Just today my friend Liz Shephard in Columbia SC e mailed the idiot medical review board in North Carolina about what they done and the logic of it. It is priceless. You should read it.
I myself am a foul mouthed, evil minded filthy tempered, perverted, mean and ugly old man, so I just loved it. Of course the flunkies in that office will make sure that the august nitwits on that board never see this e mail. I call them the Blue Cross pimps and the Blue Sheild Whores. But, be that as it may here is what she wrote:
I am doing a study/ research project on healthcare disenfranchisement.
I understand you successfully disenfranchised about 500 American citizens from the American health system. this summer. Could you share which other diseases are scheduled to be removed by medical boards for payment by insurance companies? How do you decide which disease is next?
Using your logic that the disease itself and its sufferers get punished because a doctor's patient overdosed is as convoluted as it gets. And if that was not the reason then using guidelines that limit the practitioner's judgement is just as convoluted especially when the guidelines clearly state a practitioner's judgement should be usedalong with these guidelines.
So if a cancer patient kills themselves with a prescription that a practitioner called in and did not see the patient to prescribe, can we likewise stop all cancer care and treatment because it is very very expensive and the cure rates are low in many types of cancer? Many patients say they do not feel better during and after treatment.
My next suggestion is that insulin does not cure diabetes and if you limited insulin say to 10 years, that would really help BCBS. Most diabetics hate taking injections and checking their blood sugars every day. Imagine how many hospitalizations and procedures insurance companies can avoid paying for if they stop paying for Diabetes at the 10 year mark.
Since asthma patients never get well, please disenfranchise them too along with cystic fibrosis and COPD . Don't people with hypertension always have that too? Stop hypertensive meds. Many of them do not work and the patients have CVA's or strokes anyway.
All humans lose their eyesight over the years so let's quit checking eyes and paying for glasses. They must be changed so frequently that it is not cost effective to even check eyes and provide glasses.Cataracts grow back so stop that surgery too. If a vision impaired patient has a wreck do all vision imparied patients stop driving?
And dialysis, why bother with humans with complete organ failure?? About half the vessels fixed in cardiac cath labs are done after the new therapeutic 48 hour mark. Are you taking practitioner's licenses that are breaking that standard too because millions of dollars could be saved if you limited angioplasties especially using the new drug covered stents.
Why should people over 50 have any reventative care? Isn't that too expensive to bother with? Is 50 the right age or should someone say 30 or 40 is when to stop check ups and preventative things like mammograms and colonscopies and xrays and scopes? Why should an insurance company cover "ED" and buy cialis and viagra?
These statements represent the values used in pronouncing judgement on one disease. American citizens want your rules applied fairly because your Board has affected the health care of every single American citizen at this point, even in other states.
Have you disciplined practitioners for treating acne with long term antibiotics? There are no actual studies that say patients and doctors and reseachers think this helps.I cannot find any endorsed guidelines for this practice . Patients take minocin for four, five and ten year cycles. I ask the Board of Medicine in North Carolina to discipline each practitioner that allows long term drug therapy for any disease, especially acne . Acne should be the next disenfranchised diagnosis and all dermatologists should be disciplined and BCBS should stop paying them too.
But please hear that treating HIV, MAC, interstitial cystitis,TB and chronic bronchitis with long term antibiotics is just as concerning. These humans have all the same risks as Borreliosis patients. Please disenfranchise their care and make things equal and fair.
I noticed that the state of North Carolina has chosen to basically stop mental health care too by underfunding it to the point of closure. That's good since most mental health patients are non compliant anyway.Is schizophrenia now disenfranchised in North Carolina too along with all the other DSM diagnoses?
Good job North Carolina Board of Medicine. Who benefits?? I do expect and need a written answer to this letter. Thanks so much. I am, Sincerely, Liz Shepherd RN Columbia SC
-------------------- Thomas Parkman Posts: 341 | From Columbia SC 29206 | Registered: Feb 2003
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posted
you can go shake a sign at a rally,,,BUT this is the type of fighting we need to do.Exellant article.
