Re: Effect of National Health Care on Private Practice Physical Therapy Clinics

[Guest guest]

We need national health care. Medicare and Medicaid are essentially the

same system. Well-run private practices can be profitable under these

systems serving theMedicare population.

40% of the population in my county do not have heath insurance. It is

selfish and self-serving to think about a private practice " loosing out "

under an all payor system. People with serious health problems do not get

care here. I have treated 4 clients in the past year who were relatively

young, had HTN,and could not afford to pay for a doctor's vist.All of these

people had significant CVAs.

I have worked with therapists from Ireland and the UK that have incredible

respect and autonomy there under there national heath care system in their

country of origin. If you offer a level of expertise not found in the

national health plan, people will pay out of pocket,if you choose to do a

private practice. A win-win with the cash up front!

Kathleen e, PT

Modesto, CA

Effect of National Health Care on Private Practice

Physical Therapy Clinics

Dear Group,

This is more of an information gathering post than an information giving

post, so I'll get right to it. In my research over the last few years of

politics and political agendas, I have come to the conclusion that allowing

the government to enact any plan of Nationalized Healthcare - outside of

Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP as they are right now - would in effect put

all of our private practices out of business. I believe that the lack of

choices available to the general public, and the government being in control

of yet another failing system in this country would destroy competition in

our industry, and would be a great benefit to hospital based therapy

services, but would be terrible for private practice. I don't know what it

is like trying to get credentialed with HMO insurance companies outside of

Wisconsin, but in our practice, we have been told in no uncertain terms that

we will NEVER be allowed in any HMO network as long as there is a hospital

based clinic within 20 miles of us.

Consequently, there are at least 4 hospital based clinics within 20 miles of

our clinic, and all of our attempts to join HMO networks, so that we might

be able to cater to a larger range of patients, has ended in a denial from

the insurance company for the very reason listed above. With the government

possibly taking over Healthcare for everyone, it becomes easy to imagine

that they would want to sped as little money as possible in order to cover

as many people as possible, and HMO Health Insurance will become the norm in

our industry, making it nearly impossible to serve those patients unless

they are willing to pay out of pocket. This is severely unlikely, being

that they could just go to the hospital based clinic down the block and get

" free " Physical Therapy because it's covered under their taxpayer funded -

and capped like Medicare - Health plan.

Not only do we have to worry about the HMO issue, but we also have to worry

about the hospitals and their bureaucrats being able to charge less than

private practices to " the insurance company " than we can because they have

so much more revenue to go around to keep them in business, and keep us out

of competition just by undercutting our prices.

So, with that out of the way, I'd like to know how some of you are dealing

with the prospect of having Nationalized Health Care... By the way, if you

can give me good, viable, verifiable reasons why Nationalized Health Care

might actually benefit Private Practices, I might be swayed, but as yet, the

best argument anyone can come up with is that the cheapest insurance pool is

one where everyone is enrolled. I often hear the same poor arguments, and

then I look to countries that have had National Health Care programs for

years like Great Britain and Canada, who's patients are literally flying to

the United States in droves just to get their healthcare NOW instead of

having to wait up to 6 months for a CT scan when cancer is the likely

diagnosis. In most cases, if a patient has a possible brain cancer

diagnosis, 6 months could very well be too late. I don't want to have that

risk here in this country... it scares me.

Adam Jeschke

Optimal PT

Lake Mills, WI

[Guest guest]

Please read http://www.nationalcenter.org/NPA555_Sweden_Health_Care.html.

Carroll , PT

Chattanooga, TN

Effect of National Health Care on Private Practice

Physical Therapy Clinics

Dear Group,

This is more of an information gathering post than an information giving

post, so I'll get right to it. In my research over the last few years of

politics and political agendas, I have come to the conclusion that allowing

the government to enact any plan of Nationalized Healthcare - outside of

Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP as they are right now - would in effect put

all of our private practices out of business. I believe that the lack of

choices available to the general public, and the government being in control

of yet another failing system in this country would destroy competition in

our industry, and would be a great benefit to hospital based therapy

services, but would be terrible for private practice. I don't know what it

is like trying to get credentialed with HMO insurance companies outside of

Wisconsin, but in our practice, we have been told in no uncertain terms that

we will NEVER be allowed in any HMO network as long as there is a hospital

based clinic within 20 miles of us.

Consequently, there are at least 4 hospital based clinics within 20 miles of

our clinic, and all of our attempts to join HMO networks, so that we might

be able to cater to a larger range of patients, has ended in a denial from

the insurance company for the very reason listed above. With the government

possibly taking over Healthcare for everyone, it becomes easy to imagine

that they would want to sped as little money as possible in order to cover

as many people as possible, and HMO Health Insurance will become the norm in

our industry, making it nearly impossible to serve those patients unless

they are willing to pay out of pocket. This is severely unlikely, being

that they could just go to the hospital based clinic down the block and get

" free " Physical Therapy because it's covered under their taxpayer funded -

and capped like Medicare - Health plan.

