health care reform

I have a ton of thoughts on this subject, but not enough time to really get into it in depth. So I am going to touch on little details as they strike my fancy.

I read Ted Kennedy's thoughts on Health Care Reform today. This is very worrisome for me. I agree we need to work on the system, but our current administrations plans to rush and bully reform through Congress without adequate research or planning. This makes me very concerned about the future of health care in this country.

Teddy's 2nd point in his plan to reduce cost was to reduce waste in government spending. First he wants to educate doctors in how to treat patients correctly. This does not mean better medical care, people! This is simply government speak for cost shaving and cost containment. This means if your treatment for your disease is too expensive, even if it is your best chance for help, you will be denied coverage. Remember the outcry when HMOs tried this in the 90's? Of course not. Nobody learns from the past. Well, look at what happened then, and think of that travesty occurring as the result of Federal law. Now how much do you support this plan?

Teddy says the government will no longer pay for medical mistakes. Sounds great. Doc screws up, why should he get paid? But the problem is the definition of medical mistakes. The government currently has plans to refuse payments for any patient readmitted to the hospital within a month of going home from the hospital. If they get readmitted, there must have been something messed up, right?

WRONG. I readmitted 2 patients this week. They both were over 75 with chronic medical problems and new problems had popped up. They were fine when they went home, but belonged in the hospital within a few days of going home.

Now imagine a system where the government is already putting great pressure on doctors to discharge patients from the hospital as soon as possible. Add to that a plan where the government refuses to pay if they have to go back into the hospital. Add to that our current system where the local hospitals are losing money from lack of payment for government insured patients.

If your grandmother under this system has multiple medical problems and has been in the hospital recently, do you think the hospital administrators are going to allow her to be readmitted within a month for any problem, even if she needs it? How many of the most sick people in this country are going to be denied medical care because of this plan to cut costs.

I am scared when our government relies on bean counters and attorneys to formulate health care plans. Don't trust them. Don't support them. Speak out to your Representative and hope they actually care about representing you.