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A Realistic Voice On Our Modern Health Care System

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I just finished reading  an article on Anthony Johnson's blog thedreamloung.net (one of my personal favorites).

In the comments section of the article, Dr. Doug Mcguff (emergency room doctor and author of the amazing book Body By Science) added some realistic insight into our modern health care system.

Dr. Mcguff is an emergency room doctor and reflects on the financial strangle hold that the government has put on doctors and hospitals across the country.

I found his comments to be extremely valuable. Valuable enough that I have re-posted them on this site. I hope you take the time to read this and gain some common sense knowledge from a real doctor.

I bolded the sections that I found most important.

"What most don’t realize is that Emergency Physicians have been under a unfunded socialist mandate since 1986. We are subject to a law called EMTALA (emergency medical treatment and active labor act). This was passed by “reconciliation” all the way back in 1986 under COBRA (congressional omnibus RECONCILIATION act). The point here is that reconciliation has long been a way of sneaking in socialist legislation.

EMTALA basically says that an emergency department must see EVERY patient that presents regardless of their ability (or intent) to pay for services rendered. At the very least we must provide a “screening exam”, but the law’s definition of this includes a complete evaluation including labs, CT scans etc. The fine for a doctor that fails to meet this requirement is $50,000.00 per instance. Hospitals are fined $500,000.00 and lose their Medicare funding. Since this is a Federal law, it does not fall to the civil courts, so it is not covered by malpractice. If for some reason the government thinks you failed in your “duty” it can destroy your finances and career. As a result of this law, I have provided over $300,000.00 of uncompensated care per year every year I have been in practice since 1989.This law has created a huge burden on doctors and hospitals. Some of this is mitigated by cost-shifting to the paying class. This is why you pay $200.00 for a Tylenol on your hospital bill.

The current “Health Care Crisis” is entirely because of the existence of Medicare and Medicaid. These Ponzi schemes have overpromised and are bankrupt. They have kept surviving through cost controls, especially on the inpatient side of medicine (called DRG’s or diagnosis-related groups). DRG’s are basically price-fixing that insures massive losses on inpatient care. This creates a shortage of inpatient beds which is a major cause of ER crowding…once sick patients need admission, there are no beds to put them in and we end up holding them in the ER. These price controls have created a lop-sided medical market. You see overcrowded dilapidated hospitals with palacial outpatient surgery centers next to them. These ridiculous market distortions were created by the existence of government medical programs (Medicare/Medicaid) and then the statists blame the free market for the very condition they created.

Now that the ability for cost-shifting is shut down, the only way for the system to compensate will be through shortages. There won’t be a need for “rationing”, you will simply be directed to get in the queue…which will be quite wrong. If you don’t believe me, visit the Canadian Govt website. http://www.wcwl.org (western canada waiting list). Medicine as we have known it is about to implode. Stay Healthy, stay out of the belly of this beast.

Most important is not the practical effects this will have on health care delivery, but instead on the philosophical effect that one person’s wealth (viz. life) can be appropriated for another’s benefit under the threat of law (viz. violence). Thanks for your blog and your insights.

Doug McGuff, MD"

Let me give you a quick review if you are confused.

-Our current system requires doctors to see and treat all patients, regardless if they are able to pay for the services that they require.

- If a doctor refuses, he or she is fined $50,000. And a hospital is fined $500,000. Dr. Mcguff (and his hospital) have lost over $300,000 per year over the last 20 years due to this system.

- This program has shifted a huge financial burden to doctors and hospitals. Which is why medical costs are so damn expensive.

- Medicare and Medicaid have no money and are kept afloat from cost control measures and gov't assistance. Which makes no sense because all money that the government spends comes from tax payer's money. Medicare and Medicaid are government programs, so we are in affect paying for Medicare and Medicaid twice.

Take your health into your own hands. You do not want to be apart of this system.

-Ryan