# can you trust your doctor



## d0ug (Jul 17, 2015)

Cancer doctor telling people they had cancer so he could fraudulently bill and make millions of dollars. He got 34 million dollars from medicare and blue cross. No wonder these countries with socialized medicine are going bankrupt.
http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/oakland-county/2015/07/10/farid-fata/29955103/

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/07/10/us/michigan-cancer-doctor-sentenced/


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## Ameriscot (Jul 17, 2015)

What does this have to do with countries with socialised medicine??  Doctors here don't get rich as they don't go through insurance companies unless they are private.  They have an annual budget given to them by the NHS.  The NHS is not a for-profit system like in the US.


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## Don M. (Jul 17, 2015)

d0ug said:


> Cancer doctor telling people they had cancer so he could fraudulently bill and make millions of dollars. He got 34 million dollars from medicare and blue cross. No wonder these countries with socialized medicine are going bankrupt.
> http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/oakland-county/2015/07/10/farid-fata/29955103/
> 
> http://edition.cnn.com/2015/07/10/us/michigan-cancer-doctor-sentenced/



It's NOT the countries with Socialized Medicine that are going Broke....Rather it is Our Own Nation, with its ridiculous For Profit system that is headed for disaster.  Medicare/Medicaid is already far and away the single Largest expenditure in our Federal Govt. budget...and shows No signs of slowing down.  If you do a search on the highest paid careers in the U.S. 7 of the top 10 are in the Medical Field.  Getting Rich seems to be the primary motive driving most of this nations Medical care providers.


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## Ameriscot (Jul 17, 2015)

Yes, but you stated it was countries *with* socialized medicine that are going broke.


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## Vivjen (Jul 17, 2015)

That could not happen here; the doctor makes no money from any diagnosis...


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## Shalimar (Jul 17, 2015)

Doctors certainly don't become rich here either. There are not enough Doctors available, consequently, most are severely overworked, often putting in seventy plus hours a week. Still, our medical care is good, not perfect, but good.


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## QuickSilver (Jul 17, 2015)

Medicare is the closest thing we have to socialized medicine.. but it's still not free..  We have to pay for part B.. and we have to have a supplemental insurance to cover what part B does not cover.. PLUS we need a part D which we have to pay for in order to have our meds covered.


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## Vivjen (Jul 17, 2015)

Ours is 'free at the point of delivery'; except for prescription charges, which are a standard charge, and payable unless you have a condition that needs replacement therapy; eg type 1 diabetes, or are over 60, under 16, low income, etc.


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## Ameriscot (Jul 17, 2015)

Vivjen said:


> Ours is 'free at the point of delivery'; except for prescription charges, which are a standard charge, and payable unless you have a condition that needs replacement therapy; eg type 1 diabetes, or are over 60, under 16, low income, etc.



No charge for prescriptions for anyone in Scotland or Wales, only in England.


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## imp (Jul 17, 2015)

*"can you trust your doctor"

*In my mind, it has always been more of a consideration of "can I trust the medical system", _after _the doctor. Let's say, Dr. tells me my blood work-up indicates an out of range number for white blood cells (it happened to me, 2005). The "out of range" was less than 10%. He scheduled an appointment with a blood specialist, without my knowledge, then his office called to tell me that, giving a date for a bone marrow biopsy. I concluded on my own, that an out of range reading that small, did not warrant a biopsy. Biopsies introduce their own slew of possible adverse effects, and I hate the thought of a 6-inch long needle, to boot! I called it off. 10 years later, here I am, still kickin'!

Beyond that, let's say you are told you have some form of cancer, a malignancy which presents no "mass", like leukemia. Pathologist looks over blood cells, proclaims there are malignant cells. Real serious stuff now. How many such cells? If few, your body is likely disposing of them. If many, treatment via chemo is indicated. Such treatment is often living hell. How about a second opinion, different pathologist who knows  nothing of your first encounter?

Impossible today. Your ID is contained in a national databank, perhaps more than one, linked to your SS #. It's the first thing consulted by a Dr., especially if he knows he is a "second opinion". You're sunk. They work in cahoots. If it happened to me, and this is just MY OPINION, you need not get upset and disagree volubly, if I had no symptoms present troubling me, I would avoid treatment. I did that in 2005.     imp


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## 911 (Jul 17, 2015)

I agree, imp. I have arthritis in my knees and the rheumatologist ordered a bone density scan or something like that. I decided to pass on it, although it's no big deal. My diagnosis was arthritis and I was OK with that, so I said to just treat the arthritis. Today, with proper over the counter meds when it bothers me the most, I do fine.


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## QuickSilver (Jul 17, 2015)

I don't distrust my doctors.. but I make sure I understand what it is they are treating me for and why.  Being in the medical profession I expect my doctors to explain to me exactly what they are diagnosing and how they are treating it and what tests and medications they are using.  I'm not a doctor, but I do have a pretty good background and I expect an explanation to my satisfaction.


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## d0ug (Jul 18, 2015)

Most people do not have your back ground Quick silver and have to rely on these doctor who have put themselves as the know all. That is why you should be your own doctor and use them as a aid and not take what they say as always true.


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## QuickSilver (Jul 18, 2015)

As I said.. I am not a doctor..nor do I play one on TV.. I do not pretend to know what they know.  However, if my doctor can explain things to me based on sound medical and physiological rational, I believe him.


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## Don M. (Jul 18, 2015)

QuickSilver said:


> As I said.. I am not a doctor..nor do I play one on TV.. I do not pretend to know what they know.  However, if my doctor can explain things to me based on sound medical and physiological rational, I believe him.



Today, we have the advantage of massive amounts of information being available on the Internet.  Sites like WebMD, the MayoClinic, and Drugs.com can be valuable resources to research/verify what a doctor tells a patient.  If a person is not satisfied with what a doctor says, resources like these can go a long way towards verifying the diagnosis....OR, indicating a good need to get a 2nd opinion.  A person Must be especially careful about taking prescription drugs, and doing some research, on their own, can often lead to far better results than just blindly relying on what some of these doctors prescribe.  There are so many doctors taking "kickbacks" from the drug companies, anymore, that drug interaction is becoming a major health issue.  Propublica.org has had an ongoing investigation for several years about doctors and drug company kickbacks, and a person can go to that site, enter their doctors name, and find out if their doctor is on the Drug Company Payroll.


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## WhatInThe (Jul 18, 2015)

imp said:


> *"can you trust your doctor"
> 
> *In my mind, it has always been more of a consideration of "can I trust the medical system", _after _the doctor. Let's say, Dr. tells me my blood work-up indicates an out of range number for white blood cells (it happened to me, 2005). The "out of range" was less than 10%. He scheduled an appointment with a blood specialist, without my knowledge, then his office called to tell me that, giving a date for a bone marrow biopsy. I concluded on my own, that an out of range reading that small, did not warrant a biopsy. Biopsies introduce their own slew of possible adverse effects, and I hate the thought of a 6-inch long needle, to boot! I called it off. 10 years later, here I am, still kickin'!
> 
> ...



Exactly, it is the system. The system was designed or morphed into a system designed for productivity as much as quality. If not lazy too many medical industry professionals will not counter their colleagues diagnosis or treatments simply because they don't want their work questioned which is common in most industries. Throw in the clock watchers/punchers they want trouble free shifts and as little paperwork as possible. 

And there is a problem with blacklisted patients. There are doctors that won't take you on if you don't have a current doctor or don't list a doctor. Older dentists are like that too. Too me here's the problem, can YOU fix it. I think some doctors in California actually got caught blacklisting patients late last decade. 

The American health care industry is a vortex to be avoided.


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