Not only do we have to worry about the HMO issue, but we also have to worry

about the hospitals and their bureaucrats being able to charge less than

private practices to " the insurance company " than we can because they have

so much more revenue to go around to keep them in business, and keep us out

of competition just by undercutting our prices.

So, with that out of the way, I'd like to know how some of you are dealing

with the prospect of having Nationalized Health Care... By the way, if you

can give me good, viable, verifiable reasons why Nationalized Health Care

might actually benefit Private Practices, I might be swayed, but as yet, the

best argument anyone can come up with is that the cheapest insurance pool is

one where everyone is enrolled. I often hear the same poor arguments, and

then I look to countries that have had National Health Care programs for

years like Great Britain and Canada, who's patients are literally flying to

the United States in droves just to get their healthcare NOW instead of

having to wait up to 6 months for a CT scan when cancer is the likely

diagnosis. In most cases, if a patient has a possible brain cancer

diagnosis, 6 months could very well be too late. I don't want to have that

risk here in this country... it scares me.

Adam Jeschke

Optimal PT

Lake Mills, WI

[Guest guest]

If we don't have a healthy population, how can we have a work force that can

compete in our global economy and earn their own way?

Cut benes,whether government funded or private health ins and we are in a no

win situation.

Talk with folks who work in Western Europe. Healthcare isn't perfect but

they are doing a much better job of keeping people well. Most people there

like their system.

Quality of life does not always equate with high income!

FYI illegals in CA PAY for care!

Kathleen e PT

HAS Modesto CA

Re: Effect of National Health Care on Private Practice

Physical Therapy Clinics

There is a Constitutional Amendment that forbids us to refuse anyone " Health

Care " ... it is " Health Insurance " that people do not have, and that is not

guaranteed by the Constitution, nor is it within the Constitutionally

Granted Powers of Congress to impose such legislation on this country. You

should have taken the $90-120,000 a year job, because you'll be paying more

in taxes - already close to 50% of annual income for our practice - in order

to support the 45 million+ people we have to supply with " free " National

Health Insurance. Let me reiterate.... it is 100% illegal for you, me, or

anyone in the medical profession to turn someone away because they don't

have health insurance. You can inform them of your cash-pay policy, do

pro-bono work as you see fit, but you can't refuse their care outright.

That is guaranteed in the Constitution of the United States of America.

I suppose those of you who support the idea of a national healthcare system

- read:

socialized-single-payer-taxpayer-funded-government-regulated-health-insuranc

e-that-we-can't-afford-in-its-current-state-of-medicare-and-medicaid

- also support the idea of supplying that same health care to illegal

aliens, no matter where they might be from, North, South, East or West...

The current system in place is financially bankrupt right now, just as

Social Security is financially bankrupt, and both programs are taking this

country further into debt with the rest of the world, because we can't

possibly contribute more than is being taken out of the funds to pay for

services. On that note, I'd guess that you also support the idea of

allowing illegal aliens to vote in our elections.

Socialist programs are the fastest way to completely destroy the

infrastructure of a country. The UK is losing money every day because of

their healthcare system, Sweden has all but done away with their Welfare

System, as it nearly bankrupted the entire country. I would expect those of

us in private practice - small business owners especially - would want the

government to stay as far away from our industry as possible. The only good

thing the government can do to improve the economy, get more people to pay

for health insurance and/or healthcare, and bring more business into our

clinics - which should be read as more patients being helped rather than

more revenue, because I honestly don't care about money, but I don't want

the government to take any of it for the benefit of the masses - is to get

out of the way and let nature take its course.

The greatest economic boom in this country was in the early 1980s, when

Reagan was president... he didn't pass any new spending bills, he cut

taxes, he got the government out of the way, and the economy of this country

skyrocketed. It is sad that people have become so used to the government

interfering in everything we do that they've forgotten that the government

is supposed to serve the people, the people aren't supposed to serve the

government, but that's where we are going if things like Nationalized Health

Plans are implemented. We're already slaves to the Federal Reserve, Social

Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, and now you want to add on another 45+

million people because you think people should be guaranteed health

insurance.... Self-imposed slavery is an ugly beast, and we've done it to

ourselves by not putting a check on everything our government feels like

doing this week, and over the last 50-75 years.

Like I said in my first post, it's 100% impossible for our clinic to

participate in any HMO insurance plans in the area because they cater to

hospitals only. I was specifically told that there are no free-standing

physical therapy clinics in the network of one of our local plans, and that

I could apply but we would be denied access to the HMO network because there

is a hospital-owned clinic less than a block away from us. When the

government takes over, I hope you have planned to either see only " Cash "

patients, or have lined up a job at a local hospital-owned clinic, because

unless you are in an area where you have such a huge understaffing of PTs

that every free-standing clinic is already in network with all the local

HMOs, you won't be seeing many insurance patients outside of Medicare.

Heh... you think the therapy cap is bad now, wait until every person (man,

woman, and child) in the country is all in the same network, and the

government can't tax us enough to cover the costs.... that, or the

reimbursement rates will plummet, and we'll be driven out of business

because we just can't afford to pay the rent anymore.

