to who is eligible for health care on Obama, rather than on the trend (going on for at least 8 years) for defined benefit plans to decrease health care benefits and increase the requirements to become part of the plan. One friend with the same extremely costly illness my daughter has was also completely unaware of the low cost PCIP plans, and didn't believe they could be real health insurance plans when I told him.

We have been fighting the failure to sell the Affordable Care Act for 2 years - a failure premised on people loving it once it is implemented, which failed to take into account that the biggest benefits to consumers would not be implemented until 2014

gawd damn you Obama!!!

That has to be unethical.

Send a letter to the hospital that health decisions are being made based not only on politics, but false information not relevant to the patient's condition. The hospital and its doctors have liability if they are prematurely operating on people and taking on unnecessary risks for these absurd reasons.

The entire hospital staff should be put on notice that this is unacceptable.

After all this is a person trying to run a scam on your father.

I wouldn't hesitate to post his name on the Internet.

(And the author doesn't know the doctor's name - follow the link in the OP)

I would call that doctor, and ask him why he lied to my dad. Then I would make him show me exactly where it says Obamacare was going to cut those services. If he could not, I would demand he call my dad and say he lied to him. If he refused, I would ask him why he chose to be a doctor. With lies like that, he should have been a politician!

, he can't sue him for malpractice, unless he can prove the operation wasn't necessary. He can't do that unless something goes wrong though. If he needed it anyway, then he can't really blame Obamacare, because that didn't prevent him from getting the operation. How was he going to pay for it anyway? Obamacare didn't take any benefits from him regarding major surgery?

go after him for fraud.

or idiots - or greedy tools.

I have at least one relative doctor who is a drug-addicted, adulterous, lying jerk. Oh, and he's arrogant too.

Oh well.

I've noticed this also.

The doctor was telling him a lie, but the Dad chose to believe it. Five minutes of research on the internet would have shown clearly that the doctor was full of it. The fact is that elderly folks are much more conservative than younger ones and are more inclined to believe the right-wing party line.

His doctor is in a position of great trust, as all doctors are -- and this doctor just violated the hell out of that trust. Elderly Dad is the victim here.

It's confusing and hard to explain, even for many of it's biggest supporters.

It may turn out to be fine, and maybe even popular, but right now it's just hard to understand.

Medicare either

and in spite of its flaws, there is no way the blue dogs would have let anything else go through, no matter how much people think they could have gotten a public option

It now insures 40 million uninsured people which were costing you a premium price

It is the first step for Medicare for all, but that will not happen until people start voting in their own interests

It is just that no one bothered, assuming the plan would sell itself once it was implemented. That doesn't work when the major benefits are not implemented immediately and the falsehoods take on a life of their own.

As to this particular lie, the plan expressly forbids the Independent Payment Advisory Board from rationing care generally (i.e. no one over 70 can get a hip replacement), or with respect to individual people (granny can't get a hip replacement because she is in poor health).

Affordable Care Act.

Oh wait - That's what it's really called.

lulz

How about "It's Health Insurance Reform!!!!! That Covers Nearly All Americans Act!"

Or "I can has healthcare"

continues to be so.

drum up his business.

clearly

2 of Mom's doctor offices, my niece ( a nurse in a hospital) AND my brother in law!

Fuks Noise is really spinning the lies.

You father needs to remember that Doctors used to Recommend smoking cigarettes. Trust ONLY your loved ones. Your doctor works for You. You don't work for Him.

she was diagnosed with lung cancer, and they pussyfooted around
telling her the truth..'she's so emotionally fragile..'
she wasn't stupid, neither was I.
Too many doctors have a napoleon complex,
and think they have the upper hand.
It's all ego because our culture deifies the medical profession.
This crap has got to stop.

are not well trained in how to deal with the emotional fallout of giving someone the truth of their diagnosis/prognosis without coming off like a steel automoton. It's hard. It's uncomfortable. It's painful for the practitioner too, and part of avoiding "that talk" is self-preservation as well.

It's a difficult line to walk for a person who has dedicated the work of their life, year after year after year, to assisting people in various states of injury, accident, disease, misfortune and pain. It's hard to find that balance between internalizing all of that suffering, thereby making yourself a useless practitioner and a wreck of a person, and becoming a cold, heartless robot. Nurses tend to learn this skill over time because they have more practice and by the nature of their profession, they spend so much more time with families and clients. But it's not easy. It never becomes easy. Avoiding is easier emotionally, and doctors have more opportunity to avoid, and so some of them do.

