By Woodrow Wilcox

I got an email about a doctor in Indiana who read the entire health care reform bill and sent a long and detailed letter to Senator Evan Bayh in which the doctor stated his concerns and objections to the health care reform bill.

I investigated to verify that the doctor and the letter were genuine.  I contacted the doctor and he sent me the letter that he sent to Senator Evan Bayh.

Here, without any other comment from me, is the doctor's letter to Senator Bayh.
 
My source for HR3200 is from the energycommerce website.  The link is http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_111/20090714/aahca.pdf.

Dear Senator Bayh,


As a practicing physician, I have major concerns with the
health care bill (HR 3200) before Congress.  I spent the
last week reading this bill, which at over 1000 pages is
quite difficult to get through.  Have you read it? I'm
shocked by the brazenness of the government's intrusion into
the patient-physician relationship.  I'm especially
concerned about the creation of a central committee to
decide medical coverage decisions.   
 
Every physician and nurse I work with agrees that we need
to fix our health care system.  Our President's statement
last week in his health care press conference that
physicians are likely to make a patient care decision based
on reimbursement rather than a patient's best interest is
not helpful in moving this discussion forward.
 
As an anesthesiologist I'm responsible for life and death
decisions on a daily basis.  I always have my patient's
best interests at heart and I'm sure my physician colleagues
around the country do as well.
 
I ask you respectfully and as a patriotic American to look
at the following troubling sections I've read in the bill.
How can the following be in the best interests of the
country and our fellow citizens? Capitalized words within
quoted text are my emphasis.
 
SECTION 123 HEALTH CARE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
 
"A committee composed of 18 President-appointed individuals
and 8 Federal employees (26 non-elected citizens) to consist
of providers, consumer representatives, employers, labor,
health insurance issuers, experts in health care financing
and delivery, experts in racial and ethnic disparities,
experts in care for those with disabilities, representatives
of relevant governmental agencies and AT LEAST ONE
practicing physician OR
other health professional and an expert on children's
health."
 
This group will set coverage for the country...and other
than the surgeon general, a physician is not even guaranteed
to be on the committee.  Is our country ready to let 25 or
more non-elected, non-physicians make these decisions? This
is a direct intrusion into patient care and I for one do not
want a community organizer to have input on what type of
care my patients can receive.
 
SECTION 141  HEALTH CARE COMMISSIONER
 
The health care advisory committee will report to the
Health Care Commissioner, another non-elected Presidential
appointee who will make the final decisions for the nation's
healthcare benefits.
 
SECTION 246  SUBSIDIES FOR UNDOCUMENTED ALIENS
 
"Nothing in this subtitle shall allow Federal payments for
affordability credits on behalf of individuals who are not
lawfully present in the United States."
 
This states that taxpayer subsidies will not be given to
illegal aliens to obtain coverage but says nothing about
preventing them from obtaining healthcare in the US.  Under
current law NO patient, illegal or otherwise can be turned
away from an ER if urgent care is needed. Section 152 states
that "all health care and related services including
insurance coverage and public health activities covered by
this Act shall be provided without regard to personal
characteristics."  Will the current law be changed thereby
withholding care from a vulnerable group of individuals? 

 
SECTION 204
 
Language translation and linguistic appropriate services is
mandated.
This seems to apply to undocumented individuals as well.
 
SECTION 205
 
The government will use community organizations to sign up
eligible citizens for health plans.  Do you support using
an indicted organization like ACORN to do this?
 
SECTION 225 PROVIDER PARTICIPATION
 
This section states that Physician salaries will be
dictated on an annual basis.  How can you support taking
over the livelihood of all physicians and dictating the
terms?  This is pure socialism and to call it anything else
is disingenuous.
 
SECTION 131 REQUIRING FAIR MARKETING PRACTICES BY HEALTH
INSURERS
 
This section gives the government veto power over
advertising by private companies.  Again this is an example
of socialism where the government decides what the public is
allowed to be told.  How can you support this?
 
 
SECTION 312. EMPLOYER RESPONSIBILITY TO CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS
EMPLOYEE AND DEPENDENT COVERAGE.
 
