2009.08.26 13:22
OBAMA's HEALTH CARE Please read this thought-provoking article/from U of M-Ann Arbor. David Janda, MD is a highly respected orthopedic surgeon and author. His office is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, affiliated with St. Joseph Mercy Hospital. On July 17, 2009, he was asked to be the keynote speaker at a Congressional Dinner. I hope you will read and consider this article he wrote and published regarding the proposed healthcare reform. If passed this legislation will affect us all! THE ONE WORD TO DESCRIBE OBAMACARE Written by Dr. Dave Janda Thursday, 23 July 2009 As a physician who has authored books on preventative health care, I was given the opportunity to be the keynote speaker at a Congressional Dinner at The Capitol Building in Washington last Friday (7/17). The presentation was entitled Health Care Reform, The Power & Profit of Prevention, and I was gratified that it was well received. In preparation for the presentation, I read the latest version of "reform" as authored by The Obama Administration and supported by Speaker Pelosi and Senator Reid. Here is the link to the 1,018 page document: http://edlabor.house.gov/documents/111/pdf/publications/AAHCA-BillText-071409.pdf Let me summarize just a few salient points of the above plan. First, however, it should be clear that the same warning notice must be placed on The ObamaCare Plan as on a pack of cigarettes: Consuming this product will be hazardous to your health. The underlying method of cutting costs throughout the plan is based on rationing and denying care. There is no focus on preventing health care need whatever. The plan's method is the most inhumane and unethical approach to cutting costs I can imagine as a physician. The rationing of care is implemented through The National Health Care Board, according to the plan. This illustrious Board "will approve or reject treatment for patients based on the cost per treatment divided by the number of years the patient will benefit from the treatment." Translation.....if you are over 65 or have been recently diagnosed as having an advanced form of cardiac disease or aggressive cancer.....dream on if you think you will get treated.....pick out your coffin. Oh, you say this could never happen? Sorry.... this is the same model they use in Britain. The plan mandates that there will be little or no advanced treatments to be available in the future. It creates The Federal Coordinating Council For Comparative Effectiveness Research, the purpose of which is "to slow the development of new medications and technologies in order to reduce costs." Yes, this is to be the law. The plan also outlines that doctors and hospitals will be overseen and reviewed by The National Coordinator For Health Information and Technology. This " coordinator" will "monitor treatments being delivered to make sure doctors and hospitals are strictly following government guidelines that are deemed appropriate." It goes on to say....."Doctors and hospitals not adhering to guidelines will face penalties." According to those in Congress, penalties could include large six figure financial fines and possible imprisonment. So according to The ObamaCare Plan....if your doctor saves your life you might have to go to the prison to see your doctor for follow -up appointments. I believe this is the same model Stalin used in the former Soviet Union . Section 102 has the Orwellian title, "Protecting the Choice to Keep Current Coverage." What this section really mandates is that it is illegal to keep your private insurance if your status changes - e.g., if you lose or change your job, retire from your job and become a senior, graduate from college and get your first job. Yes, illegal. When Mr. Obama hosted a conference call with bloggers urging them to pressure Congress to pass his health plan as soon as possible, a blogger from Maine referenced an Investors Business Daily article that claimed Section 102 of the House health legislation would outlaw private insurance. He asked: "Is this true? Will people be able to keep their insurance and will insurers be able to write new policies even though H.R. 3200 is passed?" Mr. Obama replied: "You know, I have to say that I am not familiar with the provision you are talking about." Then there is Section 1233 of The ObamaCare Plan, devoted to "Advanced Care Planning." After each American turns 65 years of age they have to go to a mandated counseling program that is designed to end life sooner. This session is to occur every 5 years unless the person has developed a chronic illness then it must be done every year. The topics in this session will include, "how to decline hydration, nutrition and how to initiate hospice care." It is no wonder The Obama Administration does not like my emphasis on Prevention. For Mr. Obama, prevention is the "enemy" as people would live longer. I rest my case. The ObamaCare Plan is hazardous to the health of every American. After I finished my Capitol Hill presentation, I was asked by a Congressman in the question-answer session: "I'll be doing a number of network interviews on the Obama Health Care Plan. If I am asked what is the one word to describe the plan what should I answer." The answer is simple, honest, direct, analytical, sad but truthful. I told him that one word is FASCIST. Then I added, "I hope you'll have the courage to use that word, Congressman. No other word is more appropriate." Dr. Dave Janda, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon, and a world-recognized expert on the prevention of sports injuries, particularly in children. His website is noinjury.com. |
2009.08.26 16:54
2009.08.26 21:46
2009.08.27 06:58
I viewed these two opposing interpretations and regarding the possible solutions whereof, on sky-rocketing high costs of medical cares in our country.
I do not think ANY 100 y/o Alzheimer' or their family would request 'lung transplantation' to be done. As I see, conspicuous culprits behind escalating costs concerns with development of high cost/high tech investigative inventions, unconscientious heaith care industries coupled with ever increasing litigations along the medical cares.
I wonder what are the opinions on these particular aspects especially from the second group of this disputes. Could anyone or the government prohibit any future more sophiscated inventions in medical technology?
What about the corrupt judicial systems in this country, which every citizens have been witnessing especially in the recent decades.
2009.08.27 15:15
"Could anyone or the government prohibit any future more sophiscated inventions in medical technology?"
This is exactly what Obama health plan is trying to achieve.
The plan tries to do away with the expensive unnecessary medical intervention on a patient whose future is hopeless as a reasonably dignified human being. But the health industry lobbies have twisted this into an act of fascism or some kind of criminal assault on humanity, thus giving "wrong" impression to the general public.
