Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Red Tape Destroys Medicine

1 statements

According to the American Medical Association, half of all current primary care doctors in the US want to quit. They cite red tape from insurance companies and government as the reason they want to throw in the towel.

I work in the medical insurance industry, so this problem is of particular interest to me. Yes, insurance companies have far too much red tape. Why? Because of government regulations, mandates, and reporting requirements. Government also shackles doctors with its own list of red tape hoops that they need to jump through as well. But we all know that government forms, codes, regulations and the like are tiresome, extremely time-consuming, and redundant to the third power.

And now with Obama elected, we are poised to increase the amount of red tape and regulations in an attempt to solve this problem. WTF? Let's take a look at what one doctor says:

"People who have insurance can't find a doctor, so suddenly we are going to give insurance to a whole bunch of people who haven't had it, without increasing the number of physicians?" he says. "It's going to be a problem."


This guy is right on the money. I personally know of a number of facilities that are now refusing insurance, medicare, and medicaid, and instead going to a cash-only payment system. Why? Because the red tape from government and insurance isn't worth the hassle. The red tape drives up the cost of doing business, and when they switch to a cash-only system, they are able to offer medical services at extremely discounted rates, therefore making insurance coverage moot. How ironic!

So we have a system where red tape drives up the cost of service to the point that the insurance offers a minimal cost advantage, if any. We have a system where red tape makes half the doctors want to quit. We have a system where red tape makes doctors refuse insurance patients and go cash-only just to stay in business (and they seem to be thriving when they do so). And yet, we have politicians and other supposed "experts" who insist that to be uninsured in America is a travesty, and that the solution to all this is to give more people insurance and dump more regulations onto the entire industry.

I had an amusing conversation about this very topic this morning with a co-worker. It went something like this:

Me: Half the doctors want to quit due to the red tape.
Him: That's gonna change once we get universal healthcare.
Me: Yea it sure will! We will have insurance for everyone alongside a network of doctors that won't take insurance patients.
Him: Well I'm sure that Obama would make it illegal to discriminate againt insurance patients and refuse service to them.
Me: That will go over real well with the doctors. They will all quit practicing medicine or move to other countries!
Him: (sarcastically) Well maybe it should be made illegal to quit practicing medicine too!
Me: (getting the joke) Oh yea, the best medicine is that which is provided at the barrel of a gun!


In Soviet Russia, medicine practices YOU!

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Rage Against the Free Stuff Machine

4 statements

So much for socialism. World-famous socialist rock band Rage Against the Machine loves to rant against corporations, capitalism, for-profit enterprise, commodification, and commercialization. But if you want to book the band at your venue, you'd better have lots of commercialized commodities available for them, at your cost. All spelling, grammer and emphasis is theirs:

Artist Hospitality Room Stock
Following items must be stocked in ARTIST Dressing Room #1 no later than 12:00pm (NOON)

10 x BARS OF WHITE SOAP (DELIVER TO PRODUCTION AT LOAD IN)
6 x PAIRS OF TUBE SOCKS
6 X PAIRS OF COTTON BOXER SHORTS (4 X Large and 2 X Medium)
72 x liters FIJI still water (2 dozen MUST be in small bottles @ room temp)
1 x case of Smart Water
12 x Bottles of Grolsch Beer
12 x Bottles of Amstel Light Beer
6 x Bottles Becks Dark Beer
6 x Bottles Corona
6 x cans Coca Cola
6 x cans Pepsi
6 x cans of Red Bull
6 x Canada Dry Ginger Ale
12 x cans assorted diet soda
12 x Cool Blue Gatorade
12 x SNAPPLE LEMON ICED TEA
12 x SNAPPLE GREEN TEA ICED TEA
2 x quarts FRESH squeeze orange juice
1 x 1/2 gallon Ocean Spray CRAN CHERRY
1 x Bottle Stages Leap Merlot or Cabernet
1 x Bottle of Jack Daniels
2 x bottle Dom Perignon Moet et Chandon champagne
1 x Veuve Cliquot champagne
1 x Pints Of Almond Milk
1 x Box Of Throat Coat Tea
1 x Jar Spun Honey (Quality Honey)
1 x Continuous Supply Of Hot Water
4 x Fresh Lemon
1 x Large Jar Of Medium Hot Salsa
1 x Large container of QUALITY Quacamole
1 x Large Bag Of Tortilla Chips
1 x Large Bag Of Thin Pretzels
1 x Loaf Of Fresh Bread (French Italian Or White)
1 x Loaf Of Wholemeal Bread
1 x Bag ORGANIC, RAW, UNSALTED Macadamia nuts
1 x Jar of ALMOND or CASHEW PENUTBUTTER (usually found at health food stores)
1 x Tray Of Fresh Fruit To Include Peaches , Strawberries, Bananas, Oranges, Apples And Grapes.
1 x Small Deli Tray (Swiss, Monterey, Cheddar Cheese, Lettuce Tomatoes)
1 x SmallTray Of Vegetables (Broccoli, Carrots, Celery, Cauliflower, Green And Red Peppers, Leaf Spinach With Ranch Dressing Dip And One Additional Dip).
1 x Small Deli Tray Assorted Meats, Including At Least 1/2lb Fresh Turkey Breast.
1 x Small Tray Of Assorted (Sweets) Hard Candy And Gum (Starburst, Large Bag Of M & M's, Hershey Assorted Miniatures, Reeses Peanut Butter Cups).
A Small Assortment Of Condiments: UNSWEETENED KETCHUP, Mayonnaise, Spicy Mustard, FAT FREE Salad Dressing, Salt & Pepper Etc.
An Adequate Supply Of Cups, Bowls, Plates, Napkins, Paper Towels And A Bottle Opener.

Friday, November 7, 2008

Police, Not Protestors, Create Chaos

2 statements

Let it not be said that protestors are the cause of violent confrontations:

DENVER (AP) - The American Civil Liberties Union says undercover
police officers posing as protesters staged a violent confrontation
with another officer during the Democratic convention in Denver.

The ACLU said it obtained a police document
showing the undercover officers pretended to struggle with a police
commander so they could be removed from the crowd without blowing
their cover.

The ACLU says another officer thought the commander was being
attacked and pepper-sprayed the undercover officers.

It's not clear how many officers were involved or how they were
affected by the spray.

Denver police spokesman Sonny Jackson told The Associated Press
he was unaware of the report and couldn't comment. The ACLU didn't
immediately return a message.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

DRE 700 Wins the Election

1 statements

I predicted this win. And I, for one, welcome our new voting machine overlords...


Voting Machines Elect One Of Their Own As President

Robots, All of Them!

1 statements

They are fucking robots! You pull a string and the sound comes out!

Get the latest news satire and funny videos at 236.com.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Syria? Pakistan? What Are Those?

0 statements

No comment on the bombings in Syria and Pakistan...