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Is Government Involvement in Health Care Hurting Patients?

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    Valley Surgical Clinics founder Dr. Jeffrey Singer on why Medicare and the health-care law are putting government interests and costs ahead of the int...

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All of Obama -- will still be stuck with lots of government health -- in America.

Medicare and Medicaid already pay 35% of America's health care cost on top of that.

Government screwy tax rules encourage most of us to get health insurance through our employer.

We're now so used to that we expect someone else to pay for most of our health -- What's the result one surgeon doctor Jeffrey singer says it's changing the ethics of doctors from the hippocratic oath.

To a veterinary.

Mindset.

Veterinary mindset what do you make.

Well as as you know when you take your pet to the veterinarian veterinarian.

Tells you what's wrong with a pet him.

And then gives you a set of options as the owner.

And schools -- wherever you decide anything from expensive.

-- -- therapy to possibly euthanasia.

Depending what I wanna pay for what I wanted -- exactly but my profession medicine has had.

Practice what's called we -- the hippocratic ethic.

Which says MI number one obligation.

Is to my patient I'm not concerned about the -- the key issues facing the person's paying the bill I'm not concerned about anybody else.

And I'm only gonna give my patient.

The best advice I can as I see it -- so what's the problem well what's been happening is that for several years now going back at least ten years.

Doctors have been pressured.

By the number one Payer in this country which is Medicare through this agency CMS.

To practice.

Increasingly according to guidelines and protocols.

That a design by panels that that Medicare puts together.

So this is a problem long before Obama care -- -- already is government has -- more and more.

-- -- -- was once asked.

My group -- to explain how obamacare is gonna it damaged a patient doctor relationship -- -- -- group of primarily seniors.

And I sit -- and I hate to disappoint you.

Because I know you want me did best on obamacare but actually -- -- going on much longer has started.

Years -- go.

Through Medicare over the past seven -- years they've been putting together.

Panels.

That it asks that the following question if I have three -- ten million people.

And I have X amount of dollars.

What's the most cost effective way of allocating those resources so you could.

Called these death panel -- was that term thrown out during the obamacare debate like there'd be this group who would decide who'll live and die.

It's not exactly like that but already when there is for.

A limited supply there will be rationing some people won't get the stuff that might keep them alive when somebody else pace right and when obamacare takes effect.

Then there will be death panel because Obama -- establishes a thing called the independent payment advisory board or I -- Which effective in 2014.

I believe.

Will basically determine what care will be given what won't -- they're not gonna say you're gonna die they would just say you're too old you don't get.

Up a new -- exactly.

But to the point is that they're controlling the did the allocation of the resource so what's the alternative.

The alternative is for people to be -- more control of their own health care spending.

Results that I get to be my own death panel I get to decide what I expand on what treatment that's what you do every day when you go to buy food -- you decide whether or not you wanna.

-- kind of house you wanna live in or by -- you always make decisions every day we going to cost effective allocation of your resources.

But if you're using someone -- resources and it's only natural that that other person is gonna wanna make the call.

And -- -- surgeon you see this with your patients that the Medicare patient the family they want a 100% of all treatment and it's freeze -- they say give it to.

Well and that's only natural.

Now is -- I got I don't wanna see everybody but many times I'm I'm -- I'm doing with critically ill patients in intensive care unit.

Some of whom.

I have hopeless situations are very difficult decision to -- to pull plug on your mom or dad so since -- really not involved in any lead.

And you cost of this being it's easy for some people say don't do everything do everything -- this way the avoid having to make a difficult decision of course.

They're not paying for so it's it's easier to do that -- real life is about tradeoffs but insurance and Medicare and Obama care.

Isolate people from making their own decisions about what tradeoffs we work.

That's that's -- exactly correct because with the Obama care we're gonna have more of -- situation we're at the individual is paying.

Less and less directly for their own health care cost so you have people like that the -- -- -- free from the government what's gonna happen and what is happening is all of my peers -- gradually being.

Quote forced pressured to practice according to protocols and guidelines that have the interest of the -- your.

Put first when your doctor gives you advice you're not gonna be you'll be confident that your doctor is giving you advice based upon.

What he or she is.

Convicted considers the best advice for you but your doctor might just be following orders what I'm worried about as what's happening to my profession are -- becoming a profession.

That practice is a veterinary I think rather than and hippocratic -- Thank you doctor Jeffrey singer.