Apparently, Senator Rand Paul not a good golfer.

[RonD1120 58]

I guess that is why the media doesn't give him the attention that BHO receives.

Quote

Sen. Rand Paul’s summer break includes performing free eye surgery

http://redalertpolitics.com/2013/08/16/sen-rand-pauls-summer-break-includes-performing-free-eye-surgery/

Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them.

[GeorgiaDon 340]

The article you linked made it clear that "charity" is not the motivation behind Senator Paul performing these surgeries. He needs to perform a certain number of surgeries each year to keep his license to practice, yet he is forbidden by senate rules from having another paying job in addition to his senate responsibilities. He asked Senator Reid for an exception, and was denied. So, he has to choose between doing some surgeries for free or giving up his medical license, and he wants to keep his license as he wants to return to medical practice after his political career.

It is possible that Senator Paul would perform some surgeries for free anyway, of course. To determine that, we would need to know if he did surgeries pro bono before he became a senator. His history in the senate would seem to indicate his general position is that people who can't pay should not get treatment, but that doesn't necessarily prohibit doctors from volunteering their services.

[edited to add] Another thing, my recent experience suggests that paying the surgeon is just part of the cost of a medical procedure. I had very minor surgery (~a 10 minute procedure) for a trigger finger. I got separate bills from the surgeon, the anesthesiologist, the clinic for use of their facilities, and other things I can't remember right now. All in all I was billed by 6 or 8 different entities, and it was difficult to figure out what each bill was for. I even got re-billed, with late charges, after I had paid a bill and had a cancelled check to prove it. This is one of my pet peeves about the US medical system, because it makes it impossible to anticipate what anything will actually cost. I did ask before the surgery, and was told a number, but it turns out that was only for the surgeon, and no-one volunteered the information that I would be billed in addition by all these other entities. Now I know, but before you go through it how are you supposed to know about all the different people who will send you a bill?

The point wrt Senator Paul is, it's great for the patients that he did not bill them, but they can still anticipate being billed by the hospital, the anesthesiologist, and on and on. If the procedures were really done as charity for people who otherwise could not afford the procedure, were these other bills also waived? If not, they could still easily be bankrupted by the charges.

Also, do you really believe senators should expect to get more press coverage day-to-day than the president?

Don

_____________________________________
Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996)
“Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

[muff528 3]

GeorgiaDon

The article you linked made it clear that "charity" is not the motivation behind Senator Paul performing these surgeries. He needs to perform a certain number of surgeries each year to keep his license to practice, yet he is forbidden by senate rules from having another paying job in addition to his senate responsibilities. He asked Senator Reid for an exception, and was denied. So, he has to choose between doing some surgeries for free or giving up his medical license, and he wants to keep his license as he wants to return to medical practice after his political career.

It is possible that Senator Paul would perform some surgeries for free anyway, of course. To determine that, we would need to know if he did surgeries pro bono before he became a senator. His history in the senate would seem to indicate his general position is that people who can't pay should not get treatment, but that doesn't necessarily prohibit doctors from volunteering their services.

Also, do you really believe senators should expect to get more press coverage day-to-day than the president?

Don

Of course.... what a self-serving douchebag!

[GeorgiaDon 340]

Quote

Of course.... what a self-serving douchebag!

That's one possibility, though not the only one as I made clear. However, if that's the one you prefer to go with, have fun with that.

Don

_____________________________________
Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996)
“Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

[muff528 3]

GeorgiaDon

Quote

Of course.... what a self-serving douchebag!

That's one possibility, though not the only one as I made clear. However, if that's the one you prefer to go with, have fun with that.

Don

Yes, I see you've given him the benefit of the doubt ...in a back-handed sorta way.

BTW - I wonder what Reid's plans are after his political career is over. (sometimes I crack myself up )

[gunpaq 1]

I wonder if Senator Paul could perform my much needed eye surgery for free since my health care insurance plan has been cancelled by the Obama care mandates?

www.geronimoskydiving.com

[ryoder 1,398]

gunpaq

I wonder if Senator Paul could perform my much needed eye surgery for free since my health care insurance plan has been cancelled by the Obama care mandates?

The ACA law covers Canada???

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[regulator 0]

muff528

***

Quote

Of course.... what a self-serving douchebag!

That's one possibility, though not the only one as I made clear. However, if that's the one you prefer to go with, have fun with that.