This Bill mandates employer-paid coverage for part-time
employees and families which will be a huge burden for small
businesses.  Overall, the compliance regulations and
associated costs for physicians, employers and insurance
providers is enormous.  Also, random audits are authorized
with the full cost of the audit to be paid by the person or
entity being audited.  Do you support random, costly
intrusions into physician's offices?
 
SECTION 431  DISCLOSURES TO CARRY OUT SUBSIDIES
 
The Health care commissioner and others in government will
have full access to your tax returns.  On Pages 58 and
195  Government will have real-time access to individuals
finances & a National ID Healthcard will be
issued. Officers & employees of HC Administration
will have access to ALL Americans finances /personal
returns.  Quite an intrusion of privacy.
 
SECTION 1128H 
 
Under Medicare, every prescribed drug, device or medical
supply has to be disclosed to the government or a penalty of
$10,000 to $100,000 applies.  Just think of the cost of
complying with this rule.
 
SECTION 1501
 
The health commissioner will approve expansion of physician
residency training positions with preference being given to
primary care and disadvantaged applicants.  Do you want the
best and brightest to be our future doctors or those
selected by the government? This section also suggests that
specialty positions will not be expanded.  This will lead
to a diminishing specialist base and a loss in quality
care.  The obvious intention is to limit specialist care
and I think the country needs to be aware of this.
 
SECTION 155  SEVERABILITY.
 
"If any provision of this Act, or any application of such
provision to any person or circumstance, is held to be
unconstitutional, the remainder of the provisions of this
Act and the application of the provision to any other person
or circumstance shall not be affected."
 
Why put this in? Do you think the bill is so radical that
you are trying to block the Supreme Court from striking it
down?
 
SECTION 1233 ADVANCE CARE PLANNING CONSULTATION (pages
424-431)
 
Page 425 Lines 22-25, 426 Lines 1-3: Government provides approved
list of end of life resources.  Government MANDATES program for orders for end of life every 5 years. The Government decides it should be involved in end of life care.
 
Page 428 Lines 17-25: Additional advanced care planning consultations
will be used frequently as patients health deteriorates.
 
Page 429 Lines 1-3: "advanced care consultation" may
include an ORDER for end of life plans.
 
Page 429 Lines 13-25: The Government will specify which Doctors or other individuals can write an end of life order.
 
Page 431-2  The Government mandates that "quality measures on end of life care" be measured and reported. 
 
While advanced planning is always a good thing, this decision is best made with the physician, patient and family.  The majority of health care dollars are spent in the last year of a citizen's life.  Mandating government intrusion and reporting of end of life care brings up the question of rationing.  This section is quite vague on listing protections for seniors.  Can you reassure me Senator that rationing is not the goal of this section of the bill? 
 
Other troubling sections I discovered:
 
Pages 65-66 Section 164: Describes a subsidized plan for retirees
and their families in unions & community
organizations.  Why the special treatment?
 
Page 84 Section 203 HC bill: Government mandates ALL benefit
packages for private care plans in the Exchange.
 
Page 85 Line 7 HC Bill: Specifications of Benefit
Levels for Plans = The Government will ration your Healthcare!
 
Page 85 Line 7 HC Bill: Specifications of Benefit Levels
for Plans. AARP members - Will your Health care be
rationed?
 
Page 102 Lines 12-18 HC Bill: Medicaid Eligible
Individuals will be automatically enrolled in Medicaid. No choice.
 
Page 121 lines 11-17: Doctor or provider payment will be at medicare rates under the public option.  Medicare pays well under market rates and many physicians currently subsidize or cost-shift from private patients to provide care to seniors.  If medicare rates are mandated, access to care will suffer.  Do you support paying physicians at medicare rates under the public option Senator?
 
Page 124 lines 24-25 HC: No company can sue the government on price
fixing. No "judicial review" against Govt Monopoly.
 
Page 203 Line 13-15 HC: "The tax imposed under this
section shall not be treated as tax" Why the deception?
 
Page 265 Section 1131: Government mandates & controls
productivity for private HC industries.
 
Page 268 Section 1141: Government regulates rental &
purchase of power driven wheelchairs.
 
