Dear *********,
Please accept my apology for offending you; that certainly was not my
intent. However, there are facts set upon the historical scene of our
present existence that I am forced to evaluate, to assimilate, to
accommodate, and to use to treat patients.
You have inferred that I have no love for my country, and that perhaps I
would consider moving to distant shores. I feel compelled to respond.
We do live in the greatest country with the greatest constitution that
has ever been present in history. If you believe these things then I
share them with you. But we have had many in political office that have
abused their power, and trampled the constitution for the purpose of
subduing others with their power.
George Washington : Arbitrary power is most easily established on the
ruins of liberty abused to licentiousness.
There are many abuses I can describe to you in detail as to what our
government has done and is doing to invade your relationship with your
physician. I will only list one thing. In April of this year, 2010, they
lowered Medicare reimbursement to physicians 21%. The problem that is
present is that Medicare rates are tied to Workers Compensation Rates as
well as Private Insurance contracts. This means that nearly everything
a physician office might due was reduced 21%. This has nothing to do
with reimbursement to hospitals.
Medicare patients are usually managed by physicians at a loss, and most
of us in the profession do not mind doing this; we consider it a call of
duty. However, a reduction of 21% is way below the cost of care which
means the reimbursement of those services provided not only to Medicare
patients but also to the other patients falls below the cost of care. Will this affect you?
Most assuredly!! Please see the work on "Supply and Demand" by John
Locke.
New legislation was passed this month to keep Medicare reimbursement
at the same original level, but this was done only as a temporary
fix which means this issue has not been resolved.
You can imagine the difficulty in the development of
strategic and tactical planning with the government changing the rules
every 2 months.
I will tell you that if I were in Congress I would have voted to reduce
medical reimbursement by as much as 61%.... Why? Because the government
can not afford the promises they have tendered. We have men and women
in office that smile and speak lies with the reassurance of platitudes
that have no meaning.
The solutions do not
have to start with complex thought processess.
The government's use of price controls in the health profession needs to
be discontined.
The marketplace needs to be used to
decide what is fair. Please remember when MRI's cost 7 to 10K because
the government controlled and rationed new technology. With private
firms competing in the marketplace now you can get some MRI's for as low
as 300 to 500 dollars, and even larger studies for as little as 2K.
There are simple short and long term changes related to principles of freedom and liberty that would positively affect the ability
of a patient to be treated by a physician. It is my opinion the nation
could see affects of these changes in less than
6 months.
I actually do have a few stories of government health care programs that work to the
benefit of a patient, but I have seen these same programs work at the same time to the
detriment of many others ... even to the point of turning these patients into slaves of
the state. In contrast, I have seen a lot related to the private enterprise of
companies, hospitals, and physicians that go way out of their way to
improve a condition of a patient or even develop new tools to do new
things. Do you think there might be a government bureaucrat that is motivated to do anything special
for a patient?
Would you help a fellow pilot that has an engine out? That is what has
happened to health care. If our government continues to turn private
businesses and enterprises into socialistic efforts to control your
personal life.... there will be many engine outs.
With Respect,
Greg Ennis