Comments on: How to demand the tests you want http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/10/how-to-demand-tests-you-want.html Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:18:00 +0000 hourly 1 By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/10/how-to-demand-tests-you-want.html#comment-80779 Anonymous Mon, 08 Oct 2007 13:30:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2007/10/how-to-demand-the-tests-you-want.html#comment-80779 Patients and their doctors know that the insurers aren't honest and will deny legitimate requests for diagnostic tests and therapeutic procedures with dishonest justifications, such as "the treatment is experimental", or by claiming insincerely that you lied in your application by failing to mention athlete's foot twenty years ago. <br/><br/>Nor should they expect the federal government to intervene on their behalf, which has disempowered consumer watchdog agencies such as the EPA, FDA, SEC, and OSHA. You can expect this kind of consumer fraud to be perpetrated by both patients and physicians. <br/><br/>After all, if institutionalized fraud against policy owners is going to be facilitated and condoned on behalf of the insurance industry by our government, you can expect them to take advantage of that at your expense. It is not unreasonable to assume that you will be denied timely life saving care inappropriately by an unethical eligibility specialist, and to lie to prevent that possibility.<br/><br/>I'm not going to commit fraud on a patient's behalf, but not because it hurts an insurance company or is considered unethical by others. But I'm also not going to interrogate a patient on behalf of an insurer to try to distinguish the fearful from the sick. Patients and their doctors know that the insurers aren’t honest and will deny legitimate requests for diagnostic tests and therapeutic procedures with dishonest justifications, such as “the treatment is experimental”, or by claiming insincerely that you lied in your application by failing to mention athlete’s foot twenty years ago.

Nor should they expect the federal government to intervene on their behalf, which has disempowered consumer watchdog agencies such as the EPA, FDA, SEC, and OSHA. You can expect this kind of consumer fraud to be perpetrated by both patients and physicians.

After all, if institutionalized fraud against policy owners is going to be facilitated and condoned on behalf of the insurance industry by our government, you can expect them to take advantage of that at your expense. It is not unreasonable to assume that you will be denied timely life saving care inappropriately by an unethical eligibility specialist, and to lie to prevent that possibility.

I’m not going to commit fraud on a patient’s behalf, but not because it hurts an insurance company or is considered unethical by others. But I’m also not going to interrogate a patient on behalf of an insurer to try to distinguish the fearful from the sick.

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/10/how-to-demand-tests-you-want.html#comment-80727 Anonymous Fri, 05 Oct 2007 21:16:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2007/10/how-to-demand-the-tests-you-want.html#comment-80727 hnmm. how can i get a cardiac CT scan done and PAID for???? hnmm. how can i get a cardiac CT scan done and PAID for????

]]> By: The Medicine Manhttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/10/how-to-demand-tests-you-want.html#comment-80697 The Medicine Man Fri, 05 Oct 2007 08:04:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2007/10/how-to-demand-the-tests-you-want.html#comment-80697 This is beyond irresponsible journalism and has moved into the realm of promoting a crime. Such duplicity also cuts at the heart of the doctor-patient relationship. <br/><br/>My own thought is that anyone concerned about such a piece should blog about it. Be sure to include the name of this author in your post heading for the benefit of the search engines. That's: <a HREF="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22Suz+Redfearn%22&btnG=Google+Search" REL="nofollow">SUZ REDFEARN</a>. Also include the website's <a HREF="http://www.health.com/health/talk/email" REL="nofollow">contact URL</a>.<br/><br/>John This is beyond irresponsible journalism and has moved into the realm of promoting a crime. Such duplicity also cuts at the heart of the doctor-patient relationship.

My own thought is that anyone concerned about such a piece should blog about it. Be sure to include the name of this author in your post heading for the benefit of the search engines. That’s: SUZ REDFEARN. Also include the website’s contact URL.

John

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/10/how-to-demand-tests-you-want.html#comment-80689 Anonymous Fri, 05 Oct 2007 03:19:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2007/10/how-to-demand-the-tests-you-want.html#comment-80689 Isn't this what physicians do, but they just blame it on lawyers when they do it? Isn’t this what physicians do, but they just blame it on lawyers when they do it?

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/10/how-to-demand-tests-you-want.html#comment-80686 Anonymous Fri, 05 Oct 2007 01:39:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2007/10/how-to-demand-the-tests-you-want.html#comment-80686 Just one other reason we should do away with health insurance and government programs all together. If you want it then YOU pay for it. Just one other reason we should do away with health insurance and government programs all together. If you want it then YOU pay for it.

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/10/how-to-demand-tests-you-want.html#comment-80685 Anonymous Fri, 05 Oct 2007 01:26:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2007/10/how-to-demand-the-tests-you-want.html#comment-80685 Then send the bill to Health Magazine... Then send the bill to Health Magazine…

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/10/how-to-demand-tests-you-want.html#comment-80684 Anonymous Fri, 05 Oct 2007 01:14:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2007/10/how-to-demand-the-tests-you-want.html#comment-80684 I hate sites that don't let you go back to where you were -- this one wanted registration (I didn't stay long enough to find out if you had to pay) but trying to go back to Kevin MD was not possible. How do some sites do this? I hate sites that don’t let you go back to where you were — this one wanted registration (I didn’t stay long enough to find out if you had to pay) but trying to go back to Kevin MD was not possible. How do some sites do this?

]]> By: Rachel...http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/10/how-to-demand-tests-you-want.html#comment-80683 Rachel... Fri, 05 Oct 2007 01:07:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2007/10/how-to-demand-the-tests-you-want.html#comment-80683 Wow. That is basically what Katrina Firlik, MD said in her book <b>Another Day in the Frontal Lobe</b>, which I finished reading recently. But I am pretty sure she was being sarcastic. It sounds like a major misquote of her. Wow. That is basically what Katrina Firlik, MD said in her book Another Day in the Frontal Lobe, which I finished reading recently. But I am pretty sure she was being sarcastic. It sounds like a major misquote of her.

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/10/how-to-demand-tests-you-want.html#comment-80679 Anonymous Thu, 04 Oct 2007 22:55:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2007/10/how-to-demand-the-tests-you-want.html#comment-80679 If they have my health plan they'll get a little card with instructions to collect and smear samples on it. <br/><br/>I think far better to encourage folks to talk with their Dr. about their personal risk, and lifestyle changes they can make.<br/><br/>If you have a family history like Tony Snow then fudging a bit to get a screening is probably understandable. If they have my health plan they’ll get a little card with instructions to collect and smear samples on it.

I think far better to encourage folks to talk with their Dr. about their personal risk, and lifestyle changes they can make.

If you have a family history like Tony Snow then fudging a bit to get a screening is probably understandable.

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2007/10/how-to-demand-tests-you-want.html#comment-80677 Anonymous Thu, 04 Oct 2007 22:14:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2007/10/how-to-demand-the-tests-you-want.html#comment-80677 No, they're advocating lying. They do not say, "if you are worried about the blood in your stool..." they say, "You are worried because a friend had colon cancer and you want to put your mind at ease, <i>say</i> you have a little blood in your stool..."<br/><br/>Lying and fraud. No, they’re advocating lying. They do not say, “if you are worried about the blood in your stool…” they say, “You are worried because a friend had colon cancer and you want to put your mind at ease, say you have a little blood in your stool…”

Lying and fraud.

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