I hope no one takes anything I've said as a personal insult, I just find

that many people who like the idea of Nationalized Health Care, don't

realize that Health Care - not Health Insurance - is already guaranteed in

the Constitution, and once they realize this they often change their tune.

Adam Jeschke

Optimal Physical Therapy, LLC

Lake Mills, WI

On Jan 17, 2008 9:42 AM, Sumesh <brockbridgetherapy@

<mailto:brockbridgetherapy%40yahoo.com> yahoo.com> wrote:

> In reference to Mr. Jeschke's comments I actually believe there are

> advantages and disadvantages in both a socialized healthcare environment

and

> in a capitalistic healthcare environment. The bottom line depends on whom

it

> benefits. It is in the best financial interest of the average consumer to

be

> in an environment where healthcare is delivered in a socialized manner as

in

> most industrialized nations, but it is in the best financial interest of

> myself and other busienss owners/executives (e.g. private practice owners,

> corporate executives (e.g. HealthSouth, Physiotherapy Assoc., etc.),

> hospital executives, SNF owners and executives, Home Health Agency owners

> and executives, contracting agency owners, and physicians who own PT

> practices and CORFs) to do business in capitalistic environments where we

> can " capitalize " on opportunties created by healthcare.

>

> If we don't change our business philosophies and policies, then others

> will. Although, many business owners are willing to offer employment

> opportunities to physical therapists, assistants, athletic trainers,

etc...

> to capitalize on the opportunites described above, few are willing to

share

> ownership. To prevent non-physical therapists from OWNING physical

> therapists and physical therapy assistants we MUST empower our colleagues

> with partnership/ownership opportunites. When we understand and share the

> rewards and losses of owning a physical therapy business, only then we

will

> be able to truely understand the implications associated with non-physical

> therapists having control of our present and future (e.g. impact of

> hospital based clinics).

>

> Dr. Sumesh , PT, DPT, OCS

>

> P.S. Most of my patients wait longer than expected before being able to

> see specialists or undergo imaging studies, and a few become non-compliant

> with their prescribed medications due to cost and other insurance issues.

In

> addition, although I have family and friends in many counties with

> socialized healthcare none of them have expressed a desire to come to the

US

> for healthcare.

>

>

> Effect of National Health Care on Private Practice

> Physical Therapy Clinics

>

> Dear Group,

>

> This is more of an information gathering post than an information giving

> post, so I'll get right to it. In my research over the last few years of

> politics and political agendas, I have come to the conclusion that

> allowing

> the government to enact any plan of Nationalized Healthcare - outside of

> Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP as they are right now - would in effect put

> all of our private practices out of business. I believe that the lack of

> choices available to the general public, and the government being in

> control

> of yet another failing system in this country would destroy competition in

> our industry, and would be a great benefit to hospital based therapy

> services, but would be terrible for private practice. I don't know what it

> is like trying to get credentialed with HMO insurance companies outside of

> Wisconsin, but in our practice, we have been told in no uncertain terms

> that

> we will NEVER be allowed in any HMO network as long as there is a hospital

> based clinic within 20 miles of us.

>

> Consequently, there are at least 4 hospital based clinics within 20 miles

> of

> our clinic, and all of our attempts to join HMO networks, so that we might

> be able to cater to a larger range of patients, has ended in a denial from

> the insurance company for the very reason listed above. With the

> government

> possibly taking over Healthcare for everyone, it becomes easy to imagine

> that they would want to sped as little money as possible in order to cover

> as many people as possible, and HMO Health Insurance will become the norm

> in

> our industry, making it nearly impossible to serve those patients unless

> they are willing to pay out of pocket. This is severely unlikely, being

> that they could just go to the hospital based clinic down the block and

> get

> " free " Physical Therapy because it's covered under their taxpayer funded -

> and capped like Medicare - Health plan.

>

> Not only do we have to worry about the HMO issue, but we also have to

> worry

> about the hospitals and their bureaucrats being able to charge less than

> private practices to " the insurance company " than we can because they have

> so much more revenue to go around to keep them in business, and keep us

> out

> of competition just by undercutting our prices.

>

> So, with that out of the way, I'd like to know how some of you are dealing

> with the prospect of having Nationalized Health Care... By the way, if you

> can give me good, viable, verifiable reasons why Nationalized Health Care

> might actually benefit Private Practices, I might be swayed, but as yet,

> the

> best argument anyone can come up with is that the cheapest insurance pool

> is

> one where everyone is enrolled. I often hear the same poor arguments, and

> then I look to countries that have had National Health Care programs for

> years like Great Britain and Canada, who's patients are literally flying

> to

> the United States in droves just to get their healthcare NOW instead of

> having to wait up to 6 months for a CT scan when cancer is the likely

> diagnosis. In most cases, if a patient has a possible brain cancer

> diagnosis, 6 months could very well be too late. I don't want to have that

> risk here in this country... it scares me.

>

> Adam Jeschke

> Optimal PT

> Lake Mills, WI

>

>

>