Page 272 Section 1145: TREATMENT OF CERTAIN CANCER HOSPITALS

Cancer treatments are expensive and represent the latest in research, technology and understandably cost a lot of money.  This section, like others is vague in details. Senator, how will rationing of the latest advances be avoided?
 
Page 280 Section 1151: The Government will penalize hospitals for
whatever Government deems preventable re-admissions.  A good medical
outcome is never guaranteed! This is a crazy rule and may actually increase costs as hospitals and doctors will be hesitant to release sick patients!
 
Page 316-317: PROHIBITION on doctor ownership/investment.  Failure to    disclose ownership is a 10,000 dollar fine for each occurrence.
Government again dictating to Doctors what/how much they can own!
 
Page 317-318 lines 21-25, 1-3: PROHIBITION on expansion
 
Government is mandating hospitals or surgery centers cannot expand. Hospitals have an opportunity to apply for exception BUT community input is required. Will ACORN have a say in this?
 
Page 335 L 16-25 Pg 336-339: Government mandates establishment
of outcome based measures.
 
This is another way to justify rationing care.  Every physician learns early in their training that each patient is unique and that a mandate for care will work for some but not for others.  Learning to accept uncertainty is part of what makes our profession special and different. Rigid care mandates will result in decreased quality of care. This type of mandate also implies that physicians don't have the best interests of their patients in mind which is nonsense. In other single-payer systems outcome based measures are ROUTINELY used to ration care.  In the UK, a patient with macular degeneration must become blind in one eye before treatment is offered to the other eye!
 
Page 354-355 Sec 1177: Government may RESTRICT enrollment of
Special needs people to certain times and will review special needs plans and make recommendations  "as the secretary of HHS deems appropriate."
 
Something the public needs to know.
 
Page 379 Sec 1191: Govt creates more bureaucracy -
Tele-health Advisory Committee.
 
Page 469: Community Based Home Medical Services = Non
profit organizations. 
 
Should we expect ACORN nursing homes in the future?
 
Page 472 Lines 14-17: PAYMENT TO COMMUNITY-BASED
ORIGINATION. One monthly payment to a community-based
organization. Like ACORN?
 
Page 489 Sec 1308: The Government will cover Marriage &
Family therapy.
 
Why should this be a mandate that all taxpayers pay for?
 
Page 494-498: Government will cover Mental Health Services
including defining, creating, rationing those services.
 
As for the dangers, costs, and failure of electronic
communication upon which this bill is dependent on, the
following article must be studied:
The computerization of Britain's National Health Service
has been an expensive fiasco. Why does Obama want to emulate
it?
(link:www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/016/744qvzuo.asp)
 
It is also apparent that the Congress will not require
themselves to use the public plan as required for most
Americans.  Why the double standard?
 
Will abortion services be covered with taxpayer money?
 
Why is there no mention in HR3200 of malpractice reform?  Many studies show that defensive medicine is a major contributor to the cost of medical care in our country.
 
 
Senator, I guarantee that I personally will do everything
possible to inform patients and my fellow physicians about
the dangers of this legislation.  Our country was not founded on
the socialist principles that make up this bill.  There are
many other ideas and policies that could be adopted that
will not destroy the good aspects of our current health
system and cover those who currently are without coverage.
I implore you to use a nonpartisan mind to consider these
other options. If you vote for a bill that destroys private
medicine and the doctor-patient relationship, I will do
everything in my power to make sure you and other supporters
of this flawed bill lose your job in the next election. 
 
 Respectfully,
 
Stephen E Fraser MD

DEMOCRATS: DON'T DRINK OBAMA'S POISONED FRUIT PUNCH!

Dear Editor

            Now, Barack Obama reminds me of the infamous Reverend Jim Jones of Guyana fame.

 Recall that Reverend Jim Jones persuaded hundreds of followers to commit suicide by drinking from a vat of poisoned fruit punch.

In like manner, Obama is trying to persuade every Democrat in the Congress to commit political suicide by drinking from the vat of OBAMACARE.

That will be suicidal for many Democrats in the Congress and for the Democratic Party itself because every version of OBAMACARE health care reform has one major flaw.  IT CHEATS AND ROBS ABOUT HALF A TRILLION DOLLARS OF SCHEDULED MEDICARE BENEFITS FROM SENIOR CITIZENS TO FINANCE HEALTH CARE REFORM FOR OTHERS.

