From Dr. Stepen Wahl, MD, who entered medicine because of a passion for helping people, but who has lost heart, as the reality of "Big Brother" medicine has sapped his ability to show compassion. It will only get worse from here... "But I am not to be trusted, my heart might not be true, and so Big Brother must guide me in my compassion, and tell me who I need to have special concern for and to whom I must show special favor. Enter Medicare (or Medicaid, or any other government payer, VA, SSI, IHS, etc.). For example, if I accept Medicare reimbursement in my practice it works like this: I provide one dollar of medical service. I then receive 65 cents for my dollar of service, and am expected to provide 35 cents of charity to this individual, because the government has determined they deserve this, whether or not I am so moved in my heart. Next, I encounter one who may not have insurance and doesn’t qualify for Medicare, or may have special circumstances that add to their burden, and my soul is moved to compassion for them in a special and unique way, and I want to help them as best as I can. So, I might desire to reduce their fee or even waive it all together. But … if Big Brother Medicare finds out I charged this patient less than the going rate, I have just committed fraud against the Medicare system! In other words, I can be severely punished for thinking that I could trust my own heart to show charity of compassion to one they haven’t approved and enrolled. How dare me! Thus, it is that I must show charity to whom Medicare tells me to and I better not have compassion on anyone they don’t. It really warms your heart doesn’t it? How did we get here? All these programs sounded so good at the start but have slowly stripped the truest motivation for the heart of medicine. So pardon me, your doctor, please, the next time you sit across from me at the office and I seem just a little bit bitter and empty of compassion."
Posted on: Thu, 06 Jun 2013 13:38:23 +0000
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