Posted by Barbara D. (152.163.204.194) on July 16, 1999 at 16:57:34:
Don't know how many of you have been keeping up with the medical hearings, but we all need to write our Congressmen and Senators. THIS IS NOT POLITICAL - It's about OUR health care with the HMOs.
There are over 500 people sitting up in Washington telling US that our insurance carriers have the RIGHT to tell OUR doctors HOW they are to treat us. We have no choice about who we can consult because WE'RE being told WHO we can go to for medical help. What's wrong with this picture?
Daily, I read on this board, "My doc doesn't have a clue, but I have to go to him cause my insurance won't pay for a neuro!" This is totally unacceptable behavior on the part of our "elected officials". But UNTIL we, the people, tell them we've had enough (or quit electing them) we're NOT going to get anything done. Insurance companies should NOT be in the doctoring business.
Granted, in the past, docs have ordered a lot of unnecessary (or were they) tests, but this is not a reason for the insurance companies to deny US what we need or to limit our medications IF the doctor prescribes them.
I think our Congressmen and Senators are acting like a bunch of spoiled children playing, "My Daddy's bigger than your Daddy!" games with our health. All I've seen over the years that we've had HMOs and PPOs is that health care has gone up in price and down in quality. We need to let Congress know we've had enough and to do something CONSTRUCTIVE and QUIT playing games. We're the ones who loose NOT them - they get good health care and don't have a clue what the hell they're talking about most of the time.
I urge every one of you to GET INVOLVED - this affects us all. And this is NOT a move toward socialized medicine (as some of you in other countries can attest to), this is a move toward more BS!
Whew!! I feel better since I got that off my chest!
Hugs BD