Many senior citizens have not yet realized this flaw of Obamacare yet.  But, when the seniors do realize it, THEY WILL BE "MAD AS HELL" AND DEMOCRATS WILL HAVE "HELL TO PAY"!

The senior citizens are one of the fastest growing segments of our population.  They may be old, but they are not stupid.  Obama and his allies in Congress are treating them like they are stupid and don't count in the scheme of American political life.  That is so wrong and foolish on the part of Obama and his allies.

The health care system is not perfect.  Meaningful, reasonable, and responsible improvements can be made once Obamacare is discarded and a political discourse with Republicans begins.

Obama, Reid, and Pelosi made the mistake of shutting out the Republicans in Congress from the beginning of the health care reform discussion last year.  Those Republicans are not "average" people who can be easily ignored.  They are some of the smartest and most realistic people from their respective areas of the nation.  Their opinions should have been heard and their concerns should have been addressed from the beginning of the discussion on health care reform.  But, that was not done by Obama, Reid, Pelosi, and their followers.  Instead, the Republicans were shunned and insulted.  That's not playing the legislative game in a fair way.  So, let's start over and, this time, let's play fair!

Oh, one more thing.  I am a Democrat from Indiana.  I respect Republicans.  Some of my best friends are Republicans.  I treat them the way that I want to be treated.  I recommend that Obama, Reid, Pelosi and other Democrats in Congress do the same.  They might find that they can accomplish a lot more with less effort.

Woodrow Wilcox

Griffith, Indiana

TELL CONGRESS ABOUT MEDICARE PROBLEMS!

By Woodrow Wilcox

            A client of this insurance agency asked me to help with a medical bill problem.  The client is from Lowell, Indiana.  The total of the unpaid balance was $910.

            I checked the paperwork and phoned the client's insurance company.  Medicare never sent the claim information to the insurance company.  So, I typed a nice letter to the client's doctor's office.  In the letter, I explained the problem and asked them to send the essential information directly to the claims department of the client's insurance company.

            The next day, an assistant in the doctor's office phoned me.  She complained that the doctor's office should not have to copy things and mail them to the insurance company.  She said that was what the "crossover" system was supposed to do.

            I agreed with her that Medicare's "crossover" claims system was supposed to do that.  But, in this case, it did not.  The claims system of Medicare is an electronic data system that uses telephone lines, satellite systems, and clerical people to send information about claims.  If something does not work correctly, then the senior citizen's Medicare supplement insurance company doesn't get the claim to process and pay.

            The doctor's assistant asked why the doctor's office should do the work to photocopy and send the essential information to the insurance company.  I explained to her that the doctor's office did not have to do that, but that it would be the fastest way to get the essential information to the insurance company for processing and payment.

            The alternative involves having or helping the senior citizen to contact Medicare and request a resending of the information.  That is more time consuming.  It takes longer to get the bills to the claims department at the insurance company.

            The assistant mellowed a bit when I explained that the billing problem was not caused by the doctor's office, by her, by the insurance company, or by the client.  The billing problem was caused by Medicare.

            "But, the insurance company is still getting paid the premiums," she said.

            "Yes and the federal government is collecting Medicare taxes from everyone.  But, Medicare is not doing its job.  The federal Medicare bureaucracy is causing the problem and collecting Medicare tax money at the same time," I responded.

            "Please, don't blame the insurance company, this insurance agency, or me for your office not getting paid yet.  I'm just helping to correct mistakes caused by Medicare in order to help a little old lady who is our client to get her bills paid.  When Medicare goofs and causes problems for our clients, I step into the mess to fix it.  And our insurance agency does not charge our clients anything for this extra service.  The doctor's patient is our client and we do our best to serve her and other clients well," I concluded.

            I would encourage every doctor or other medical services person who is aware of Medicare's failures regarding getting information to insurance companies for claim processing to contact their congressional representatives and make a lot of noise about this problem.  The Medicare system's failures cost time and money to the offices of medical service providers and insurance agency administrators and agents when we work to fix the messes that Medicare makes for senior citizens.  TELL CONGRESS ABOUT THE MEDICARE PROBLEMS!

