Q: What happens when the chronically sick and elderly have to pay more out of pocket every time they see their doctor? A: They go to the hospital more. It's not cost shifting. It's Medicare.
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Millions in tax payer money is wasted per year on Medicare purchased electrically powered wheelchairs and scooters. Much of this is from improperly filled out or missing documentation but I suspect that even more is because of needs and use that is not really completely medically necessary.
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A new California law set to start in 2011 will mandate minimum times to get an appointment to see an HMO doctor. It's a great example of using brute force legislation to try and fix a problem without addressing the root causes. You go, California!
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The percentage of Americans who support some form of legalized marijuana continues to increase to near record levels. This is unprecedented in a nation that has a hard time uniting and agreeing on anything short of war and yet Washington remains mute on this issue.
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A doctor removes the wrong kidney. The punishment varies wildly depending not only the state but upon unmentioned intangibles that exemplify the limitations of throwing together a group of peers who neither have enough legal experience nor follow their own science training to make "common sense" decisions.
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A few questions about state medical boards (To ponder). In general; Why do doctors fear the state medical board (esp. here in Texas)? The general perception among physicians is that the board’s primary motivation is political. While the board may claim that their primary mandate is to “protect the public” their real priorities lie...
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