Why The Health Care Bill Is Scary

Senate Republicans have had health care plans. They also have the only two medical doctors in the Senate. The docs discuss why the health care bill is “scary”:

The bill is here.

Dr. Coburn says in his Wall Street Journal op-ed:

I recently suggested that seniors will die sooner if Congress actually implements the Medicare cuts in the health-care bill put forward by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. My colleagues who defend the bill—none of whom have practiced medicine—predictably dismissed my concern as a scare tactic. They are wrong. Every American, not just seniors, should know that the rationing provisions in the Reid bill will not only reduce their quality of life, but their life spans as well.

My 25 years as a practicing physician have shown me what happens when government attempts to practice medicine: Doctors respond to government coercion instead of patient cues, and patients die prematurely. Even if the public option is eliminated from the bill, these onerous rationing provisions will remain intact.

For instance, the Reid bill (in sections 3403 and 2021) explicitly empowers Medicare to deny treatment based on cost. An Independent Medicare Advisory Board created by the bill—composed of permanent, unelected and, therefore, unaccountable members—will greatly expand the rationing practices that already occur in the program. Medicare, for example, has limited cancer patients’ access to Epogen, a costly but vital drug that stimulates red blood cell production. It has limited the use of virtual, and safer, colonoscopies due to cost concerns. And Medicare refuses medical claims at twice the rate of the largest private insurers.

This isn’t too far off Sarah Palin’s much reviled Death Panels. It also has the added benefit of being true. Interestingly, Howard Dean, also a physician, is not happy with the bill, but for other reasons. He at least knows enough that the bill won’t benefit actual patients. That is the point of this bill, right?

And another thing, this op-ed by David Brooks is why moderates should never run anything. Mind you, this is the guy still in love with President Obama. [Yes, it's wretch-inducing. Sorry.] He says:

So what’s my verdict? I have to confess, I flip-flop week to week and day to day. It’s a guess. Does this put us on a path toward the real reform, or does it head us down a valley in which real reform will be less likely?

If I were a senator forced to vote today, I’d vote no. If you pass a health care bill without systemic incentives reform, you set up a political vortex in which the few good parts of the bill will get stripped out and the expensive and wasteful parts will be entrenched.

So today, he’d vote no. Tomorrow? If he were a Senator, he’d have been bought already. It takes amazingly little access to buy a reporter. Ugh. And earlier in his piece he says:

Fourth, you can’t centrally regulate 17 percent of the U.S. economy without a raft of unintended consequences.

Fifth, it will slow innovation. Government regulators don’t do well with disruptive new technologies.

And yet, he’d consider voting for this stinker? See, big government is by definition, scary government. That’s the principle.

Individuals do it better. They protect their own self interests better. The government always, always, always makes things worse–slower, less responsive, punitive, heartless. And health care needs to be quick, responsive, compassionate and kind. That’s why this bill is scary. It will hurt people when they need help most.

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Good News Research On H1N1

From Rice University researchers:

Researchers at Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) have found what they believe is a weakness in H1N1’s method for evading detection by the immune system.

Comparing its genetic sequences going all the way back to the virus’s first known appearance in the deadly “Spanish flu” outbreak of 1918, they discovered a previously unrealized role of receptor-binding residues in host evasion, which effectively becomes a bottleneck that keeps the virus in check.

Here’s the link to the research. This has implications for all virus transmission.

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Today 80th Anniversary Of Black Tuesday: Nancy Pelosi Celebrates With Health Care Bill

Here is some of the disaster she’s wrought:

The Bill From Hell

Taxes

Transparency and more lack of

Oppression

Government will Regulate… Everything

Republican Response

Obviously, this is just scraping the surface and there will be more to come.

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About Swine Flu

This Swine Flu harms younger people far more disproportionately than the regular flu. Go check out the charts at this link [h/t Instapundit] By the time the vaccinations get fully prepared, Swine Flu will have swept the country. People will either be dead or immune.

In the Spring of the year, my kids and I got what looks like the Swine flu–cyclic fevers (fevers that turn on and off sometimes within an hour), respiratory distress, coughing, aches, etc. It hit me so hard that at the end of the first week (I was in bad shape for a week, weeks two and three were spent recovering), I could imagine how someone could die from the flu. It was awful.

The best thing to do for oneself is to stay rested, eat right, and manage stress. One distressing note is how pregnant women are disproportionately affected. This makes me wonder about long-term neurological diseases. Babies whose mothers had the flu in the first trimester are much more likely to be diagnosed with Schizophrenia. There has been some evidence that Autism can be triggered in the same way. So, this new flu might have more health implications down the road.

