The Patient Unprotection and Unaffordable Care Act

Not only are hospitals not safe for patients, they are not safe for physicians of any medical degree. Then consider how much money hospitals spend on lobbying and this starts to uncover the corner of a much larger problem that patients will face in the years ahead. Now add government agencies running and dictating policies, and healthcare will slowly slide down the sewer. If you doubt me, continue reading.

In a recent blog here, I laid out some of the problems covered by a doctor and I agree with them. This doctor has an ax to grind; however, he does so every eloquently and lays out some important facts that the average person may not be privy to or have any knowledge of what is happening. I have blogged about hospitals taking over many physician practices and hiring doctors away from other practices. Now some of the reasons are beginning to come to light as doctors are determined to prevent a complete hospital takeover and prevent a total hospital monopoly.

Much has happened that affects what we as patient pay for services for hospital doctor employees and many of the tests that they need for certain illnesses. They are much higher than when done formerly as part of a doctor visit at the doctor's practice. Patients are not as happy and waiting around at the hospital irritates patients. However, the hospital lobby has caused this and they were concerned that doctors were earning too much money and so they lobbied very falsely to get control so they could charge more for the same service.

Now the hospitals are charging about double what the doctors were able to charge and the patient is paying more for copay. In the meantime, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is severely cutting what they are reimbursing doctors. Hospitals are being well paid because of their lobby. What is fair?

Congress and Medicare now realize their mistake and want cuts in payments to hospitals for services that can be provided more efficiently and less expensively in doctors' offices. Unfortunately, the barn door was opened and things may not change as fast as wanted or desired. And the hospital still has their lobby in full out operation.