ObamaCare and increased wait times

Friday, May 21st, 2010

Peter Suderman at Reason notes that waiting times for physicians increased in Massachusetts increased after politicians passed health control legislation there.  Don't be surprised if the same happens across the country. Quoted in The Hill, The Chief Actuary at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services says The supply of doctors ...

Denver Post: “Doctors show Medicare patients the door”

Monday, April 26th, 2010

A Denver Post article from a couple weeks ago shows that having Medicare doesn't mean you necessarily get the care you need: Beverly Brodnax just got dumped by her doctor. The disabled woman is among the many Coloradans on Medicare who say it's becoming more difficult to find a doctor ...

AP: “Canadian official seeks heart surgery in US”

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

A reminder that universal health coverage does not mean you get the medical care you need.  From the Associated Press, Feb. 5: ST. JOHN'S, Newfoundland -- The premier of Canada's east coast province is undergoing heart surgery in the United States this week because the treatment he is seeking was not ...

Shocking death toll England’s flagship hospital

Saturday, November 28th, 2009

From the Independent (UK): Poor standards of care at an accident and emergency unit in one of the country's flagship hospitals may have contributed to the unnecessary deaths of over 400 patients, an official NHS investigation has concluded. Dirty equipment and an absence of leadership contributed to a death rate almost ...

Denial of claims: Medicare does it most

Monday, October 12th, 2009

Critics of non-government insurance complain that such companies deny claims, and imply that this would never happen with government-run insurance such as Medicare.  In a previous post I pointed out that in Massachusetts, Medicaid denies a higher percentage of claims than non-government insurers. According to the American Medical Association's 2008 Health ...

England: “Sentenced to death on the NHS”

Friday, September 4th, 2009

"Patients with terminal illnesses are being made to die prematurely under an NHS scheme to help end their lives, leading doctors have warned." Read  "Sentenced to death on the NHS" in the Telegraph. (via FIRM)

Example of Oregon medical care rationing

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

Here's an example of rationing medical care in Oregon: Here's the text of the TV station's report. (via Cato at Liberty and the Heritage Foundation)

More rationing by government bureaucrats

Thursday, August 6th, 2009

Just in case you needed a reminder that having coverage does not mean getting the care you need, here's one from the Daily Telegraph: The Government’s drug rationing watchdog says “therapeutic” injections of steroids, such as cortisone, which are used to reduce inflammation, should no longer be offered to patients suffering ...

Health rationing and you

Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

Here's a humorous (but scary) look at how government rationing of health care would look in the United States: For examples of it in Canada and Britain, Cal Thomas reviews a few recent headlines: Here is what Britons face: "Kidney Cancer Patients Denied Life-saving Drugs by NHS Rationing Body NICE" (Daily Mail ...

Dallas Medicaid patients have trouble finding doctors

Monday, July 20th, 2009

From the Dallas Morning News: As the state seeks ways to trim Medicaid, an increasing number of doctors frustrated with reimbursements are opting not to see new Medicaid patients. As a result, Medicaid patients often grow sicker while hunting for a doctor. "The inability to find a Medicaid doctor drives up the ...