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A Teleconference With Joe Wilson

I was a touch late and missed the beginning of Joe Wilson’s opening statement and unfortunately, coming in during the middle of it, I had a bit of trouble following it. Usually in that sort of situation, I don’t write up the teleconference. However, the Q&A session was so good, I thought it merited a post. What follows are my notes, not quotes, the questions posed to Joe Wilson and his answers:

There is a high level of unemployment and homelessness with our troops returning from overseas. What do we do about it?

I have two sons who’ve fought in Iraq, so this is an important issue to me. We do have screening for post-traumatic stress disorder and soldiers can get help that way. There are also organizations that work on it.

How long have you known about the new nuclear site in Iran?

It was top secret, so we couldn’t say, but yes, we’ve known about it for a while. We saw them clear the land, build it, and then try to disguise it as a parking lot.

There are extremists in Iran and they believe that if there is a nuclear exchange, that’s good because it would guarantee the return of the 12th Imam. That’s who runs Iran.

The good news is that Iran is theocratic and authoritarian, but it’s not a closed state. The young people can get information from outside. I’ve been to North Korea. They don’t have any cell phones or computers. The favorite country on earth of young people in Iran is the United States. So, we can make a difference.

Where is our foreign policy in Iran going?

Barack Obama knows Iran is developing on full pace to develop nuclear weapons. They have missiles that can reach Greece and India. They can vaporize Tel Aviv. They can hit American bases throughout the region. This is a terrorist supporting country that has provided weapons to kill Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan. Iran has done all they can to destabilize Iraq. They have tried to destabilize Lebanon. They’ve aided Hamas in their terrorism. Barack Obama has been very naive in dealing with them.

Like a zillion follow-up questions from the same person which went on until I noted that I’d like to ask a question as well: What’s going on in Russia? Why did we ditch the Eastern Democracies to cooperate with Russia on missile defense? What is going on with our foreign policy?

Obama has betrayed Poland & the Czech Republic. He’s put our allies at risk all over the world with his short sighted policies. The disconnect is: why are our enemies rejoicing? Why are our allies and the American people concerned? That suggests there is something very wrong with how Obama is conducting his foreign policy. Hugo Chavez is praising our President. Gaddaffi is praising our President at the UN. Mark Levin said it looked like a Conga line of nutjobs was appearing before the United Nations.

The signs are very clear from Iran. When they say death to America or death to Israel, that’s exactly what they mean. We have had meetings with Iran and we’ve gotten nowhere. When we have talked 1-on-1 with North Korea, the meetings all concern how much money, food, and things we are going to give Kim Jong-Il. That’s why Bush wanted six party talks.

I’ve been to Russia a number of times and have even lectured on Democracy there. I think there is a bright future for the people in Russia, but not the government in Russia. If they come to understand the rule of law by meeting people around the world, it will help them. Russia is at risk here, too. Russia should know that Iran can be dangerous to them, too. The Iranians have connections to Chechnya.

(Question from me) The situation in Afghanistan seems dire. McChrystal is saying we need more troops to win. Michael Yon, who’s an outstanding battlefield reporter, is saying we are in dangerous of losing and that it will be extremely difficult to win. The President seems to be refusing to make a decision. Thoughts on that?

I am going to be consistent. In Iraq, I said we should listen to military advisors. I think we need to do the same in Afghanistan. Obama was saying that it was important to win there just last August. I don’t understand Obama’s equivocation since this was his policy.

I do understand it takes time. The people in Afghanistan have an average income of $350. There was one paved road in the country when we got there. I have confidence in Hamid Karzai. These people really do want to develop a civil society and a good relationship with the United States. Moreover, stability in Afghanistan is vitally important to the stability of Pakistan.

Summary: Joe Wilson is not a charismatic speaker per se and he occasionally has a roundabout way of saying things, but you get the feeling he knows EXACTLY what he’s talking about on foreign policy. He’s a vet, who has sons who serve. He has made a lot of overseas trips. He has a tremendous command of facts and details about these nations — there is just a lot of gravitas there. And he says Obama’s making terrible mistakes in his foreign policy decisions. I think he’s right.

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Blood Tests By Cops? No. Twitter By Surgeons? Yes.

A tale of two technologies. I don’t care that blood draws by cops help stop drunk driving, I don’t want a cop near a needle, period. Too many things can go wrong.

