A Conservative View

OBAMACARE EXPERIENCE TO SHARE

I am sure that most people, including me, are sick and tired of the debate over what history will remember as our current President’s significant contribution to the Socialists cause.

Franklin Roosevelt gave us Social Security, Lyndon Johnson gave us Medicare and Medicaid, George Bush gave us Medicare drug benefits and good old Obama saddled us with the crown jewel called Obamacare. They label these programs as “Social Justice”, my name for them is “Socialism Gone Wild”. One thing is factual, these programs are bankrupting America.

Medicare, Medicade and the Medicare Drug programs, if managed by the private sector, could have been successful. Like the Postal Service, Tennessee Valley Authority and Amtrak, Obamacare managed by the government is a designed failure at conception.  

For those who do not know, I have been on Medicare for over 16 years and my real concerns are for my current 40 heirs having to suffer the pain of paying for these Socialist schemes at some point. My latest great grand daughter, born last week, was some $350,000 in debt when she drew her first breath.

Well last week I got my first look at Obamacare in person. I live in a rural area of east Texas and we have a well equipped county owned hospital. The hospital is leased and managed by a company in Oklahoma. The leasing company also owns the clinic where my doctor practices medicine.

Recently the leasing company, which has several other hospitals they manage, choose the Sabine County Hospital for its pilot program to install the new digital records required by Obamacare. Obama’s stimulus slush fund provides part of the money to purchase the computers and software that makes the system function. I used the term function, as watching this in action, would be a long way from working properly.

Last week I had a problem with my right ear that told me to go to the doctor. Prior to this new system, designed to do something, I could just go to the office and walk in to be treated. Now I have to get an appointment, regardless of my problem, which can be from one to three days. My doctor also works two to three days a week at the hospital emergency room (ER). To see him on those days I can go to the ER, which is a lot more expensive but who cares, I do.

On arrival at the clinic I had to provide my Medicare card and supplemental insurance card as usual. As an aside, I can vote without this but I can’t comply with Medicare without it. I wonder how many people, dead or alive, Obama and our Attorney General Holder feel do not have a government issued ID card for Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps, etc.   

When I was escorted to the examining room by the nurse, I got my first look at a new computer that is in every room. She sat at the computer and entered my weight, blood pressure and the following; every prescription I take, all things I am allergic to, vitamins’ and over the counter medication I use. This was obviously new and the new system seemed extremely slow functioning.

The doctor came in and looked at my ear, checked my heart as usual and sat down at the computer. He entered several things and seemed very impatient with the lack of speed. He asked me what pharmacy I used and entered data that sent one prescription directly to the pharmacy and told me he would be right back with the second prescription as they only had one printer and this prescription had to have a paper copy to get it filled. I was due some blood work and he had to enter the information into the computer and again retrieve a paper copy to sign and take to the hospital for the test. What used to be a thirty minute visit lasted one hour and fifteen minutes.

Remember the hospital and the clinic is operated by the same company. I arrived at the hospital and waited to be signed in. This is normally a five minute exercise. I was ushered in and asked for my Medicare card and my supplemental insurance card that previously copied on a copy machine and now the new system has a card reader that places an exact copy on the computer screen. Wow, that’s progress except it took about ten minutes as it had to be done about six times before it actually worked. The term, frustration, is not close to the feelings observed and the vocal comments of the lady doing her job. Again we had to enter my prescriptions, allergic reactions, weight, height, etc.

In a later visit with the hospital administrator, she explained that the equipment to integrate the systems and prevent duplication had not yet been installed. For those of you who use computers and new software understand as I do why it can be frustrating for all but that is progress. Obamacare will make Medicare and Medicaid blush with wasted costs.

For those of you who may not know the government now has access to my healthcare history at the touch of a computer key. This may not concern you but is scares the hell out of me. On top of that I have to help pay for them to have access. Freedom means nothing to our President and the 535 clowns in Congress and with the change of “one” member it will mean nothing to the Supreme Court.

C Brewer