Doctor Alan Dappen wasn’t going to take it any more. So he got out.
Eight years ago, he decided that his office would no longer accept Medicare payments. Why? As he tells his patients, “We can’t afford to.” Medicare won’t pay for consultations by phone or email, won’t cover the full cost of a house call, and “barely pays for an office visit.”
Then there’s the regulatory burden. Dappen can’t understand a lot of the regulations. Further, as far as he can tell the folks enforcing them don’t understand many of them either. Yet the bureaucrats can audit a doctor’s paperwork and impose huge fines based on these unclear regs.
Medicare-mired physicians would be more effective if only they didn’t have to worry about complying with arbitrary regulatory dictates all the time. These rules make it harder for doctors to do their jobs. So Dr. Dappen took the risky but more satisfying path of operating in an unhampered market. And, of course, he invited his patients to join him.
Today, in the name of mandatory universal health coverage, the Obama administration wants even more restrictions on medical freedom. Shouldn’t we consider the consequences on the decision-making ability of doctors and patients of current coercive micromanagement when assessing the viability of yet newer coercive schemes?
Dr. Dappen figures he is better off with freedom. You and I are too.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
9 replies on “A Doc Drops Out”
Citizen,
You and I both know health rationing makes good sense. But, did you know that it’s popular too?
It is! Citizens from around the country have embraced the chance to give a lot – and take a little. Just take a look: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrwdZ2bX-oc
Are you up for the challenge?
The Health Administration Bureau: dedicated to ensuring that all Americans, regardless of age (where appropriate) and need (where appropriate), receive adequate health care.
Best Regards,
Health Administration Bureau
There’s a huge difference between mandating universal health care, and dealing with the bureaucratic burden of Medicare.
Opposing universal health care is evidence of either a fundamental lack of understanding of the economic benefits of illness prevention, or a financial interest in keeping rich people well while the poor die untreated.
If you live in a town with only one mechanic and he refuses to work on Ford autos guess who walks to work and back.
Ford owners cry, “It’s not fair!” On the other hand if the mechanic has never made a dime working on Fords and wasted the time he might have been using to work on other brands we should see his point and the Doc’s Medicare point too. OR NOT! Car’s do not die for lack of care! People do. Mechanics don’t swear Hippocratic oaths, Doctors do!
Old Man Dotes: Why doon’t you go to Canada or better yetm, Jolly old England after you’re 50th b’day and see how you fare on the treatment deal you are going to get, particularly in GB. That is one of the things Jugears is considering for us. And don’t give me that crapabout the po’ folks-they get it for free now, especially iftheir back happens to be wet.
When we were foster parents, we had the experience of having our permanent kids with private insurance and foster kids with medicaid, at the same time. There were several pediatricians in our area who wouldn’t even accept the medicaid kids as patients. The paperwork was also twice the hassle, even though our daughter with private insurance has cerebral palsy and massive medical bills and the medicaid kids only needed immunizations and such.
For those who think they have some sort of “right” to medical care, think of it this way. What if the government decided that people had a “right” to whatever you do for a living, and made you work an hour and a half extra every day compared to now, at a much lower rate. Would you call that freedom?
Through taxes, I already spend about half as much on other people’s medical care as I do on providing it for my own family. That’s before any of the current proposals, and I am only middle class. That means I consider permanently giving up portions of my time in labor is worth it to provide a doctor visit for my child instead of something else I want.
That also means for every two hours voluntary given, the government forces me to give up one hour of my time for a stranger, who may have been able to provide his own medical care, but decided something else was better worth his time. Now the government says it isn’t enough and wants to force me to work even more hours to provide for the medical care of strangers. Would you call that freedom?
What do you mean Mr Health Administration Obamacrat, that Health Care needs rationing? By saying that you are telling me that you, a Government Bureaucrat, is going to tell if I can see a physician, when i can see a physician and where? Or if I can get the medications I will need? or if my child can see the Pediatrician or specialist he/she needs to see? Show me one Government Agency that is run efficiently? You can’t. Show me one elected official, Obamacrat whom can make my health care decisions for myself or family. You can’t. Tell me why I should have to pay for your health care? And those of you whom think that Health care is a right? Why? Are health care providers born? Suddenly appear? No we don’t. We choose too. If we don’t, are you going to force us? Go ahead some try it.
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I have been practicing medicine in NY for 10 years in primary care. I still owe >$100,000 in school loans. Every year I work more hours and my income is still dropping. Where is my bailout!