I just wanted to point out that what may outwardly look sometimes like ego or a god complex is actually sometimes simple fear, and weariness of hurt and pain.

if not over

I can't believe that he doesn't understand the concept of bias. He has kind of an existential view of politics, leans heavily right, but somewhat independent. Overall he enjoys irritating me more than anything else.

This doesn't surprise me at all. Health care is THE business in this place. Yes, very RED Republican area.

My neighbors are snowbirds and will not be treated in Naples. Right now the husband had some health issues and he went back to Pa. to be treated, rather than having it done here. The wife did the same when she needed a knee replacement.

It also goes beyond the health care industry too. Remember, ASG CEO threatened to fire his employees if they voted for Obama?

Naples and Marco Island are blood red towns. I live in Naples, and I lived and worked on Marco for over 8 years. Healthcare for Seniors is KING here. And right wing misinformation runs rampant throughout the medical community. Physicians are the biggest transmitters of the misinformation.

Last edited Thu Dec 13, 2012, 11:05 AM - Edit history (1)

I would have a hard time going to a doctor that is so easily fooled, I would have doubts as to just how smart a person he actually is.

is because the patient needs it. The only reason it should be done now is because he needs it now. Doctor wants to make money off of it and he won't until the patient gets it. Things like that are to reduce pain and some people avoid surgery. If the doctor lies about this, what else is he lying about?

Customers need to be persuaded to buy them.

Not that it isn't easy to slide around them. I recall how every kid had their tonsils out at one time and it was later suggested it may not have been needed for every sore throat.

Some are highly ethical; some are sleazebags. It's not limited to medical doctors. Consider lawyers, for example.

Nowadays. But I recall the letter of Abe Lincoln where he disapproved the practice of going through deed title records in order to find grounds for dispute.

Lawyer actions have a client who wants to do it behind them, however, and though others may disapprove of the case, it is still something the courts can decide. Though limited by some rules against frivolous filings for purposes other than settling a dispute. Personal injury cases may be unpopular with some, but when the jury gives the plaintiff a verdict, that means the case was sustainable.

Most people wouldn't do a procedure a doctor wanted unless they were in pain or afraid for their health. If you need the type of surgery the OP is talking about, there are people who would put it off as the pain is not so great that they may prefer it to undergoing surgery. This doctor is clearly trying to talk them into it, which is fine, but he's lying about the financing of it, not the medical benefits and trying to create pressure to do it now rather than put it off.

If it's not, it should be.

I'm not sure about legality, but it is certainly against our oath to "do no harm". It's something the state medical board should know about.

Hell, if people don't think they need particular procedures NOW, they may eventually die without every contributing significantly to doctor's vacation home.

Doctors have lied to me and fucked my life up more that anyone in my entire 60 years. If you think for one minute your health is a priority your crazy. If you are in chronic pain and have thousands of dollars of records to prove it you will still be treated like a criminal, BECAUSE the DEA have the spineless doctors scared shitless. quote from my doctor "if I don't do what the DEA tells me they will take my licenst to write prescriptions, how would you like that?" Fuck you thats what I think. I have had doctors say "we don't want the feds on our ass" Doctors don't work for you, they work for the pharmaceuticals and the DEA. Scared for their job, your health is the least of their concerns. I just went thru this with my brother, he died october 5, and I heard lots of bullshit from incompetent people. Had we had money or insurance he would have had a completely different outcome I'm positive.
What do they call a person who finishes last in medical school? DOCTOR
Why do you think they call it PRACTICING medicine? Because your nothing but a guenie pig.

about cutting out treatment for old folks and death panels and such. We're going to have sick elderly people who are afraid to see a doctor or go to a hospital because they believe that shit and think they'll be killed. I wouldn't be surprised to find out it's already happening.

That's what it is.

Your father is being coerced into a medical procedure by false information.

If your father's doctor truly told him that he should have surgery soon, because Obamacare will not allow him to in the future, then a complaint to the state's medical board is in order. (State medical boards regulate physician licenses)

I say this as an MD.

First and foremost, what your needs are, and who your insurance allows.

For the young and generally healthy, family practice or internal medicine docs are great choices.

For adults with somewhat more complicated medical problems, an internist (internal medicine board certified) doc might work better.

You also have to consider who your doc works with. Would you be okay with seeing another practice physician or NP/PA from time to time?

If you're one to be hospitalized from on occasion, where do you go to the hospital? Does your doctor have privileges there (if you want to be seen by the same physician in the hospital, which is rare these days). Or does your doctor have an affiliation to the docs who work there (communication about patients tends to work better between docs who know each other).