What about surgeons giving updates from the surgery? Coolness. Doctors take turns, nurses help open and close, and in between a surgeon can update on progress. Since I’ve been in the waiting room too many times to note, I must say that the waiting…often hours…is just so stress inducing. Being told that the first phase is done and went well or there has been some trouble as the tumor was more invasive than expected, might or might not be welcome news, but the worst part is not knowing.

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Barack Obama Speechifying Fail: Dan Riehl And John Hawkins Discuss The President’s Speech & The Republicans

Was the President’s address a win? In the short term, just like Bill Clinton, yes. Did Bill Clinton get health care reform passed? Don’t think so. The speech, like most Obama soliloquies was rife with Strawmen. Neo Neocon knocks ‘em down.

Do Americans want a mandate to get insurance? We’ll see.

Was Joe Wilson right calling the President a “liar” over illegal aliens will be covered? Yes he was. That is, illegal aliens will most certainly be covered under this plan. That wasn’t the only set of lies. There were many. And, surprise! The AP has a list.

So, the blogger round-table and I talk about all this and what it means. Will health care legislation pass? Prediction: Yes, but it will not be a law that anyone will likes and will make everything worse.

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Sarah Palin: Barack Obama’s Nemesis

The press alternately calls Sarah Palin stupid or irrelevant. However, both in political instinct and policy substance, it’s clear that she is neither.

Today, her Op-Ed appears in the Wall Street Journal. It’s good. Cogent, clear, and well-written. She’s got a ghost-writer, say lib operatives. Let’s hope! Does Barack Obama write all his own stuff? Surely, libs jest. His college thesis can’t even be found. Why would anyone quibble that Sarah Palin would have a ghost writer? Probably because she makes sense:

Instead of poll-driven “solutions,” let’s talk about real health-care reform: market-oriented, patient-centered, and result-driven. As the Cato Institute’s Michael Cannon and others have argued, such policies include giving all individuals the same tax benefits received by those who get coverage through their employers; providing Medicare recipients with vouchers that allow them to purchase their own coverage; reforming tort laws to potentially save billions each year in wasteful spending; and changing costly state regulations to allow people to buy insurance across state lines. Rather than another top-down government plan, let’s give Americans control over their own health care.

Democrats have never seriously considered such ideas, instead rushing through their own controversial proposals. After all, they don’t need Republicans to sign on: Democrats control the House, the Senate and the presidency. But if passed, the Democrats’ proposals will significantly alter a large sector of our economy. They will not improve our health care. They will not save us money. And, despite what the president says, they will not “provide more stability and security to every American.”

Liberals also object to the timing of the piece. Geoffery Dunn in Huffington Post says today, “Yes, the latter continues her unyielding obsession with Barack Obama by trying to upstage his healthcare address to the nation today…”

In politics, timing is everything. Sarah Palin knows good timing. The President gives his big address today. And the press is not likely to pay attention to the Republican rebuttal. And Republicans still seem loath to take the fight to the president en masse lest they appear to be “obstructionist”. Even trying to work across the aisle, Republican are labeled such, anyway. And it’s no matter, their votes won’t affect the outcome one way or another–super majorities and all that. But Sarah Palin can help fight rhetorically and the best time to fight is when the opposition is on the battlefield. Today, everyone is paying attention. Today is a good time to fight. Liberals just hate being out-maneuvered.

And then, there’s the actual substance of Palin’s opinion piece. She makes sense. She continues to give voice to the “sick and elderly” and their very real concerns with government run health care. She is not backing down. She continues to point out the obvious: it will increase the debt.

The real problem Democrats have with Sarah Palin is that she accepts the President’s challenges where others cower. She isn’t going away. And when she does argue the points, she times her arguments for impact.

Sarah Palin is Barack Obama’s nemesis. He needs one.

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Forced Abortions: Majority Of American Women Feel Coerced To Abort

Many women experience pressure, abuse, and coercion when faced with a surprise pregnancy. This is bearing out with research reported by LifeNews:

Elliot Institute director David Reardon, co-authored a Medical Science Monitor study of American and Russian women with the 64 percent figure.

His new report, Forced Abortion in America, documents cases of violence against women who refused to have an abortion.

It also highlights cases like the one in Maine, which saw a couple charged with abducting their pregnant daughter in an attempt to force her to have an abortion, and another in Georgia, where a woman forced her pregnant daughter to drink turpentine to cause an abortion.

Reardon says the cases are just part of an epidemic of coerced and forced abortions in the U.S.

