Who loses in a true free market solution for health care? Not patients.

Friend of IP4PI Dr. Rico writes in:

Just ask yourself who loses out in a true free market solution – Insurance cos, Elites of academia and Quality/Certification cartel, and administrators and it’s clear why these special interests object so strenuously. It’s no secret there will always be millions of people who can’t pay for insurance, but let’s identify those costs clearly so taxpayers will understand the impact, as they are the ones paying for it. There can’t be a worse method of shifting costs to taxpayers than the current ACA subsidies. To state that current system works great as long as subsidies are maintained is ridiculous.

-Edward Rico, MD, MBA, FACE

Real Solutions Encourage Responsibility; Safety Nets Should Not Become a Chronic Need

Dr. Robert Villare responds to the AMA’s continued support for Medicaid Expansion and ACA:

To K B O’Reilly on AMA wire. Better question to ask is why so many Ohioans (700,000) are on Medicaid.

It is well documented that these populations reproduce with abandon and lack a mother and father family presence, are irresponsible and non-compliant, and practice poor health habits. You write nothing about their need to get responsible or the need for Ohio to create jobs to resolve this root cause problem of the need for Medicaid. Safety nets, while appropriate in some cases, should not become a chronic need for residents.

The rant about covering everyone, with no contingent duties and responsibilities is old. You note nothing about how you think this should be paid for–the real dilemma over the last 30 years. Easy to say “cover everyone” but not easy to pay for it without burdening hard-working people that you will mandate the taking of more monies out of their pocket to give to others who feel entitled and may well lack appreciation for the handout.

Solve that problem. Give them jobs to earn at least some of their medical care, and terminate the costly regulations and liability issues facing providers in this litiginous population.

House GOP’s Affordable Healthcare Act is Not What the Doctor Ordered or Voters Demanded

While IP4PI appreciates the efforts and goals of the Republican Affordable Healthcare act, it is far from the “full repeal” that was promised over the last two election cycles. As independent physicians, we believe that it doesn’t go far enough in repealing the failed ACA, protecting patient choice and permitting the free market to produce excellence, efficiency and economy. We recommend that big money special interests like pharmaceutical industry, hospital industry, health information technology industry and insurance industry not have undue influence in the process as they have for decades but physicians and patients.

1. Full repeal of ACA/Obamacare by reconciliation.

2. True inexpensive high deductible insurance plans competing across state lines for maximum choice, efficiency and economy.

3. Medicaid block granted back to the states where each state can provide flexible solutions for their citizens.

4. Health savings accounts HSA us should be expanded for use for all medical needs so that patients can select any care or items related to health with their own value systems.

5. Primary care and basic specialty care paid directly to physicians by the patients who selected them. Prices to be posted whether per incident or monthly membership model like DPC Direct primary care.

6. Executive, legislative and judicial for branches of government must abide by this law for their own healthcare.

14 Principles for healthcare freedom

Articles critiquing GOP ACA change bill

• https://www.cato.org/blog/house-gop-leaderships-health-care-bill-obamacare-lite-or-worse
• http://reason.com/blog/2017/03/07/rand-paul-gop-health-care-bill
• http://dailysignal.com/2017/03/07/house-republican-health-care-bill-misses-the-mark/
• https://drhurd.com/2017/03/06/63226/

If anyone asks about preserving “good” portions of Obamacare, you can respond:

“You can’t fix a turd.”

“And like a turd,” explained one physician a few years ago, “we had to pass ObamaCare before we could find out what was in it.” Remember Congresswoman Pelosi’s infamous quote?

Sorry to be so blunt but ACA Obamacare is so filled with theft by taxes, giveaways to hospitals and insurance industries, and theft of patient rights and physician autonomy, that it would be unwise to leave any of it on the books.  If it were re-activated and funded at sometime in the future, because we failed to repeal it on total, we would be at fault. Will our children face the true consequences of paying for it and being bound by it?

Best wishes for good health,

Craig M. Wax, DO

Family Physician

National Physicians Council on Healthcare Policy member

Real Patient Lives vs. Corporatized/Government Healthcare, Part II

A friend of IP4PI shares the story of another victim of government and insurance run medicine:

A 40 year old female, patient of mine in a previous practice, returned to me in my DPC practice.  Her husband once had a good job and insurance, now with cardiomyopathy, and she is on medicaid.  She returned to me with a 1.5 year history of intractable nausea and vomiting.  I reviewed 800 pages of records.  She had been to the ER 40 times, admitted 20.  At 90% of these visits, she was misdiagnosed as having cyclic vomiting syndrome, given IV fluids, Reglan and antiemetics, and sent home.  Buried in the 800 pages I found a markedly positive gastric emptying study.  She has now been to the Cleveland Clinic, has received the correct treatment for her gastroparesis, and is finally improving.  I guessitmate over $300,000 was spent on her (mis)care, when the proper care could have been given for well under 1/3 of that.

