Medical boards eliminating stress tests, chest x-rays, and EKG’s

Health care gone wrong

Did you know that stress tests, chest x-rays, and EKG’s are now considered “dubious” tests? The medical boards are calling for them to not be done as a means of saving health care dollars.

Call me crazy, and I am not a big fan of unnecessary testing, but the other day, I diagnosed a 24 year old young man who had no cardiac symptoms with a disease that could have killed him.

The week before, I did the same with a 54-year-old gentleman. Sometimes tests need to be done. And, the mandate is not ending with just those three tests…there are 42 other new clinical “don’ts.” And it makes me wonder who is behind all this nonsense.

It’s getting to the point where there will no longer be a need for a physician. But since I spoke about ATM medicine recently, let’s focus on why those “powers that be” thought this would be a great way to save money. Because it attacks the two lowest groups of people on the totem pole of medicine–the physician and the patient.

This is why I have major issues with ObamaCare and the current state of health care reform. This is not a political statement but rather one of justice. I blame the physicians themselves for allowing themselves to be bullied into doing things (or in this case, having their hands tied and not doing things) when they should know better.

This is how we got involved in the useless HMO catastrophe–get the doctors to work harder, see more patients to contain costs. What happened? Health care costs skyrocketed, you get less health care for your insurance dollar, your office visit was reduced so the doc could see more patients, and who made money–you guessed it, the insurance companies.

That is exactly what is going to happen now, in the Choosing Wisely program. What am I 12? Didn’t I study medicine for a million years to be able to make decisions? Why do I need some clerk with a high school education telling me what is best for my patient? That’s what you are getting folks and that is what is driving up the cost of health care.

Did you know that my insurance premiums for my staff increased by 50% last year and the services were reduced astronomically? I’m sure I’m not the only person in this position–small business owners have it the hardest.

But, to require people to buy health care is nothing more than giving in to insurance companies–what are you going to be able to buy? People are choosing between medicines and food as it is.

So, until health care reform goes after the real culprits–insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies, I can’t get behind any health care reform. Anything that denies services to the patients, yet increases revenue to big businesses, is the modern American Tragedy.

Do me a favor, call and write to your representatives in Congress and the Senate. If we don’t speak up, health care will go to the 1% and the rest of us…