Comments on: Duplicitous Blue Dogs

By: Da King

Da King — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:47:57 +0000

Rev,
Yes, many doctors still do take Medicaid patients, because, as I pointed out, they still have a method to makeup for the loss they take on Medicaid patients by raising the rates on non-Medicaid/Medicare patients. My point was that under single payer, that option would no longer exist. If the public option is implemented with Medicare/Medicaid payments levels, that will drive the private insurers out, and result in single payer. That will have an adverse effect on supply and demand regarding doctors.

We also need some mechanism to keep the vastly increased number of Medicaid patients under ObamaCare from going to ER's to get care for non-emergency medical conditions. Because these patients are completely detached from the costs of their own health care, they have no motivations to care about how much it costs. Somebody else is paying.

By: The Reverend

The Reverend — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 12:37:18 +0000

Doctors aren't going to leave their profession. Where in the blazes are they going to go? The rest of the industrialized world already prohibits price gouging.

King…many doctors do take new Medicare patients…so the rates must not be hurting them that much.

average..you're right on Baucus. As a Democrat, I don't want or need guys like Baucus.

By: larry d.

larry d. — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 11:25:05 +0000

Only the smart doctors will leave the profession, King. There are plenty of less talented folks struggling through trade school who'd love to take their place.

By: Da King

Da King — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:28:08 +0000

On paying Medicare/Medicaid rates:

You do know that many doctors won't take any more Medicare or Medicaid patients because of the low payment rates, right ? Now imagine what will happen if ALL health care rates were set at those artificially low rates via single payer, where doctors don't have a way to make up the difference (as they do now by jacking up rates for all non-medicare/medicaid patients). What effect do you suppose that will have on the health care industry, especially if our litigation casino malpractice system remains in place. We'll be driving doctors out of business at the same time we are increasing the number of patients dramatically. That adds up to BIG problems and less health care availability.

It's nice to live in utopia, but there's also reality to deal with.

By: Da King

Da King — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:18:59 +0000

The Nation says, "They're [the Blue Dogs] doing their best to derail reasonable tax hikes on the affluent, hikes that would make insurance affordable for working- and middle-class families."

That is most definitely not a description of the Baucus bill, which raises taxes on union members and every insurance premium in the country, all ultimately targeting working and middle class families.

By: averagejoe5

averagejoe5 — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 13:11:25 +0000

I don't know why you folks say that Big Pharm and the Health Ins peole work for the Repibs when they obviously work fro the Dems. The dems put up a little fuss as did the Ins comp, but they eventually both got what they wanted, no public option. You folks are living in denial, you r boy Bacchus is the main cuplprit here, just like Dodd and Frank influenced the housing decisions and we see where that got us…..

By: larry d.

larry d. — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:44:12 +0000

No, the smirking one with nicely parted hair and man boobs.

By: The Reverend

The Reverend — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:33:49 +0000

Republicans all pick up their weekly checks from Pfizer and United Health. Well…not all…just almost all.

"smug lad"? ….only guy I saw was Ross. He looks like any other corporate representative….at least to me.

By: Andrea

Andrea — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:39:03 +0000

Wow that is disgusting. Now how much are the republicans getting ?

By: larry d.

larry d. — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:59:56 +0000

Who is that smug lad in the video?