Does anybody you know use any of the docs you're considering? What's their impression? Do their docs listen to them? Does their office respond quickly to their calls?

Then you've got to meet the doc for yourself and decide if the two of you can have a good working relationship (i.e good communication, honesty and the ability to question each other?

Hope this helps.

In-be-fucking-liveable!

bet at the bottom of this is doctor needing a new toy, outstanding bill, yeah they owe also or .. vacation for him and the missus/mistress. Why is this country so fucked up. The love of money did this. Christian nation my ass.

That's such a major surgery for someone that age. Recovery time is quite long and usually spent in a nursing home with physical therapy. I have a girlfriend in her mid sixties who is presently recuperating in a nursing home due to knee replacement surgery. I also have another friend who went through knee replacement and an infection has developed. He's in more pain now that he suffered with his real knee. Infection is a major problem with this type of surgery so I hope your dad gives it serious thought before he agrees to have it done.

I would call this doctor and let him know you're aware of his borderline attempt to commit Medicare fraud and you plan to step in and be your father's advocate where his health care is concerned. Hell, I'd call Medicare and report this possible fraud. This is the milking that's occurring nationwide and part of the reason why Medicare is so expensive.

Knees are MUCH harder than hips both in terms of complications and recovery. It's fairly common for people in their 80's to get new hips with very good results.

knees are trickier than hips (which may not be intuitive), however they get extremely good outcomes with both surgeries for people in their 80s.

The older a person is--the longer it takes to heal--so if you need something like this done it is better not to wait. However, I have known 90 year old people who have gotten hip replacements and done fine.

The Doctors and Lawyers want to bleed you dry before you die.

They will make you poor, even if they have to kill you in the process.

that was 3 years ago. I disagreed with him and had no qualms about the prescription because if he found me unqualified, I wouldn't have to pay the exorbitant $200 fee for a 15 minute visit. He was a total hack and I have since found a MM doc who knows his stuff, charges 50 bucks, and told me he wished medicare would cover medical marijuana. He has also recommended other therapies that have helped my pain. My "regular" doc wouldn't prescribe MM but offered me prescription pain pills and sleeping pills for my issues. She also "warned me" about Obamacare. I told her no thanks for the addicting pills with the side effects and no thanks to her right wing misinformation. I suggested she read the AFA and she laughed and said "all 2000 pages?" I told her my insurance policy was 10 pages explaining why nothing will be covered and the AFA actually directs insurance companies to cover health problems. It is simply, much needed regulation of the health insurance industry, may they rot in hell.
Personally, I had hoped for Medicare part E for Everyone. The simplest and most efficient way to fix the health care crisis in America. I became eligible for Medicare in November, after 5 months with no health insurance and the fear that something as simple broken leg could break us.

She said she had to change prescriptions last year, even though she didn't want to, because of Obamacare according to her doctor. I explained to her it hadn't even kicked in yet for stuff like that, but she wouldn't hear it.

Sad and deluded and low-information.

Now I tell you my GPs really like it...and wouldn't change it at all. My doctor says now more people are healthier.

plenty of assholish RW doctors with their own agenda ($$$$$). I had a surgeon sit in my hospital room a few years ago and rail on and on about the coming Obamacare and how terrible it will be. I was whacked out on morphine, a few hours post-op, couldn't even tell you whether it was day or night, and this man wanted to tell me all about Obama's health care plan and why he opposed it.

just got this "things are about to get a lot worse" thing from a doctor. Doctors are like anybody else. They don't understand something, crap floats around the watercooler, a certain number of them get nervous and start to believe it. Doom is being preached to doctors, they are passing it along. They shouldn't be, but they are.

"I have to wait until I'm 65 so I can get my hip replaced on Medicare."

and should be reported to the Attorney General in the state they live in and the US Attorney General and HHS-OIG.

Source - me, I'm a medicare fraud investigator and if this were in my state I would alert the authorities immediately.

Of course--my Dad really needs the surgery and in any case shouldn't put it off any longer. His Dr. (Orthopedics) said that a lot of these things are going to get rationed for people over 70 within the next few years and that he better not wait.

Oh--and his primary care retired and some of his other specialists are now refusing to take on more Medicare patients because they claim reembursements are being cut.

Rich douchbag Drs are trying to scare the elderly.

And its a crime.

Its a money making crime imho. They are purposefully mis-representing a patient's medical situation in order to generate money off medical procedures that aren't called for.

Wow.

Somebody needs to report that asap.