One signer of the Declaration of Independence, Dr. Benjamin Rush, who was also George Washington's physician, predicted the following. "Unless we put medical freedom into The Constitution, the time will come when medicine will organize into an undercover dictatorship."
Posted by D Bergy (Member # 9984) on :
The wisdom of our fore fathers was nothing short of astounding in accuracy.
Dan
Posted by lymie_in_md (Member # 14197) on :
I wonder if Dr. Rush experienced it? Was big pharma already cornering the market? Today, medicine is a much bigger machine. Yet very ineffective in this country when you consider relative health of the citizens and how much is spent.
How would things be better if medical freedom was in the constitution? An added paragraph could have changed much.
Posted by luvs2ride (Member # 8090) on :
My mother, who is on medicare, received a brochure the other day titled "A Message from Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health & Human Services".
It is promoting the new healthcare plan and how it will effect medicare recipients. A few things in the brochure concerned me like her repeated advice to "only rely on your trusted sources of information when it comes to accurate information about Medicare" and they will pay a one-time, $250 rebate check if she enrolls in Pat D "donut hole" prescription program. This program participants will receive 50% discount after they reach a coverage gap and only for buying covered brand-name prescription drugs. They must really want you on that plan to pay you $250 incentive to join.
Under "Better Chronic Care" it says "Community health teams will provide patient-centered care so you won't have to see multiple doctors who don't work together".
All I could think about that one was anyone trying to receive adequate treatment for lyme under the IDSA team.
"It reduces payment errors, waste, fraud and abuse to make Medicare more efficient and return savings to the Trust Fund to strengthen Medicare for years to come."
Translation: "Medicare is going to stop paying everything and begin to examine claims like a regular insurance company"
It does lists some things that sound like new improvements, I can't say as I am not on Medicare and although my 83 yr old Mom buys Medicare insurance, she has zero health issues and has never used it.
Sure wish I was like her.
Meanwhile I worry the day is coming my LLMD will no longer be able to treat as she does now and I will be forced to work with a Community Health Team that denies infectious causes to chronic illness.