I can understand and sympathize with the frustration of Maeva Considine and her HMO experience (“Damn you to health,” July 19).
Having spent much time under a system too similar to the coming “Obama Care,” I am certain that under “Obama Care” (OBC) the results will be even more frustrating and result in a reduced chance of successful treatment for her.
According to responsible reviews, OBC adds about 16,000 IRS agents but no new doctors or hospitals and takes money from other medical programs. Recent reports indicate that more than 80 percent of current doctors now want to leave the practice of medicine.
What OBC incentive is there for a doctor to devote his time to developing a cure for her hand?
A basic problem that will be compounded under OBC is that another third to 10th party will tell her who she can or cannot see for treatment.
Would it not be better for her to have a medical debit card issued by an independent “medical” bank that she could use anywhere, anytime, with any doctor she wanted for her treatment and the doctor get paid the agreed to amount on the spot by swiping the card?
There would not be a need for the doctor or hospital to spend hours and hours, plus a lot of money, filling out forms for HMOs, insurance companies, federal reports, state reports, county reports, city reports, or any other report that does not add to the direct care of the doctor for Maeva.
This article appears in Aug 16-23, 2012.