I haven't seen this in the local news lately, but it's still relevant.
Many doctors simply won't accept Medicaid or Medicare patients anymore. Even those that are on the list of approved doctors, the list that is supplied by Medicare & Medicaid, often turn away new patients.
This means that even people who qualify for and have gone through all the processes of applying for these programs are often still denied healthcare.
Now, imagine a national health insurance program that covers all classes of citizens. And imagine a middle or upper class citizen being turned away for healthcare.
Some of the opponents of a national healthcare plan, fear that the problems that plague Medicaid and Medicare will simply be maginified on a national level, a level that includes the middle class as well.
Here is an article from last years San Diego Tribune: Physicians Turning away new patients
Here is a more recent article posted on a Wall Street Journal Blog last July of 2007: Doctors aren't In for Medicaid Patients
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3 comments:
If an internist can do a periodic physical exam on Patient A and be reimbursed $185 by an employer-provided insurance plan, or do the same exam on Patient B, and be reimbursed $85 by Medicaid, guess which one she'll choose?
Don't you think that having everyone on the same insurance plan might level the playing field?
Not surprising. Whether by the doctor or the insurance company, most people are going to get screwed when it comes to receiving medical care. Even under my mother's state health plan the removal of my wisdom teeth was not covered under this plan. Extremely irritating, especially since I had my dentist in the other ear saying that I should have them removed soon or risk losing the teeth in front of the wisdom teeth if an infection were to occur.
As someone who has never had trouble before getting healthcare I would find it disturbing to have my whole system turned on it's head. Yet I realize the need for a more equally spread healthcare system. This would, of course, require a huge commitment on the behalf of the citizens pulling on our current system -- perhaps for the better. Maybe we would take better care of ourselves if we knew that every scrape and bruise wasn't top priority just because we can pay.
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