Category Archives: Health Care
Doctors dump health insurance plans, charge patients less
WICHITA, Kan., June 14 (UPI) –
A Kansas physician says he makes the same income and offers better quality care to his patients after he dumped all health insurance companies.
Thirty-two-year old family physician Doug Nunamaker of Wichita, Kan., said after five years of dealing with the red tape of health insurance companies and the high overhead for the staff he hired just to deal with paperwork, he switched to a system of charging his patients a monthly fee plus the price of an office visit or test, CNN/Money reported.
For example, under Nunamaker’s membership plan — also known as “concierge” medicine or “direct primary care” practices — each patient pays a flat monthly fee to have unlimited access to the doctors and any medical service they can provide in the practice, such as stitches or an EKG.
For adults up to age 44, Nunamaker charges $50 a month, pediatric services are $10 a month, and for adults age 44 and older it costs $100 a month. Although Nunamaker calls the practice “cash-only,” he accepts credit and debit cards for the fees and services.
Nunamaker and his partner negotiated deals for services outside the office. A cholesterol test costs the patient for $3, versus the $90 or more billed to insurance companies; an MRI can cost $400, compared with $2,000 or more billed to insurance companies.
The practice encourages patients and families to also carry some type of high-deductible health insurance plan in case of an emergency or serious illness requiring hospitalization, Nunamaker said.
Nunamaker said his annual salary is around $200,000, and he gets to spend more time with patients providing better care because he is not watching the clock and he gets to spend more time with this family.
Most of Nunamaker’s clients are self-employed, small business owners, or small companies that found the monthly fee and the cost of the high-deductible plan was a cheaper option, CNN/Money reported.
via Doctors dump health insurance plans, charge patients less.
Related articles
- Doctors dump health insurance plans, charge patients less, charging cash (righttruth.typepad.com)
- Doctors Dump Health Insurance Companies (paradoxicalconvergence.com)
- Doctors dump health insurance plans, charge patients less (wholovesya7.wordpress.com)
- Doctors Dump Health Insurance, Charge Patients Less (visiontoamerica.com)
- Doctors Dump Health Insurance Plans, Charge Patients Less (endtimeheadlines.wordpress.com)
- Cash-only doctors abandon the insurance system (money.cnn.com)
- NO MORE INSURANCE – Doctors moving to cash-only model and they LOVE IT… (therightscoop.com)
- More Doctors Are Moving To ‘Cash-Only’ System (sweetness-light.com)
No ObamaCare – YouTube
Dinesh D’Souza & Michael Shermer in debate at Oregon State University. Questions from the student body regarding Universal Health Care / ObamaCare. The answers were quite well presented and the student body seemed to agree.
18 Democratic senators buck Harry Reid on Obamacare tax
via The Daily Caller
Eighteen Democratic U.S. Senators and senators-elect sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid last week calling for a “delay in the implementation” of the medical device tax in Obamacare, the Wall Street Journal reports.
The provision was an integral part of the version of the Obamacare law, which was passed in the Senate under Reid’s stewardship in 2009. It is set to take effect on January 1, 2013.
An effort to repeal the provision failed in Congress in June. At the time, Reid characterized the proposed repeal as a Republican attack on Obamacare.
“The medical technology industry directly employs over 400,000 people in the United States and is responsible for a total of two million high-skilled manufacturing jobs. … With this year quickly drawing to a close, the medical device industry has received little guidance about how to comply with the tax — causing significant uncertainty and confusion for businesses,” according to the letter. “We urge you to support delaying enactment of this provision in a fiscally responsible manner.”
The provision’s 2.3 percent excise tax on medical device manufacturers has sparked panic within the medical devices industry. Indiana-based Zimmer Holdings, which manufactures hip replacement implants, laid off 450 workers in anticipation of $60 million in taxes in 2013. Michigan-based Stryker Corp., which also produces hip implants, laid off 5 percent of its workers in a bid to compensate for the $100 million it will pay in taxes next year.
MORE . . .
Related articles
- 18 Democrat Senators Revolt Against Harry Reid On Obamacare Tax (thedaleygator.wordpress.com)
- Democrats Admit Obamacare Is a Job-Killer (powerlineblog.com)
- Ultimate Hypocrisy: 16 Democratic Senators Who Voted For ObamaCare Denounce ‘Job-Killing’ ObamaCare Tax (mikesright.wordpress.com)
- 16 Democrats that voted for Obamacare now want to delay it.. (wherearemykeys.typepad.com)
- 18 Dem Senators seemingly unaware that Obamacare tax would kill jobs (hotair.com)
- Dems join in calling for delay to ObamaCare medical device tax (foxnews.com)
- Democrats in Congress ‘want out’ of Obamacare (wnd.com)
- Senate Democrats Seek Delay in Medical-Device Tax (blogs.wsj.com)
Study Reveals Propecia Sexual Side Effects Don’t Go Away for 40% of Men
By Andrea Gressman via topclassactions
Propecia, a prescription medication used for the treatment of male pattern hair loss, has been found to have long-term side effects. These side effects have ranged from short-term erectile dysfunction to life-threatening cancer. As a result of these long-term Propecia side effects, many Propecia injury lawsuits have been filed.
According to studies completed in 2003, data showed that only around 50% to 59% of the men who experienced erectile dysfunction as a side effect of Propecia had this side effect go away after they stopped taking the drug. That left close to 40% of men suffering from Propecia erectile dysfunction living with these side effects for the rest of their lives.