Only medical doctors can understand this matter but so few of them are interested or knowledgible enough to say the truth. Or so few of them are brave enough to challenge their bosses (healthcare industries) who write their salary checks. Without such restriction of medical care, the society will be full of vegetative human beings in the nursing homes and hospitals who will be staying alive forever.
"I do not think ANY 100 y/o Alzheimer' or their family would request 'lung transplantation' to be done."
Of course, I agree with you 100%. However, it won't be the patients or families who request such. The machinery of the healthcare industries will justify and do it, just for their profit, not for the welfare of the patient. That's exactly why they are viciously against the Obama plan. That's why we need the Obama healthcare plan or something similar !!
The sky-rocketing medical cost is not because we demand such medical care. The main culprit is the medical care industries and the legal system. Only effective way of controlling it is to have it nationalized.
The Obama plan is not perfect (neither are anyone else's) because it is , in reality, impossible to formulate a perfect plan. In our society, there are no such things as being perfect, morally, politically, medically, and philosophically.
The most important thing is to take a "first step" toward the right direction. Let's get the Obama plan started and then repair and modify as we go along.
2009.08.28 12:11
Under the currently active system there are such rules as "Advance Directives" and "DNR(do not resuscitate)" orders existing to prevent unnecessary spending of money on terminal to preterminal patients.
I at the same time admit that this rule may be present with some rooms for more clarification and strengthening.
Anyway, jumping off to some fancy idea may not be a fool-proof solution. I believe we should resolve this very important issue with absolute prudence keeping in mind various ramifications whereof including tremendous financial and emotional burdens on the part of citizens. As I see it, the best way resides somewhere in "the happy medium."
2009.08.28 14:34
2009.08.29 03:03
Main culprit to prevent to achieving this goal is American judiciary system,I believe
and we should change our judiciary system rather than government's intervention
or dictation by insurance company and elderly should not be victimized either.
We should start with national tort reform and eventually get rid of that sacred word,
'CONTINGENCY FEE SYSTEM' for the lawyers.
This is the only country in the world to adapt this lotto style contingency fee system,
which is unheard of among any other profession as well.
God bless! America! KJ
2009.08.29 15:55
2009.09.04 10:50
Here's a counter opinion in favor of Obama that I wrote as an editor,
in a sense that all good media should have at least one counter opinion anyway.
This doesn't necessarily represent the opinion of mine.
A Counter Opinion:
As you see, practicing physicians simply don't like the plan as their income get screwed.
Everything else they say are lies and disguises, only to pad their own checkbooks.
So do the medical industries as their business get hit with government control
and their profit gets hit as well.
They are saying as if they really and genuinley care about us,
but, sorry, what they really care is their own pockets, not us.
Don't listen to them. They are only cheating you.
Dear physicians...
Even if Obama plan fails, you are not going to receive much benefit any way.
You won't be any better off with the plan on or off.
All the benefit goes to hospitals, insurance industries, and medical suppliers, but not to you.
There's nothing left for you. All you get will be thin and lean salary checks from them.
Long time ago, you have lost your clout. It's gone forever.
No matter what you do, you are never going to get it back.
You have become nothing but a few hapless pawns working for the health care industries.
(I had been there myself.)
Healthcare cost should be brought down to a reasonable level.
Otherwise, health care cost will go up uncontrollably higher to the point
where our life solely exists to serve and enrich medical care industries.
It is almost at that area right now.
When you get sick, you will loose everything you earned to buy medical cares.
Our life, in the end, is to enrich the medical industries.
They will keep you alive until they suck your money dry to the bottom,
and, only when they see the dry bottom, they will let you die.
Medical expense has to be controlled someway. Obama is taking the first step.
It doesn't matter if the present form of his health plan is right or wrong, good or bad.
We have to start somewhere and then gradually modify it to fit our circumstance later.
We can not have a perfect plan (!!) from the beginning.
(Perfect plan, good for everybody? Are you kidding? Is there such thing?)
Today, if obama listens to doctors and medical industries, we have no hope.
Obama should do exactly the reverse of what they say.
Then, he and we will survive from this medical "snake-oil selling" nonsense.
There is no sense of doing a lung transplant on a 100 year-old Alzheimer patiient.
If you leave them alone, they will somehow justify it and they will do it !!
Someone has to write a rule to stop it even though it may look cruel and inhumane.
Nowadays, we are living long enough already, much longer than is necessary.
If one thinks that life is too short, it's because of his own fault and laziness.
His life is long enough. God (generic) has given him enough time.
Only thing is that he has been just wasting it or too lazy to use it properly.
Why do we have to help this guy?
Any medical practices that may proplong the human life span beyond the useful age
should be forbidden.
With so few younger working people, who are going to take care of them after all??
Dear Physicians;
Please don't go around and telling your people against Obama plan.
You are nothing but pawns of the healthcare industries.
There's no "soup" for you anyway, no matter how well you serve them.
The stronger the medical care industries get, the weaker pawns you will be.
Sad to be a pawn, why would you want to be a weaker pawn?
Please don't worry about the philosophical and humane aspects of life and death.
It is no longer your business any more. Nowadays, lawyers will decide it for you.
See, you have lost the control of life and death of your patient long time ago.
When was the last time you decide on your own without consulting a lawyer?
Please do think about Mercedes, Ferraris, Posche, beautiful women,
and all those conspicuous spendings. If the things are going the way it's been going,
even those monapolies won't be with you very long either.