On Sun, 31 May 2009 01:14:11 GMT, Nova wrote:

krw wrote:
On Sat, 30 May 2009 22:32:34 GMT, Nova wrote:


dpb wrote:


I'm not sure I've seen much in any really new ideas, unfortunately,
particularly those that would actually help across the full spectrum of
both abilities to pay and access to services.

The one thing I'm pretty sure of is that the inclusion of large segments
of currently under- or uninsured without a commensurate inclusion into
the payment pool by some means is going to be another federal welfare
program that will not be able to be funded w/o massive deficits or taxes
of one form or another.


snip

Here's a few changes I'd like to see:

1. The federal government will set a maximum hourly billing rate for
doctors based on their classification (GP, FP, neurosurgeon, etc.). The
patient can be billed only for the actual time spent with the physician
in 15 minute increments.


PErhaps you'd like a Washington Bureauscrat to set your hourly pay
too?

Actually I do think I'd prefer it. Government workers in my field are
getting higher pay.

So *you* are the guy who liked Nixon's wage and price controls.

2. If you have scheduled a doctors appointment and are kept waiting past
your appointed time the doctor pays you for your wasted time at his
billing rate in 15 minute increments.


He's going to do this without raising his rates, just to make you
happy? He has to schedule empty slots so emergencies don't upset the
cart?

Waiting 30 to 60 minutes for every appointment tells me he makes it a
practice to over schedule.

"Every"? You've gone through his records and checked every patient?

3. If you see a doctor and all he does is refer you to a specialist the
referring doctor get a $15 administrative fee only.


His knowledge isn't worth anything?

Sure, to refer me to a another doctor it would be worth $15. How much
are you willing to pay, say an air conditioning repairman, for a service
call who tells you you have to call a another repairman to fix the problem.

That was the "administrative cost". You allowed the doctor nothing
for the doctor. If you didn't need his time, effort, and knowledge
why pay the "administrative costs" and just see the specialist.

4. The patient pays only for those medications that prove to be effective.

There goes all experimental drugs and any treatment that isn't 100%
effective (are there any?).

When is the last time your doctor prescribed an experimental drug. I
believe mine only prescribes the FDA approved ones. I never mentioned
100%, just effective.

You're changing the subject now. Most drugs are not effective for
everyone and some have adverse reactions to them. Is that the
doctor's fault?

5.A doctor is allowed to have all the tests performed that he deems
necessary. The patient pays for the test that finds the problem. The
doctor pays for the rest of the tests.


No tests - no diagnosis. That's a good idea too.

The doctor is free to run any test he wants. I think he'd pick the one
that would provide the most conclusive results the first time rather
than paying for three or four slightly less expensive tests that he
suspects has little chance of revealing the problem.

No, he would pick "none", because there is a high probability that any
individual test will come up negative. If he knew what the diagnosis
was, why run the test at all?

6. All hospital charges, anesthesiologist fees, nursing staff, in
hospital supplies and medications, etc. will be considered part of the
doctor's overhead and will be paid for by the attending physician. This
should get rid of the $15 aspirins, $20 Band-Aids, etc.


Nonsense. It'll just add another level of bean counting. "$15
aspirins" are "$15" because a large slice of the population is
actually paying $0. For everything.

That could very well be. That's probably the reason my wife's family
got a $3000 hospital bill for services rendered to her mother where the
date of the services performed were three months after her burial.
Neither are right.

Now you're changing the subject to fraud, so you do know your argument
is asinine.

7. A doctor receives no payment until all work is complete to the
patient's satisfaction.


No mode oncologists.

Why, my wife has been more than satisfied with her oncologist who has
treated her twice in the past.

Forget hospice care.

I agree.

Nice plan you have going there.

Thank you!

You are a sick puppy.

8. A money back guarantee will be issued with all procedures performed.

See above.

I'm sure the group can think of others...

I suppose any idiot can show his stuff on the Usenet.

I guess so.

At least you admit to your failings.