By Paul Goldfinger, MD. Editor @Blogfinger
In a series of articles about the new healthcare plan on Blogfinger, we kept complaining that there was so little information available as to how the plan would actually work in terms of patient care. Instead all we heard about was insurance coverage
We heard that there were thousands of pages that few in Congress had actually read, and for those who did try to read it, the language was often impenetrable.
Many of us were shocked when the Speaker of the House said that we won’t know what’s in the bill until it is passed first.
Many were frustrated by the inability to predict the changes that would undoubtedly occur as far as the details and quality of their care.
We were promised that patients could keep their doctors and their existing plans, and that calmed a lot of the concerns. I finally gave up looking for articles that explained the nitty gritty of how doctors would function under the ACA
Now that people are actually seeking care under the plan, they are running into problems with access, rising costs of premiums, copays and deductibles, and actual rationing of tests and treatments. Doctors order a test or procedure, but their orders may be rejected. Practice guidelines are being implemented that seem to be more about cost than care. Electronic medical records have been disappointing for those who are working in the trenches.
As the truths of the ACA begin to emerge, we see patients not having access to their favorite doctors and hospitals. The administration lied about that access. And now, a high ACA official admits that they had to deceive the public in order for the plan to be passed. He said that the public was too stupid to understand the issues and appreciate the deceptions.
Keep your eyes and minds open as you obtain care under the ACA. Don’t take anything for granted. Go by what they do, not by what they say. Trust your judgment, because purposeful lies seem to be part of the emerging scenario.