Note: Woodrow Wilcox is the senior medical bill problem solver at Senior Care Insurance Services in Merrillville, Indiana.  That is the largest senior citizen oriented insurance agency in the Midwest.  Wilcox has saved senior citizen clients of that agency over $700,000 by canceling wrongful medical bill charges that were caused by mistakes at Medicare.  For other articles or videos by Wilcox, visit www.medicareproblems.net, www.woodrowwilcox.com, or www.woodrowwilcox.tv.

BOTH VERSIONS OF HEALTH CARE REFORM BILL HAVE MAJOR FLAWS

By Woodrow Wilcox

Three major flaws are common in both the House and the Senate versions of the health care reform bill.

It penalizes people who don't buy health insurance. Many young people are so healthy that they don't buy health insurance until they get married or are in their mid-twenties. So, the proposed law will cost young people more money.

It gives tax credits to people and families that make $43,320 or less to help them pay for insurance. If someone is making less than that, then they are paying rather low taxes so that giving them a tax credit on their low taxes won't help them much to pay an insurance bill. So, the proposed law will not make health insurance more affordable.

It cuts Medicare payments to hospitals and doctors. That is a disaster. Medicare payments from the federal government are already low. The only thing lower are the payments to hospitals and doctors in the Medicaid program. Those low payments in the Medicaid program cause many problems and drive up health care costs for those who have insurance. Many doctors will not take Medicaid patients because Medicaid does not even reimburse the doctor for the expenses of treating a patient. This drives Medicaid (poor) patients to hospital emergency rooms for doctor office level treatment. Treatment costs more at emergency rooms but Medicaid will not pay the hospitals enough to cover the costs of treatment. That is why doctors and hospitals have had to increase charges to patients who have insurance. The doctors and hospitals needed to recoup the costs that they lost in serving Medicaid patients. A major reason for rising health care costs has been bad and stupid policies of the federal government. Now, both the House and the Senate version of the new bill for health care reform propose to cause the same "NO DOCTOR AVAILABLE" problem for millions of senior citizens.

One doctor in my community has already stopped accepting Medicaid and Medicare patients because the government payments are too low and the government paperwork is too time consuming and costly. Another doctor friend told me that enrollment at his medical school alma mater is down because so many intelligent young people are discouraged that they would not be able to make a decent living in the future as doctors under an OBAMACARE SYSTEM.

Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson voted for a health care reform bill after billions of extra dollars for Nebraska Medicaid were added to the bill. If that is in the final version of the bill, maybe millions of really sick and poor people will move to Nebraska.

Note: Woodrow Wilcox is the senior medical bill problem solver at Senior Care Insurance Services in Merrillville, Indiana. He has saved senior citizens over $700,000 by canceling wrongful medical bill charges that were caused by Medicare system made mistakes. For other health care related articles or videos by Wilcox, visit www.medicareproblems.net, www.woodrowwilcox.com, and www.woodrowwilcox.tv.

POLITICIANS, LOBBYISTS, AND BUREAUCRATS - OH, MY!

By Woodrow Wilcox

            Rushing a health care reform bill is a very bad idea.

            Many things that are rushed are done poorly and do more harm than good in the long run.

            Senator Harry Reid is trying to rush a health care reform bill during the holiday season.  That is a very bad idea.

            Democracy works best when legislators can consult their constituents and vice versa.  This helps to refine proposals to render the greatest good with the least amount of problems and pain.  That doesn't happen when people are busy with holiday schedules.

            A vote on any health care reform bill during the holiday season is at odds with good democratic process.  So, delay a vote until at least February.  This would allow the public to focus on the proposed law after the holidays and communicate their opinions and concerns to their elected representatives in a responsible and democratic way.

            If the vote on health care is not delayed until February, then the proposed legislation will be scrutinized by only politicians, lobbyists, and bureaucrats.  Without the input of the citizenry after the holiday season, the proposed law will not get the attention that it deserves.  Delaying a senate vote on the proposed law is the best way to give democracy a chance to work for the people.