Posted by
Billy on Wednesday, July 29, 2009 11:05:17 AM
Journalists often run the risk of knowing a little about everything, but not enough to make sense. Presidents apparently can suffer from the same malady.
In his July 22 press conference, Dr. Obama put on his stethoscope and white coat and assessed the motives of the nation's doctors. Basically, he accused physicians of opting for unnecessary procedures to make more money.
"Right now, doctors a lot of times are forced to make decisions based on the fee payment schedule that's out there....The doctor may look at the reimbursement system and say to himself, 'You know what? I make a lot more money if I take this kid's tonsils out.'
(The above is part of a column written by Robert Knight. More of the column is below.)
"Now, that may be the right thing to do, but I'd rather have that doctor making those decisions just based on whether you really need your kid's tonsils out or whether it might make more sense just to change; maybe they have allergies. Maybe they have something else that would make a difference."
More disturbing is the President's clear implication that government-run healthcare could help prevent such abuses, or at least do a better job than private healthcare. You have to ask, "What kind of oversight does he have in mind? A bureaucrat in every doctor's office, second-guessing every diagnosis, micromanaging every prescription, every treatment?"
Perhaps it's time for President Obama to take off the stethoscope and instead don an outfit more befitting a mad scientist. After all, the global warming, "cap-and-trade" bill will soon be coming up.
(So when I get ill should I call President Obama to see if my Doctor has given me the correct advice. Obama better watch government waste instead worry about what good health care workers are doing. Read all of the above column
right here.)