2012 Elections in the USA

Doppel can't provide any credible evidence to back up his statements.

On the Affordable Care Act dropping covered tests, he's got nothing. He just asks if I want the codes, then segues into a different subject. Nothing. BTW did you notice Doppel sounded like a liberal, suggesting a drop in covered services was a bad thing.

On the unemployment rate calculation method changing, he refers again to his blogger link. The method used by BLS involves a ~60000 household telephone survey, asking a set of prescribed questions and recording the answers. A computer then classifies each person into buckets based on their answers. Nothing in the blogger's article proves that this method has changed. The LFPR is indeed influencing the U3 as previously discussed, but that doesn't mean BLS is "fudging" or changing definitions. You'd think if this were true the right wing media would be all over it.

Tonight Bill O'Reilly was talking about internet misinformation. I think he was referring to people who post stuff but can't back up their statements.

Esten, if you knew anything about medical billing you would have realized IDC-9 and CPT coding is how Medicare recognizes services and what they cover and do not cover. When they release information regarding services cut by Obama's raiding the fund is done using these identifiers, again showing you know nothing about this subject! I could send you a list and you would have no idea what you were looking at.

Want real world facts; try these two since they are family members I personally take to their appointments.

82 year old female with a diagnosed aneurism on a major artery near the heart, diagnostic imaging to monitor this condition has been removed from covered services – yes the physician knows she has it but if she wants it monitored even annually the physician has to order it but she has to pay as Medicare has cut this screening.

80 year old female diagnosed with a cancerous spot in the lung, a lifelong NON-Smoker, had surgery two years ago to remove upper lobe of one lung. The physician recommends annual imaging of the lungs to monitor any further activity, yes you guessed it, it's no longer paid for. Again the physician can order it but the patient now has to pay for it.

Remember the 'death panels' from the ObamaCare debate, here you begin to see one manifestation of it – your old, we know you have life threatening conditions but we won't pay to see if it progresses even though you paid Medicare Tax and your employer matched since the inception of the program. Nope we are going to spend it on Super Medicaid for folks who can afford cars, computers, smart phones, big screen TVs and all manner of other toys but not health insurance.

Stop whining about the unemployment numbers, the facts are there you just choose to ignore them since you don't like them. BLS even admits U-3 is only a limited view of unemployment and does not include all the folks in U-6 who are unemployed even after BLS changed the definition. Perhaps you can't add and that's the problem. I guess you are OK with the idea you drop folks who are long term unemployed since the BLS has decided they will never find a job – they are still unemployed and want a job but it's inconvenient for propaganda purposes to count them.

Even the CBO has higher unemployment numbers than those BLS are trying to push, not to mention CBO is predicting INCREASES in unemployment for at least another 3 years.

Esten, go look in the mirror, O'Reilly was talking about that guy looking back at you.

Doppel, I do know about CPT codes, you just didn't provide any, or even any test names. Remember, you don't have a clue what I do for a living.

Finally, you tell us the cuts are for medical imaging. No credible links though, just anecdotes. I don't doubt your story, or that PPACA may have cut reimbursement on some services (e.g, less cost-effective) while expanding coverage on others (e.g, preventive).

However:
- There are studies that have demonstrated no significant survival benefits among cancer-resection patients who received scans on a routine basis.
- It's not clear these Medicare imaging cuts are tied to PPACA as you claimed. These may be simply another round of cuts from CMS, which has cut reimbursement for imaging before under Bush. If you have a link, please share.
- It's not clear that CMS cut coverage altogether, vs. reduced reimbursement. Are you sure your family members are responsible for the entire cost, or just part of the cost?

I'll continue my research. In the meantime you may want to consider how PPACA may be helping reduce prescription drug costs for your family members, and how that will be affected if Republicans gut PPACA.

Do you guys really get OFF on this Shit?

Sad Life You RePublicos Have!

Oh, Yes!

Happy 6th anniversary to Romney Care.

[QUOTE=WorldTravel69; 421886]Do you guys really get OFF on this Shit?

Sad Life You RePublicos Have![/QUOTE]'If you don't like the heat, get out of the kitchen'.

I am continually amazed how effortlessly Obama can destroy an economy. Obama is a natural. Takes to this like ducks to water. Now, if he could only switch gears and try to improve the economy. Oh, I forgot, Obama wants everyone to be unemployed so they will be dependent on his handouts.

Esten, you have used the 'you don't have a clue what I do' so many times for so many fields it has become meaningless.

It is painfully evident you don't know anything about medical coding and how it relates to reimbursement or lack thereof from Medicare. It was obvious from your response, you just Googled the term and kicked back an answer. If you did know what you were talking about there would have been at least 2 and probably 3 other questions you would have asked. So save the BS for someone else.

Here is the link, I doubt you will understand what you are looking at or have the requisite knowledge to utilize it.

[url]http://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Coding/OutpatientCodeEdit/downloads//SumofDataChngsV130.pdf[/url]

Enjoy

[QUOTE=WorldTravel69; 421886]Do you guys really get OFF on this Shit?

Sad Life You RePublicos Have!

Oh, Yes!

Happy 6th anniversary to Romney Care.[/QUOTE]WT69, If the Olympics had "a pissing contest" AP would have the dream team.

Maybe the 'dream team' is pissing in an attempt to put out Obama's forest fire which is destroying the economy.

More dodging from Doppelganger.

