| Blogs > funomenal > From A to Z |
|
OBAMACARE ,,, CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN The Mayo Clinic, praised by President Barack Obama as a national model for efficient health care, will stop accepting Medicare patients as of tomorrow at one of its primary-care clinics in Arizona, saying the U.S. government pays too little. More than 3,000 patients eligible for Medicare, the government’s largest health-insurance program, will be forced to pay cash if they want to continue seeing their doctors at a Mayo family clinic in Glendale, northwest of Phoenix. Obama in June cited the nonprofit Rochester, Minnesota-based Mayo Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio for offering “the highest quality care at costs well below the national norm.” Mayo’s move to drop Medicare patients may be copied by family doctors, some of whom have stopped accepting new patients from the program, said Lori Heim, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, in a telephone interview yesterday. “Many physicians have said, ‘I simply cannot afford to keep taking care of Medicare patients,’” said Heim, a family doctor who practices in Laurinburg, North Carolina. “If you truly know your business costs and you are losing money, it doesn’t make sense to do more of it.” Medicare Loss The Mayo organization had 3,700 staff physicians and scientists and treated 526,000 patients in 2008. It lost $840 million last year on Medicare, the government’s health program for the disabled and those 65 and older, Mayo’s hospital and four clinics in Arizona, including the Glendale facility, lost $120 million on Medicare patients last year, Yardley said. The program’s payments cover about 50 percent of the cost of treating elderly primary-care patients at the Glendale clinic, Nationwide, doctors made about 20 percent less for treating Medicare patients than they did caring for privately insured patients in 2007, a payment gap that has remained stable during the last decade, according to a March report by the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, a panel that advises Congress on Medicare issues. Congress last week postponed for two months a 21.5 percent cut in Medicare reimbursements for doctors. A Medicare patient who chooses to stay at Mayo’s Glendale clinic will pay about $1,500 a year for an annual physical and three other doctor visits, according to an October letter from the facility. Each patient also will be assessed a $250 annual administrative fee, according to the letter. Medicare patients at the Glendale clinic won’t be allowed to switch to a primary care doctor at another Mayo facility. SOURCE BLOOMBERG  the older the girl, the harder it is blow smoke up her azz, quote 2 1/2 men  |
|||||
1/5/2010 5:52 am |
Well Well Johnny......I think I will check this out to see if this is the truth. Go ahead Johnny, hit me hard. I'm looking to the future and it's out of sight, only in the end shall I take flight.
| ||||
1/5/2010 7:25 am |
Something will be crammed down our throats this year. It is really not about making health care better its about politics. "The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind."....T. Paine
| ||||
1/5/2010 11:32 am |
the u.s Government pays to little for medicare ?? is this to little for the mega greedy or too little for common sense weve crossed this bridge in the u.k. with greedy dentists refusing to take national health patients ~ suprisingly after 2 years of reccession many arrogant dentists bereft of paying patients in this international cash crisis are now reconsidering taking back national health patients as private patients give up on paying unessecary private dental insurance as you would expect with private insurance companies as usual they wont pay for many treatments, commercial greed knows no bounds and many dentist run for the government guaranteed prices umbrella
| ||||
1/5/2010 1:07 pm |
I'm so glad obama has everying under control. If you don't believe everything is just great, ask him, he'll tell you all is well.
| ||||
|
Gosh funomeal, in reading your response to jovimarie, I don't think your facts are quite right about your veterans and their so-called 'poor' health care. My late hubby was in the Canadian military and we had American neighbours while serving in Europe whom I still keep in touch with. I know for a fact that this American as a US military veteran 'does' receive great health care. Yes, he also has private insurance but that was taken out simply because his wife has been under doctor's care for some time and he was incurring very high costs as a result. But I do remember at one time he and my hubby comparing pensions and health care and I don't believe he had any qualms in admitting that he was well taken care of. As for being taxed for health care etc, yes we in Canada are taxed heavily in all areas but insofar as our provincial health care is concerned, the highest a family (of any size) can be taxed is $750 per annum. In addition, most Canadians under the age of 65 and those whose income is above the poverty line do either carry private health insurance (if not already covered by a private or veteran's pension) for incidental items such as dental and eyewear. I'm sure this subject has been blogged many times yet so many seem to not remember or continue to turn a blind eye. In other words, from what I've read in blogs (& have seen in the news) many Americans would welcome some sort of health care emulating something similar to Canada and other countries that would reduce their current 'pay-out' amounts and yet take care of so many who do not have any other means and are often turned away from hospitals etc.
| ||||
|
Sorry sleek but I should have clarified this in my response. The friend that I referred to had been a career man for over 20 years and yes I am aware of their benefits (only if they are career men and women). The same applies here to retired military in Canada (my hubby was also a career man). Yes, that's partially right about our health care ... each province does have its own provincial health care system. However, Canada's national health insurance program (Canada's health care system is shared between the federal and provincial-territorial governments and this falls under the Canada Health Act), often referred to as "Medicare", is designed to ensure that all residents have reasonable access to medically necessary hospital and physician services. Instead of having a single national plan, we have a national program that is composed of 13 interlocking provincial and territorial health insurance plans (some are confused by this), all of which share certain common features and basic standards of coverage. At age 65 many benefits not covered suddenly click in and are funded. This government plan does not dictate what doctors or specialists you may have access to. All citizens still require private health coverage for things like dental, eye wear and some tests (most tests are covered by the provincial-federal plan such as annual physicals, blood-work and many other required tests). I do hope this has clarified some of the myths people (in general) have had about our health care system.
| ||||
|
Quoting Havenoone: ‘The comment that "only the richest in this country receive the best health care" is false. Everyone whether you are a US citizen or not will receive health care to the nth degree by the 1984 Recovery Act. You will be treated and cared for regardless of your status of insured/uninsured or ability to pay. Secondly, the Health Care system in the United States is one of the best if not the best’ Havenoone, if as you say, you have the best health care system in place currently, then why all the fuss? Why then are so many Americans unable to obtain health care such as an annual physical and health care insurance (something we take for granted here)? An annual physical is available to everyone in Canada and that includes the necessary tests involved (without private insurance). Are you one of those who has been entitled to a Veteran's pension & benefits? While I don't know about the health care systems in any of the communist countries, I do know about our health care system in Canada and also those of the UK and Europe. I realize that the US is a much larger country and I'm not attempting to make any comparisons. However, I'm sure some plan could have been put in place by the powers to be investigating the health systems of those countries I mention. Do you really believe that your conservatives would be in a position to formulate a much better health care plan for your country? Please believe that we also find fault with our government be it Liberal or Conservative (or any other party), many times, as I'm sure other countries do for their own but for the most part we continue to be thankful for what we've got through health care even though we feel there's always room for improvement (& many of us voice our opinions openly on this subject)! I believe that any health care system is open to looking after those illegals, welfare recipients and those who simply can't afford etc and I don’t see how that can change. As for the latest terrorist scare, yes that was the responsibility of Homeland Security and I'm sure someone is paying for their almost grave mistake now!! As you and I know, new security measures are being put in place as we write but I still question those in higher power such as the FBI and CIA with their so-called terrorist 'lists'. What happened there?
|
×
×