Propecia Linked to Life-Threatening Side Effects
Then, in June of 2011, Propecia was also linked to prostate cancer. The FDA stated that Propecia, in addition to other prostate drugs, was shown to increase the side effect risk of developing prostate cancer. The FDA stated the hair loss drug should carry the same warning as Proscar, even though it only contains 1/5 of the dose of the same ingredient that has been linked to causing the prostate cancer. The type of prostate cancer that Propecia has been linked to is of a high-grade and is extremely aggressive. It grows and metastasizes much faster than the low-grade version of prostate cancer does making it even more dangerous.
Although at the time the warning was only about prostate cancer, Propecia is thought to also be linked to male breast cancer. Some of the signs of the Propecia male breast cancer are lumps or pain in the breast region, breast enlargement, as well as nipple discharge.
Number of Propecia Lawsuits Continues to Grow
MORE . . .
Related articles
- Pesticide Exposure Linked to Increased Prostrate Cancer Risk (truthistreason.net)
- The (Not So Hard) Truth About Hair Loss Drugs (mensjournal.com)
Rick Perry Joins List of Governors Saying ‘No’ to State Health Exchanges
Posted by Matthew Renquist via Tenth Amendment Center Blog
Governor Rick Perry has said there will be no state health exchanges in Texas. In a letter to U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, Perry made his intentions very clear.
“Our state will not be a party to helping facilitate the taxation of millions of Texans, at an unknown cost, to implement bad public policy.”
Although a state rejecting to set up exchanges does not nullify the unconstitutional federal mandate, it is a start in eliminating the Affordable Care Act. The law only appropriates funds for the exchanges, if it is created by the state.
As Michael Maharrey, Communications Director, of the Tenth Amendment Center said, “This is a good first step. The feds depend on state cooperation to make these huge programs work. If a large number of states refuse to set these exchanges up, it puts and increasing burden on the federal bureaucracy, one I’m not convinced they are really prepared to deal with. It will definitely gum up to works, and it sets the stage for more aggressive state action to block implementation of this unconstitutional act.”
If you are interested in learning more about state healthcare nullification, click here.
Matt Renquist is a blogger for the Tenth Amendment Center. He believes in the principles of the Tenth Amendment, and a limited federal government. Matt holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Colorado State University.
Also See:
- Indiana governor-elect says ‘No!’ to health insurance exchanges – Tenth Amendment Center Blog.
- Alaska governor refuses to commit to state insurance exchange – Tenth Amendment Center Blog.
- Nebraska governor on health insurance exchanges: nope – Tenth Amendment Center Blog.
- S.C. Governor Haley says no to health exchanges – Tenth Amendment Center Blog.
- A chat with the Ohio governor’s office on health care nullification – Tenth Amendment Center Blog.
- States Decide on Obamacare Exchanges – Tenth Amendment Center Blog.
Related articles
- Do the Secessionists Have As Much Courage As the Nullifiers? (rubinoworld.com)
- Michigan Nullifying the NDAA: A Work in Progress (rubinoworld.com)
- States Considering Nullification (rubinoworld.com)
- Texas NDAA Nullification Bill Includes Criminal Charges for Federal Agents (rubinoworld.com)
- Will Texas Nullify Both NDAA and TSA? (tenthamendmentcenter.com)
- Will Texas Nullify Both NDAA and TSA? (rubinoworld.com)
- Rick Perry Joins List of Governors Saying ‘No’ to State Health Exchanges (tenthamendmentcenter.com)
- Alaska governor refuses to commit to state insurance exchange (tenthamendmentcenter.com)
If Alabama voters choose freedom, will lawmakers step up?
Posted by Mike Maharrey via Tenth Amendment Center Blog
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – A simple amendment to the Alabama state constitution could set the stage for blocking implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in the Heart of Dixie.
Alabama voters will consider Amendment 6 on Nov. 6. The legislatively-referred amendment would free Alabama citizens from any requirement to participate in Obamacare, or any other compulsory health care program.The ballot language reads as follows:
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to prohibit any person, employer, or health care provider from being compelled to participate in any health care system.
Yes ___
No ___
“We want the people of Alabama to know that if we’re going to join a program like that we’re going to have it on a ballot, and you and me and everyone will be able to vote and decide if we want to join a national health plan or not,” Rep. Phil Williams (R-Madison) said.
If passed, the amendment would place the onus on the Alabama legislature and executive branch to block implementation of the PPACA and shield their citizens from federal mandates.
MORE . . .
Related articles
- If Alabama voters choose freedom, will lawmakers step up? (tenthamendmentcenter.com)
- Florida voters get oppotunity to say ‘No!’ to federal insurance mandates (rubinoworld.com)
- Three and Counting: Another State Considers Obamacare Nullification (tenthamendmentcenter.com)
Will Montana Voters Nullify the Mandate?
HELENA, Mont. – On Nov. 6, Montana residents will exercise their sovereign right and decide on health care freedom.
LR-122 would prohibit the state and federal governments from requiring any Montana citizen to purchase health insurance, or from “imposing any penalty, tax, fee or fine on those who do not purchase health insurance.”
Supporters in the legislature opted for a legislatively-referred state statute, figuring they would have a better chance of getting the bill enacted as a ballot measure, avoiding Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer’s veto pen.
Rep. Gary MacLaren (R-Victor) introduced the measure in the House. He called health insurance mandates a punishment for poverty.
“Who doesn’t have health insurance? People who can’t afford it. If they don’t [buy it] we’re going to fine them. So what are we doing? We’re fining people for being poor.”
MORE . . .
Related articles
- Will Montana Voters Nullify the Mandate? (tenthamendmentcenter.com)
- Florida voters get oppotunity to say ‘No!’ to federal insurance mandates (rubinoworld.com)
- States Considering Nullification (rubinoworld.com)
- Three and Counting: Another State Considers Obamacare Nullification (tenthamendmentcenter.com)
