Free Clinics in a Bad Economy

must charge for services.

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well damn it

This photo is entitled “Ms. Diva has a giant ear/eye/sinus infection, which I suspect is related to her tendency to walk around and lick things at random, despite the fact that I tell her, don’t walk around licking things at random because those random things are very nasty and will cause your tongue to rot off. So, earlier today, we took a trip to the pediatrician’s office and then to the pharmacy. Altogether, I spent $357… but all I got was 2 minutes with the doc and a bottle of [bleep] [bleep] Augmentin and teeny tiny [bleep] [bleep] eye [bleeeep, bleep] drops. Seriously, 3ml at about $18 a ml, which I might understand if this were a rare drug, made from fermented microorganisms found only in the sperm of a rare Peruvian speckled jellyfish… but I don’t think it is because I just made that up and I don’t even know if jellyfish have sperm. And the worse part is – I have health insurance with prescription drug coverage. In fact, I talked with my Lumenos rep earlier today, whom, as far as I’m concerned, can just [censored] and [bleep] and his [bleep] piece of [bleep] a [bleep] and his mother too. So, [censored] and the horse he rode in on.

Of course, that’s a long title for a photo. I thought it might just be easier to call it – “Well damn it.”

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Healthcare, Hopelessness, and Merry-Go-Rounds

Uncle D. sent me a link to a Knox News story about a 48-year-old Dickson, TN woman, who has nephrogenic systemic fibrosis. According to the report, the disorder is known to affect only 200 to 250 people globally. The woman has fought for two years to gain TennCare coverage for an experimental treatment that has improved mobility in some patients with the disorder.

A Davidson County Chancery Court judge ruled April 21 that the treatment is medically necessary.

Gordon Bonnyman, director of the Tennessee Justice System, said the court decision is important because it could lead to insurance funding of treatments for other rare diseases.

Insurance funding for medical treatments? For people who have diseases?

NO WAY! (That was sarcasm.)

Uncle D. went on to point out these types of things do not just happen in the US: but anywhere the government plays the role of Universal Bandaid Distributor. He says this “bureaucratic baloney” is an unavoidable problem in government-funded health care.

I’m inclined to agree.

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Memphis Medical Society prefers term "Lil' Oopsie"

Tennessee doctors didn’t get everything they wanted in the way of medical liability reform this year, but some say they got a step in the right direction.

The General Assembly passed a bill in early May that will change the term medical malpractice in Tennessee code to “health care liability action,” direct plaintiffs to give doctors a 60-day, pre-lawsuit notification and require plaintiffs to get a certificate of good faith from a medical expert before filing the suit.

The bill awaits Gov. Phil Bredesen’s signature.

(Fr. Memphis Business Journal)

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