[champion6]

Originally Posted by gerryann

Can anyone tell me if a referral to a specialist is needed with United Health Care and/or Preferred Care Partners?

This is my understanding...

MedicareComplete Choice Plan 2 is a PPO plan offered by United HealthCare, and it DOES NOT require a referral to see a specialist.

Preferred Secure Option is a HMO plan offered by Preferred Care Partners, and it DOES require a referral to see a specialist.

Note that I am not an expert in this area. Please consult their websites, or contact an expert or an educated volunteer with SHINE in TV.

[Mack184]

Looking for Marcus Welby, Hawkeye Pierce, Trapper John MacIntyre or even Dr. House is a fool's errand. None of the stories spun on these TV shows should ever be used as a definition for REAL healthcare.

[Villages PL]

Originally Posted by gomoho

Lifestyle was discussed for cholesterol and blood pressure. Hypothyroidism is successfully treated with synthroid - not much you can do to make a thyroid produce on its own when it's shot!

I can at least for the time being eliminate my concern about the doctor that rendered such poor care at Colony Health Center - I understand she is no longer there.

Glad to hear that lifestyle was disscused for cholesterol and blood pressure. If I keep getting this kind of feedback, I won't have anything to complain about. Darn!

[Villages PL]

I read the articles in last Sunday's Daily Sun and again today. The reporter keeps saying that the problem with health care today is that doctors have to have 2,000 or more patients just to keep the doors open. And because they have so many patients they have to rush, so they don't spent enough time with their patients.

With The Villages Clinics, each doctor's patient load is capped at 1,250 so they can spend 30 minutes with each patient instead of 15. But the reporter never explains how they will be able to afford keeping their doors open while other doctors need 2,000+ patients in order to do so.

Don't tell me they get a salary (unless the salary comes from the Tooth-Fairy) because that doesn't explain how the bills get paid long term. Money coming in from patient care must equal money going out to pay bills and salary. So where is the money going to come from with so many fewer patients?

[gomoho]

The Morse Family??? parternship with University of South Florida??? partnership with United Health Care??? I believe there are enough high rollers involved with this to support getting it off the ground. Hopefully, once things are up and running is will be self sustaining. Don't forget those docs with the 2000 patients have ridiculous malpractice insurance and it is very possible The Village Health System has a group malpractice policy in place that is more reasonable.

[Sanbo]

My husband, Bobby and I arrived at TV a week ago Saturday. We are momentarily living in Mallory Square, but building in Fernandina. I have a minor health problem that needs to be addressed. Can anyone recommend a physician around 466A. We don't mine a short ride to get there.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Mack184

Looking for Marcus Welby, Hawkeye Pierce, Trapper John MacIntyre or even Dr. House is a fool's errand. None of the stories spun on these TV shows should ever be used as a definition for REAL healthcare.

Where ya been?

Well said...as usual.

[Mack184]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

Where ya been?

Well said...as usual.

G-Person...I've been practicing my own kind of healthcare. Keeping my blood pressure in check by NOT reading TOTV.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Mack184

G-Person...I've been practicing my own kind of healthcare. Keeping my blood pressure in check by NOT reading TOTV.

I completely understand.

[Quixote]

Originally Posted by Mack184

Looking for Marcus Welby, Hawkeye Pierce, Trapper John MacIntyre or even Dr. House is a fool's errand. None of the stories spun on these TV shows should ever be used as a definition for REAL healthcare.

Agreed! Sounds more like a marketing gimmick than reality. It's a pleasant sounding gimmick, but I can't rely on gimmicks for my health care!

[ilovetv]

I think we all knew from the first article in the Daily Sun that Marcus Welby was a fictional character who portrayed the reality of doctors who do care and do spend time talking with patients to know more about them.

I have doctors and know others who do care and want to spend time with patients....but the cost of doing business in light of low insurance/medicare/medicaid reimbursement does not always permit that. And if you think private insurers pay a lot more than medicare does, think again. What private insurers often call "reasonable and customary" charges are often what Medicare pays...which is below cost to the clinicians.

"Marcus Welby" isn't what we're looking for. It's the concept, Stupid.

And the ad slogan "Marcus Welby" was chosen to remind us of the concept to keep in front of the discussion....when talk of healthcare financing sucks up all the public attention and the concept gets lost in the wrangling about "who pays?".

[graciegirl]

Where's the beef? Just Do It! See the USA in your Chevrolet. A little dab'l do ya. Pepsi Cola hits the spot, eight ounce bottle, that's a lot. This Bud's for YOU. Wouldn't you really rather drive a Buick? The weiner the world awaited.

Burma Shave. I LIKE marketing gimmicks. They are very American.

[teamC]

Electronic records are a government mandate:
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act also includes financial incentives for healthcare providers who prove meaningful use of electronic health records (EHR). EHR is not only a more comprehensive patient history than EMR, the latter of which contains a patient’s medical history from just one practice, but also the end-goal of the federal mandate. “Meaningful use” of EHR, as defined by HealthIT.gov, consists of using digital medical and health records to achieve the following:

Improve quality, safety, efficiency, and reduce health disparities
Engage patients and family
Improve care coordination, and population and public health
Maintain privacy and security of patient health information
Penalties also exist for non-compliance. EP’s who haven’t implemented EMR/EHR systems and demonstrated their meaningful use by 2015 will experience a 1% reduction in Medicare reimbursements, and rates of reduction will likely rise annually thereafter.

[ilovetv]

E‐Health Records (EHRs) – 10 Things to Know

Advocates claim federally‐certified electronic health records (EHRs) will transform health care delivery in America. However, concerns include:

1. Computerized medical records give government health officials easy access to private details of the confidential patient-doctor relationship. Electronic health records (EHRs) record everything. Requiring EHRs to be interoperable across the United States (able to work together and link together) gives outsiders and strangers easy access. Outside access is authorized under federal law. Specifically, because of the federal HIPAA2 “privacy rule,” have access to private health records without patient consent and often [U]2.2 million entities, including state and federal government, without patient knowledge.

2. The federal government is paying $20 billion to doctors and hospitals to buy expensive government‐certified online EHR systems.
Federal incentive payments under the 2009 HITECH Act only cover about a third of the EHR system costs—and none of the hidden administrative, training and other costs.......

...6. EHRs are part of a larger research agenda to statistically analyze everyone’s patient information and use the “findings” to rationalize health care rationing.

The HITECH modifications to HIPAA provide 2.2 million entities with patient data
for study and predictive analysis. Proponents claim algorithms can be created to theoretically “see” things in the data that people cannot see and this will lead to “cures” for cancer. Failure to do so would be blamed on insufficient data, and data withholding—including refusal to share genetic data—would be a crime.

7. When EHR research finds “cures,” doctors may be required to provide certain treatments or face financial penalties and prosecution. “Decision Support” (DS), standardized treatment protocols based on data and algorithms embedded in a physician’s computer, will push doctors to prescribe one‐size‐fits‐all treatments rather than customized care. Not using the standards could be considered fraud, waste or abuse. Doctors using DS are less trusted.

8. EHRs have captured the interest of investors.
Private equity firms (the kind that only acquire companies with at least $100 million in revenue) are bidding on EHR companies to expand their portfolios......

See full report to consumers:

http://www.cchfreedom.org/files/file...NAL%20TEXT.pdf

[Russ_Boston]

As a nurse I think #7 is actually a positive. Too often I see docs who prescribe 'custom care' and in the long run it didn't work. (I think they actually just missed what the care should be from a standards point of view in the first place.). Let the data say what to try first and if THAT doesn't work then let's go custom.