Reardon said that cases of women being pressured, threatened, or subjected to violence if they refuse to abort are not unusual.

He pointed out that studies have shown that homicide is the leading killer of pregnant women in the U.S. and that women in abusive relationships are at risk for increased violence during pregnancy.

“In many of the cases documented for our ‘Forced Abortion in America’ report, police and witnesses reported that acts of violence and murder took place after the woman refused to abort or because the attacker didn’t want the pregnancy,” he said in a statement LifeNews.com received.

“Even if a woman isn’t physically threatened, she often faces intense pressure, abandonment, lack of support, or emotional blackmail if she doesn’t abort. While abortion is often described as a ‘choice,’ women who’ve been there tell a very different story,” he added.

It has been the rare woman in my practice who sought the abortion and feels no guilt years later. Most women were either pressured to abort or chose the abortion and feel guilt later and remorse later. It is the rare woman who truly “chose”. It is a rarer woman who has no regret over her choice.

Posted in Body, Corrupted Culture, Mind | View Comments

Why Preventative Care Won’t Save Money

My practice consists of people who want to stay healthy and those recovering from some malady–often of the structural kind, but sometimes of the sub-clinical but bothersome kind. That means, people coming to my office hope to get back to doing what they want or make it so they’re always healthy.

These people are highly motivated. Since my practice is 90% cash, the patients seek out my services, value them so highly that they’ll pay money for them, and they will often be compliant. We have tough talks in my office. I have had this conversation many times:

Me: Here is what we need to do, but it will require a change of behavior on your part, a whole new lifestyle.

Patient: Okay…..

Me: If you are not interested in making these changes, you will not get the health benefits you desire. I do not want to waste your money and my time if you’re not ready for these changes.

Patient: Okay….

Me: How do you feel about (significant change in diet, new exercise regimen, changing sleep habits, changing exercise, at home rehab options, etc.)?

Patient: Well, I…..

And then, the patient thinks about it and decides. Even with paying for care and being self-selected to come into my office, only about 50% are willing to do the changes they need. Some don’t come back until they are ready. Some decide on symptomatic care and admit they don’t really want to change. I had one patient tell me, “I’d rather die than stop drinking Coke.” He was an alcoholic and diabetic. That’s good information to have–I can give him nutrition to supplement his horrendous lifestyle choices, but just the preventative care alone is not going to significantly help him if he won’t help himself. He will be in the hospital, eventually, and have a limb amputated or go into a diabetic coma. Those will be huge expenses.

So, while my practice centers on people taking control of their health and it’s profoundly satisfying because people are self-motivated, this is not the majority of American health care consumers. From the Washington Post:

Using data from long-standing clinical trials, researchers projected the cost of caring for people with Type 2 diabetes as they progress from diagnosis to various complications and death. Enrolling federally-insured patients in a simple but aggressive program to control the disease would cost the government $1,024 per person per year — money that largely would be recovered after 25 years through lower spending on dialysis, kidney transplants, amputations and other forms of treatment, the study found.

However, except for the youngest diabetics, the additional services would add to overall health spending, not decrease it, the study shows.

As an aside, I strongly question the $1,000 price tag for diabetes education and prevention. That seems awfully low. Since one doctor’s office visit alone is around $100, I wonder what else is being covered here. Are meds included? Counseling? What?

Most people, if given a choice, will go to the doctor and want to be “fixed”. That is, they’ll want a drug or surgery that enables them to continue on their path without having to change their behavior. Should socialized medicine come to America, that impulse will be reinforced. Health care costs will soar.

Preventative care only works when a patient is motivated, and even then, it’s challenging. Those under Government Run health care will have less incentive, not more, to take control of their health care.

Do I think that preventative care saves money for my patients? Absolutely. A healthy person over his lifetime, will likely need less health care intervention. Since nearly 90% of chronic disease is preventable, steps to prevent them make a huge difference. A person who never develops heart disease or diabetes or employs dietary ways to prevent cancers makes for a very nice health care cost risk long-term.

In my own life, the life insurance guy was shocked: I have low blood pressure, low cholesterol, I’m on no meds, I’ve had no surgeries. And, yes, I’m overweight, but that doesn’t mean, necessarily, unhealthy. My own grandma who is 92, has spent a lifetime of living preventatively. She is the picture of health–mentally and physically. Prevention does matter. But the individual must be motivated and must take the steps himself to be healthy.

No government can force an individual to have motivation. But they can force behavior…and that’s what they’ll try to do, eventually. In that case, the cure is worse than the disease.

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