Don

Yes, I see you've given him the benefit of the doubt ...in a back-handed sorta way.

BTW - I wonder what Reid's plans are after his political career is over. (sometimes I crack myself up )

----------------------------------------------
I never thought being a drag queen was a profession, but if anyone can pull it off its harry reid.

[sfzombie13 307]

having just read the replies here, one thing jumps to the front of my mind. are the surgeries tax-deductable, like donations to charity? if so, then look no farther than that, along with the performing enough to keep his license.

_________________________________________
Si hoc legere scis nimium eruditionis habes

[kallend 1,647]

gunpaq

I wonder if Senator Paul could perform my much needed eye surgery for free since my health care insurance plan has been cancelled by the Obama care mandates?

John (gunpaq)
Occupation: Retired
Homepage: http://www.geronimoskydiving.com
Email: [email protected]
Country: Canada
City: Fort Erie, Ontario

I can only assume that your post is a troll.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[doorgirl 0]

GeorgiaDon

It is possible that Senator Paul would perform some surgeries for free anyway, of course. To determine that, we would need to know if he did surgeries pro bono before he became a senator. His history in the senate would seem to indicate his general position is that people who can't pay should not get treatment, but that doesn't necessarily prohibit doctors from volunteering their services.

His father used to delivery babies for free, until Medicare laws made it so that if he (or any doctor) performed free procedures he would not be paid for any Medicare patients treated. Given the current reimbursement system (Lowest cost billed minus 6%), the only way that a surgeon can donate their services is if they have no Medicare patients or travel outside of the reach of Medicare.

[gunpaq 1]

Quote

I can only assume that your post is a troll.

???

www.geronimoskydiving.com

[kelpdiver 2]

GeorgiaDon

The article you linked made it clear that "charity" is not the motivation behind Senator Paul performing these surgeries. He needs to perform a certain number of surgeries each year to keep his license to practice, yet he is forbidden by senate rules from having another paying job in addition to his senate responsibilities.

Frankly, I don't want eye surgery done by a guy that is just putting in his minimum count to maintain his status. I certainly wouldn't pay for it - for money I pick someone else.

[GeorgiaDon 340]

Quote

His father used to delivery babies for free, until Medicare laws made it so that if he (or any doctor) performed free procedures he would not be paid for any Medicare patients treated.

Can you point me to the law that imposes this requirement? Your comment prompted me to do some reading, and I learned that the rules are complicated, but I found nothing that forbids charity work. Here is one especially interesting article. Certainly, a doctor cannot routinely just waive the co-pay for patients on Medicare, and still bill Medicare for their share of the payment, as in that case Medicare would end of picking up 100% of the tab (even though the tab is reduced by the amount of the copay). Most or all private insurers have the same rule. Also doctors cannot legally underbill, charging for a simpler (and cheaper) procedure when they actually performed a more complicated one. In part, this is because it is fraud to misrepresent the services being charged for, even if the intentions are noble. More seriously, Medicare and insurance companies track treatments and outcomes for medical conditions, so as to establish best practices standards and guide future decisions about what treatments are appropriate. If a doctor has a practice with a lot of indigent patients, and routinely bills for simple procedures but performs more complicated ones, they can end up skewing the statistics to make it look as though the simple procedures are an effective treatment. Down the road, insurers will adjust their policies so they will only pay for the simple procedures, not the more complicated ones that were actually performed, and all doctors will be bound by those rules. Patients will only be able to have the simple procedure covered, and that procedure will not be adequate to cure their problem, as it would not be the treatment that was actually done for the patients who had a good outcome. It is critically important that accurate records of treatments and outcomes be maintained, as that is what is used to guide future practice.

All that being said, there is a procedure within Medicare/Medicaid for doctors to waive part or all of their fee, but that must be done on a case by case basis, not as a matter of routine, and there is paperwork that must be submitted in each instance to justify the decision. No doubt this is a PITA, and is a disincentive to doing this frequently, but the process does exist if the doctor feels it is necessary.

There are hospitals that do charity work, some as a matter of routine (St. Jude's for example) and many on a case by case basis. It's hard for me to believe that none of these hospitals or doctors have any Medicare or Medicaid patients. Again, I'd be grateful if you can point me to the law, or to a good link explaining the law, that forbids doctors from performing charity work if their practice includes any Medicare patients.

Don

_____________________________________
Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996)
“Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)