I've known about CPT codes for a long time. That's beside the point. Focusing on what CPT codes are is a dodge. The current debate is all about the following claim:

[QUOTE=Doppelganger;421589]Esten, perhaps you should revisit the changes in Medicare which are already coming on line due to ObamaCare. Now many tests have been dropped from the approved payment list and when physicians order these test it is now up to the patient to pay if the tests are preformed. I guess you missed the millions being cut from Medicare and shifted to Medicaid.[/QUOTE]This was news to me so I wanted to learn about it. After considerable chasing, we finally learn Doppel was referring to medical imaging. As I've pointed out, there are studies that have demonstrated no significant medical benefit from annual imaging in some cases. In fact, imaging reimbursements have been cut eight times in six years. Was there a recent cut attributable to the Affordable Care Act (PPACA)? Doppel still hasn't provided any evidence of this. The closest he came was referencing a "$500 Billion cut" in Medicare that is included in PPACA. I guess Doppel thinks annual medical imaging was part of this $500 Billion "cut".

Let's look at the facts:

No $500 billion in Medicare cuts
[url]http://bismarcktribune.com/news/opinion/mailbag/article_8307e73a-de48-11df-80ad-001cc4c002e0.html[/url]
[url]http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2011/jun/16/mitt-romney/500-billion-medicare-obamacare-romney-says/[/url]
[QUOTE]The bill doesn't take money out of the current Medicare budget but, rather, attempts to slow the program's future growth, curtailing just over $500 billion in anticipated spending increases over the next 10 years. Medicare spending will still increase, however.[/QUOTE]You can read the links to see where the savings come from, but they aren't from cutting benefits. This explains how I searched for 2 hours and couldn't find anything linking PPACA with medical imaging cuts. What I did learn is that by reducing the future rate of growth in Medicare spending, PPACA delays a projected Medicare Part A shortfall from 2016 to 2024. Sounds like just the kind of thing conservatives have been telling us we need to do.

Go back and look at Doppel's original statement (quoted above). Then follow his series of responses. He started with deception and ended with dodging. Just another conservative spreading misinformation on the internet.

I think this whole thread is anti productive and reducing profits.

[QUOTE=Gato Hunter;421911]I think this whole thread is anti productive and reducing profits.[/QUOTE]Seems a bit odd that you didn't post similar feelings when Bush was POTU and being slammed on a daily basis???

[QUOTE=Gato Hunter;421911]I think this whole thread is anti productive and reducing profits.[/QUOTE]What we need is more information and real discussion, and less propanganda and finger-pointing. We already have that outside AP. Throw away the cliches, like "class warfare" and "socialism vs capitalism", that will be a good start. I shut my mouth about Iraq for many years, out of support for the Presidency. Universal health care in whatever form can only help. Whereas, people on the right side of the railroad tracks will always get better food, doctors, lawyers, colleges, etc. That is from the beginning of time.

Esten, the only dodging going on here is from you and your total lack of knowledge regarding procedure and diagnostic coding. You're making a fool of yourself here my friend.

You asked for specifics and I gave you two direct experiences with the cuts and clearly stated they involved imaging in answer to your post.

You asked for more and I gave you the direct link to the source Medicare coding provided by the program. If you will look at the information provided earlier via the link you will find what you are looking for regarding Medicare's failure to pay for specific items. Since you don't understand the material the effort is lost on you. It is not my job to provide instruction unless you wish to pay my base rate for consulting.

I guess you now consider a chest x-ray to be a non-essential test to follow up on lung cancer, providing in your words 'no significant benefit'? This was one of the 'imaging' examples given.

The bottom line here is the reduction in services to Medicare recipients to shift spending to Obama's Super Medicaid recipients. Simply put, taking health care funding from those who paid for years into the Medicare program through payroll taxes and giving it to those who paid nothing but will be rewarded for not taking responsibility for their own healthcare with OUR dollars via Obama's Super Medicaid program.

Here are some great true examples of how great Medicaid is:

A Chinese woman comes to the US on a visa. She speaks no English but is pregnant. She already has one child and China has a one child law which they enforce. She goes to an obstetrician with an interpreter and pays $3, 000 up front for total post-partum, delivery and anit.partum care. She tells the physician if it is a boy she will stay in and deliver in the US, but if it is a girl she will return to China and be aborted for free. Her next visit 30 days later she demands a refund and presents a Medicaid card!

A patient shows up with commercial insurance provided by the employer and has Medicaid as a SECONDARY Payer. How exactly do you get Medicaid when you have commerical insurance?

A patient shows up with commercial insurance provided by the employer and because there is a deductible which must be met for a scheduled procedure this person tells the employer to cancel the commercial insurance and then applies and receives Medicaid. The person is still employed!

Now you should know I can not provide names since it would be a violation of HIPAA.

Simple concept – those who paid are first in line and those who don't come last. In this case Medicaid should be totally shuttered and turned over to the States to administer as they see fit.

The 2nd Bush administration began with the unemployment rate 5. 3% and ended with 8 percent. The rate kept increasing and peaked around 10% in the 1st year of Obama, but now it is about 8. 2. Thanks.

[QUOTE=El Alamo;421889]I am continually amazed how effortlessly Obama can destroy an economy. Obama is a natural. Takes to this like ducks to water. Now, if he could only switch gears and try to improve the economy. Oh, I forgot, Obama wants everyone to be unemployed so they will be dependent on his handouts.[/QUOTE]