Posts: 510 | From NEVERLAND.USA | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
Thank you Liz!!!! Bravo. It was cathartic reading your letter. I have been wanting to write one too but I know it is going to bring up such intense emotions I put it off.
You are an inspiration!
-------------------- �Pride is concerned with who is right. Humility is concerned with what is right.� - Ezre Taft Benson Posts: 655 | From NC, Exit 88 on the Deer SuperHighway | Registered: Dec 2004
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quote:Originally posted by richtersl: DANG! She's good!!!
-------------------- --Lymetutu-- Opinions, not medical advice! Posts: 96222 | From Texas | Registered: Feb 2001
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bettyg
Unregistered
posted
Liz, outstanding writing; you got your points across for each illness you mentioned! How effective! Way to go, and being a RN; BIG KUDOS to you, and Thomas for posting Liz' great letter!
I can't wait to hear back if she gets replies.
Please THANK LIZ on behalf of all of us here on lymenet who had the pleasure in reading this!
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posted
I bet the reply is a form letter Posts: 731 | From Humble,TX | Registered: Feb 2005
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kelmo
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8797
posted
Inbelievable! That was so well-thought. Congratulations, Liz, you have done honor to us all!!! Let me add one more "woo hoo" Posts: 2903 | From AZ | Registered: Feb 2006
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posted
Thomas, I emailed our SC Attorney General's office today while I was emailing. Would you ask Liz to send a copy of her letter to our SC Attorney General?
Here's his address: Mailing Address The Honorable Henry McMaster P.O. Box 11549 Columbia, S.C. 29211
I also emailed their News Media contacts and they got kicked back. One of their titles was Deputy Communications Director .... go figure .....guess they haven't mastered the art of communication! Here is their contact info at the Attorney General's office: News Media Contact
Trey Walker Chief Executive Assistant Office of the Attorney General PO Box 11549 Columbia, SC 29211
Direct Line: 803-734-4091 Fax: 803-734-4323 [email protected] Mark Plowden Deputy Communications Director Office of the Attorney General PO Box 11549 Columbia, SC 29211
I also sent the Attorney General the link to the press release on Connecticut Attorney General's suit. Here is that link: South Carolina Attorney General web site
[ 01. December 2006, 01:10 PM: Message edited by: abacomah ]
Posts: 58 | From SC | Registered: May 2004
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Michelle M
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7200
posted
Parkman, I daresay she's outdone you.
No mean feat.
Have mercy!
Michelle
Posts: 3193 | From Northern California | Registered: Apr 2005
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just don
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 1129
posted
Great letter.!!! IF you think a response will follow, I dont think so,,,they dont have "ANY" answers for all those great examples.
100 to 1 says it gets the delete button LONG before the right people who 'should' read it do read it!! Wish it wasnt so, but bet your bottom,,, it is a FACT!!!
The way I see it!! being --just don--
-------------------- just don Posts: 4548 | From Middle of midwest | Registered: May 2001
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Have mercy you say!!! When I said I was a foul mouthed and evil tempered old man and perverted to boot, I meant it. Of course it is a supberb letter in spite of my massive misspellings as I fit it into the email to send.
She has a level of expertise that I cannot match and that we in SC certainly desperately need. That letter just points up the total stupidity of the doctors, who are the ones really responsible for this mess-those idiots in Walhalla especially along with the awful Steere-and the total insanity of both the doctors and the medical insurance racket. We need to write this up and send it to those idiots at IDSA. That is my next project. And not by e mail either. Cheers.
-------------------- Thomas Parkman Posts: 341 | From Columbia SC 29206 | Registered: Feb 2003
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5dana8
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7935
posted
Man O Man that's a great letter!!!
really hit the nail on the head. Way to go
-------------------- 5dana8 Posts: 4432 | From some where over the rainbow | Registered: Sep 2005
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