The proxy dance is what happens when well intentioned individuals celebrate the expansion of failed social/government policies. But are too much into the beat of the music to care about the effectiveness of such policies. All that matters to them is how the beat from these failed policies make them feel good about themselves.
With the insertion of increased funding for government health care, bloggers and politicos are dancing in the streets for those they believe they are helping.
How much are you willing to bet the folks are doing all the dancing have never used medicare/medicaid?
Here is a quick round up of some of the posts I have done in the past that address government health care.
A. If government health care is so good, why do eligible folks either leaving it or have to be encouraged to use it?
Ex. 1 –
“A patient education program that included encouragement and occasional gifts improved medication adherence — taking medicines consistently and correctly — among black Americans with high blood pressure, a new study found.
“African-Americans have been shown in some studies to be nearly twice as likely to not take their medicines when compared to Caucasians,” study lead author Dr. Olugbenga Ogedegbe, an associate professor of medicine at New York University School of Medicine, said in an American Heart Association news release.
The study included 252 black patients whose medication adherence was measured with electronic monitors installed on the caps of blood pressure pill bottles.
Those who received standard high blood pressure information, bi-monthly phone calls reminding them of positive life experiences, and six unexpected gifts by mail (including an umbrella and duffle bag) took their medication 43 percent of the time over 12 months. Patients who just received a workbook on hypertension (high blood pressure) with no additional intervention took their medication 36 percent of the time.” (more…)
Ex. 2 -
Along with race, other factors appeared to increase the risk of patients checking out against medical advice. Patients receiving Medicaid, the government health insurance program for the poor, were three times more likely than patients with private insurance to self-discharge. Also at greater risk were patients on Medicare, the federal insurance program for older Americans. Younger patients self-discharged more often than older patients, and men did so more often than women.
Even with factors like insurance and income considered, however, African-American race was still independently linked to a higher risk of self-discharge. (more…)
Ex. 3 -
Back in the late 90′s, then President Bill Clinton made a push to “…to locate and sign up millions of children who are eligible for Medicaid but not enrolled in the program…”
Ex 4 -
This is a statement by Beatrice Disman before the Health Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee on 5/3/07. She talks about ongoing efforts to inform folks about Medicaid programs they are not taking advantage of. Once again, if this is something that is so great, why is government finding it difficult to sign folks up?
Investor’s Business Daily did an article last month on medicaid and how some doctors have been upset with the program for years.
Dr. Orient disagrees. “I think Medicare has it wrong in just about every instance,” she said. “You can’t have central planning and price controls and get it right.”
Some Doctors Contend Medicare Offers A Prescription For Failure
For some physicians, the problem goes beyond reimbursements. Last year, Dr. Smiley Thakur, a transplant nephrologist, opted out of all insurance, including Medicare. Although his income has dipped, his satisfaction improved.
“Medicine is the best profession and the worst business,” he said. “I became unhappy struggling to provide thoughtful care . . . while satisfying Medicare’s nonsensical coding and documentation requirements.”
Dissatisfaction with bureaucracy may be something that no health care reform can solve.
I mentioned Betsy McCaughey’s article last week. I think this excerpt is worth mentioning again.
Hospitals and doctors that are not “meaningful users” of the new system will face penalties. “Meaningful user” isn’t defined in the bill. That will be left to the HHS secretary, who will be empowered to impose “more stringent measures of meaningful use over time” (511, 518, 540-541)
What penalties will deter your doctor from going beyond the electronically delivered protocols when your condition is atypical or you need an experimental treatment? The vagueness is intentional. In his book, Daschle proposed an appointed body with vast powers to make the “tough” decisions elected politicians won’t make.
The stimulus bill does that, and calls it the Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research (190-192). The goal, Daschle’s book explained, is to slow the development and use of new medications and technologies because they are driving up costs. He praises Europeans for being more willing to accept “hopeless diagnoses” and “forgo experimental treatments,” and he chastises Americans for expecting too much from the health-care system.
But never mind all of that. You are helping the poor. Get out there and DANCE!
As for those people sitting on the sidelines, they are a little to sick right now to join you. Sick of a sub-standard system that is not meeting their needs. But hey, the punch is great.
Do the Proxy Dance
by Duane on February 16th, 2009 at 1:47 pmThe proxy dance is what happens when well intentioned individuals celebrate the expansion of failed social/government policies. But are too much into the beat of the music to care about the effectiveness of such policies. All that matters to them is how the beat from these failed policies make them feel good about themselves.
With the insertion of increased funding for government health care, bloggers and politicos are dancing in the streets for those they believe they are helping.
How much are you willing to bet the folks are doing all the dancing have never used medicare/medicaid?
Here is a quick round up of some of the posts I have done in the past that address government health care.
A. If government health care is so good, why do eligible folks either leaving it or have to be encouraged to use it?
Ex. 1 –
Ex. 2 -
Ex. 3 -
Back in the late 90′s, then President Bill Clinton made a push to “…to locate and sign up millions of children who are eligible for Medicaid but not enrolled in the program…”
Ex 4 -
This is a statement by Beatrice Disman before the Health Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee on 5/3/07. She talks about ongoing efforts to inform folks about Medicaid programs they are not taking advantage of. Once again, if this is something that is so great, why is government finding it difficult to sign folks up?
Investor’s Business Daily did an article last month on medicaid and how some doctors have been upset with the program for years.
I mentioned Betsy McCaughey’s article last week. I think this excerpt is worth mentioning again.
Hospitals and doctors that are not “meaningful users” of the new system will face penalties. “Meaningful user” isn’t defined in the bill. That will be left to the HHS secretary, who will be empowered to impose “more stringent measures of meaningful use over time” (511, 518, 540-541)
What penalties will deter your doctor from going beyond the electronically delivered protocols when your condition is atypical or you need an experimental treatment? The vagueness is intentional. In his book, Daschle proposed an appointed body with vast powers to make the “tough” decisions elected politicians won’t make.
The stimulus bill does that, and calls it the Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research (190-192). The goal, Daschle’s book explained, is to slow the development and use of new medications and technologies because they are driving up costs. He praises Europeans for being more willing to accept “hopeless diagnoses” and “forgo experimental treatments,” and he chastises Americans for expecting too much from the health-care system.
But never mind all of that. You are helping the poor. Get out there and DANCE!
As for those people sitting on the sidelines, they are a little to sick right now to join you. Sick of a sub-standard system that is not meeting their needs. But hey, the punch is great.