Real Patient Lives vs. Corporatized/Government Healthcare, Part I

A friend of IP4PI shares this real life tragedy:

My good friend’s (deceased) son died in 2015 of MI at age 37, having visited the ER, one hospitalization, and his primary care NP 25 times with symptoms.  Although his symptom complaints were by no means classic for coronary disease (that’s why we make the big bucks, right?), they included chest and arm pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, nausea and dizziness.  I reviewed 1200 pages of records for the family.  After one negative stress test (and a number of other noncardiac negative testing) he was told repeatedly that he was “anxious”, and sent home again and again with a benzodiazepine prescription.  At every ER encounter, he was asked such government inspired questions as “Is your spouse abusing you?” (this was a strapping young construction worker), and told at the end of each visit to “return if you have concerning symptoms” (he did, 18 times) but only ONCE did anyone document the fact that his father had an MI in his 30’s !!  He had an 8 year old son, whose mother is out of the picture, and a girlfriend of 7 years.  They were married on Valentine’s Day, 2015.  On March 28, he called the life squad again, telling them “I feel like I’m going to die!!”  He was taken to the ED, told again he was anxious, sent home with Rx.  On March 30, while making love with his new bride, he had chest pain.  Squad called.  His widow played the 911 recording for me.  As she pleads with them to hurry, he can be heard yelling to them in the background:  “I told you there was something wrong!!!  I told you!!!!”  His last words.  Then he vomits and dies.  For me, this case could not be more clear.  His dad was cared for by unfettered professionals (1980s), who correctly diagnosed and treated him, and he never had another heart problem.  30 years of ‘progress’ later, his son was misdiagnosed and mistreated by “providers” directed by Washington and insurance companies.  He is dead, his son orphaned (his widow has now gained custody.  Despite whatever risk it might entail to her lawsuit, she is willing to speak publicly about this, in hopes of preventing similar tragedy for others.)  Note that U.S. life expectancy fell in 2015, for the first time since the AIDS epidemic.

Real Patient Lives vs. Corporatized/Government Healthcare, Part III

A friend of IP4PI shares yet another VA failure:

A VA patient came to me with a one month history of RUQ/R lower ribs pain. The VA had diagnosed him with “constipation” and prescribed laxatives, but despite a thorough bowel emptying, he was no better. I started with, “How did this begin?” He said he was shoveling some gravel on a hilltop, slipped and tumbled down. He had a rib fracture! I used to work at the VA, so I know how this went: “I’m having pain here (under R ribs) and..” (doctor staring at computer, knowing someone in admin is watching his screen too, making certain he clicks all the right boxes, so they get their bonus checks) “Yes, yes, RUQ abdominal pain. We’ll do an abdominal film” Showed constipation. Prescribe laxative. Next.. Most lay people can tell the difference between a fracture and a turd, but not (turns out) a doctor with their face in a computer and a gun to their head.

Dear Senators Dr, Rand Paul, Ted Cruz and Mike Lee,

March 1, 2017

Dear Senators Dr, Rand Paul, Ted Cruz and Mike Lee,

Thank you for having the courage and taking action to hold your GOP congressional colleagues accountable to the citizens of the United States in demanding the full repeal of ACA/Obamacare.  It is highly complex, burdensome, unaffordably expensive and failing miserably to the detriment of our nation and its citizens. Bad law is bad law and must be fully repealed. Personal responsibility, free markets and true charity are the solutions to the nation’s healthcare ills.  Please see the IP4PI 14 point solution for healthcare freedom.

Please contact me anytime at the address and phone number above during office hours and at my mobile phone 000-000-0000 anytime. Thank you again for continuing to support the great citizens of our country as responsible individuals with freedom and liberty.

Best wishes for good health,

Craig M. Wax, DO

Family Physician, Media Host and Healthcare Policy Expert
National Physicians Council on Healthcare Policy member
Founder of IP4PI, Independent Physicians for Patient Independence
Practicing Physicians of America, VP for Healthcare Policy
Host of Your Health Matters
Rowan Radio 89.7 WGLS FM
http://wgls.rowan.edu/?feed=YOUR_HEALTH_MATTERS
Twitter @drcraigwax

CC:    Donald Trump, President, US
Mike Pence, Vice President, US
Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader
Paul Ryan, Speaker of the House