I have worked in the Health care industry for the past 14 years. With many millions being spent yearly on medicare and medicaid needlessly last year we were instructed that if certain patients requests did not meet specific criteria and did not have enough valid reasons; we were to explain to the patients that their procedure could be denied and that they may be liable to pay some or all of the amount for the exam and needed to sign a release form. WELL, that did not sit too well with many patients. Knowing that there are many truly sick people that benefit from medicare and medicaid there are also alot of people who show up for exams that are not emergent and because they know they do not have to pay; just come in whenever they please for any little thing the average person (who does pay) would not come in for. Not too long ago I had a patient come in from the emergency room for an Emergency MRI of the neck(even though he has had pain for over 2 years because of an accident) He was brought over for possible Cord compression, a possible paralyzing injury. Joking, laughing sitting up, standing, walking to the bathroom and not following instructions the secretary found out that he used medicare and that they would not cover his inury because it had been treated a few times before in the past. He was told that he may have to pay if medicare does not. He got up, took of his collar(neck brace) and walked out of the building cussing and refusing to sign the forms. He comes back about 5 hours later and says o.k. i'll sign the forms but I'm not going to pay. We did the procedure and it was a negative exam. and now whe have just done a "free" procedure. People don't realize that nothing is free. We see patients come in for colds, splinters in the finger, to deliver a child every year who walk away with never having to worry about paying anything. You can't speak English that's o.k we will get an interpreter, you can't pay that's o.k. we will bill the government,(which gets their funding from our taxes). As long as it is "FREE" they come in for anything and everything. but when told they may have to pay if medicare refuses they all-of-a-sudden feel much better and refuse the procedures. Just like going to the store and seeing people purchase food with their food stamps and then hop in their expensive trucks and SUV's while speaking on their cell phone. Most people even with insurance don't go to the doctor because their copay and percentage is so high that they wait for when they are REALLY sick and not just show up with the sniffles every other day of the week. If they knew the money came out of their pockets, they would be more cautious as to what is truly a medical need. Also, hospitals worried about being sued don't turn anyone away and sometimes order more exams than are needed just to cover themselves. If the hospital bills medicare-medicaid for example 1800 dollars for a MRI of the Head done on a machine that cost 1.7 million dollars, medicare-medicaid turns around and only pay 350. So in turn, we have to see more patients and increase the costs for other insured patients to make up for the difference. I just have seen it get abused more and more recently over the last 4 years. I believe it is really out of control. I don't claim to know everything and I don't expect everyone to agree with my opinion. Just wanted to say that before someone gets offended and starts bashing.

 

No, what you said is the truth,, it's rediculous the way people are "ALLOWED" to manipulate the system...look at all the people who get free money from the government....there are too many people that depend on the government to do things for them, because they are too lazy to do things themselves.... (if i have another kid, that's another $300 a month in my pocket.) All the while i'm busting my *** to make ends meet, paying uncle Sam 1/4 of a paycheck,,, just so some "no-talent *** clown" can get a free ride.... i think everything with government money should be a work program..... YOU WANT MONEY... WELL YOU'RE GOING TO WORK FOR IT.... GO DIG A DITCH FOR YOUR COUNTY AND WE'LL FEED YOUR FAMILY,,, you want wellfare, go volunteer at the county clerks office, or the police station...JUST DO SOMETHING. it makes me sick to see these people living off of the hard work of other Americans... Now i truly feel that some people do need help, and cannot get by because they are disabled.. but the others are just lazy... it's called survival of the fittest not...prosperity for the weak.

 

We have a lot of indians here, as I live next to a reserve, and this is one of the only major centres this far north, so many other reserves also travel here once a month, on you guessed it, welfare day.

The most disgusting thing I have ever heard is "Three more kids and we get a mustang!"

You don't give money to someone who doesn't know what to do with it, you give them a JOB!