Thinking Right

By Dave the First

August 28, 2007 8:08 AM | Link to this

Finally a solution!

The centers should be very close to the ER and there should be Triage approved Dr.’s who stand at the door and direct people either into the ER or the free clinic.

Too many people are suffering in the ER with real issues and many die because they are waiting behind someone with a splinter.

Big deal here is that whoever run this MUST NOT be an employee of the government. This needs to be legally mandated but operated by the private sector who gets government money.
You can be sure that if the government runs it more people will die and insanity will rule the day.

By jbmlaw

August 28, 2007 8:08 AM | Link to this

Good morning all. Today we read the tragic tale of “Dumb and Dumber” – we choose which version of socialized medicine will likely cost the least and kill the fewest. Government Healthcare, brought to you by the makers of the Post Office.

Unfortunately there are few left who would introduce true market solutions to an industry that has totally lacked same for three generations. I now understand how the leftists can sell the fear of freedom. Find one of those inevitable truths of life, such as “everyone is going to die.” Conceal the fact that your solution will not change that inevitable truth, but deceptively suggest you can make it different, somehow. The taxpayers will now ensure that all healthcare bureaucrats will get paid, so the providers will have no particular incentive to perform or act efficiently. We will fund without caps, or alternatively we will appoint a bureaucrat who will determine who lives and who dies, who is rescued and who suffers. Perhaps the Department of Motor Vehicles would be our best model to replace the healthcare industry.

As a public service, I also offer the genius of jbmlaw. A simple solution: prohibit the sale of healthcare insurance for 25 years (under penalty of death for the President of the Insurance Company,) and simultaneously abolish medicare. Abolish all laws or other standards “requiring” medical facilities to treat all, or even any – let them pick and choose. As “malpractice” remains a risk to providers, they must be allowed to choose to not provide service. Allow the market to correct the defects now endemic in the system.

By TW

August 28, 2007 8:09 AM | Link to this

Sounds good on the surface, Jim – at least worthy of investigating. The problem is that the conservative’s credibility has been destroyed by his allegiance to Republican George W. Bush. The last time I trusted a Republican, he invaded the wrong country and has since brought about the deaths of nearly a million civilians. So, you see, while I’d like to hear more about what Cagle has in mind, you must understand that I am naturally a little skeptical.

Restoring your credibility by admitting your mistakes would be a good start. Even a good conservative could learn a lesson or two from Michael Vick.

By DebbieDoRight

August 28, 2007 8:18 AM | Link to this

This needs to be legally mandated but operated by the private sector who gets government money. You can be sure that if the government runs it more people will die and insanity will rule the day.

We already have that, it’s called HMO’s and PPO’s. Unfortunately, they let people die to save money, (theirs), every day.

By DebbieDoRight

August 28, 2007 8:21 AM | Link to this

Perhaps the Department of Motor Vehicles would be our best model to replace the healthcare industry.

I know you’re a jbmlaw imposter ‘cause he’s never been that funny before!! Good simulation.

By Rovespierre

August 28, 2007 8:26 AM | Link to this

That’s not how Hawkeye and Trapper did it in “Mash”, morons.

By Mike

August 28, 2007 8:27 AM | Link to this

Debbie,

Improving the private system is always possible, and should be done. On the other hand, turning over our health to the samde organization that runs schools (yuck!) the TSA (sigh) public housing (puleeze!), and so many other failures of programs is insanity.

What makes anyone think the government will do better with health care than they have done iwthh all these other systems? And why are Canadians, Brits, etc coming to this country for our health care if government systems are so great?

By Redneck Convert

August 28, 2007 8:29 AM | Link to this

Well, I see the libruls are at it again. Lying about Republicans. The godly Sen. Craig of Idaho got arrested for just putting his foot up against the foot of a guy in the next bathroom stall and tapping it at a airport. The guy in the stall happened to be a cop and arrested the godly Sen. He claimed the tapping was a signal that the Sen. wanted to have You Know What. Well, just about anybody could put his foot up against the foot of a guy in the next bathroom stall. It probly happens all the time. I know it was all a axident that the Dems made a big deal of.

These libruls won’t stop till they have ruint the repetation of every godly Christian Republican. They smeared the godly Sen. Vitter just because he liked to wear diapers in front of evil women. They run the godly Rep. Foley out of Congress just because he wrote very friendly e-mails to teen aged boys. Now they are after the godly Sen. Craig. And they are after the godly Sen. Stevens just because he let a co. he got a bill passed for remodel his house for free. Not to mention making a big deal out of a male prostatue that visited the White House a few dozen times and putting the godly Rep. Ney and Cunningham in jail for getting a few free gifts and such. To hear the Democrats talk, you would think that just about every godly Republican was a gay prevert or a crook. They just don’t like Fambly Values, is what’s wrong with the Democrats. Just look at what they done to the godly Rev. Haggard that never done nothing except strike up a friendship with a guy he didn’t know was a male prostatue and just wanted to buy a little meth from.

Anyway, I’m with Wooten on these new clinics. Make the bums pay. Even if they ain’t got no money. They got no business going to a emergency room and getting free care when they could be helping Private Innerprize by going to a clinic and paying to get doctored. And make them buy insurance policys. They can skip a few meals here and there and skip a rent payment or whatever to help out Private Innerprize by buying a policy. Most of them are too fat anyway. If they had any sense of decency they would stop expecting people like me to pay for their doctoring. If this stuff keeps up the hard working people will be forced to cancel their country club membership and sell their BMW and live in small houses and go to McDonalds instead of high priced restaurants. Then Private Innerprize will really be in trouble and we will start loosing our job.

If God wanted these people to get free doctoring they would of been borned with a little doctor to grow up with. I mean, sure the bible says we are our brothers keeper but we shouldn’t take that to mean we need to help out the poor and the sick every time they come down with cancer or get a leg chopped off or something. You can carry religion too far and get in the way of Private Innerprize and block God’s will for these people to die.

Well, I got beer to deliver. Anyway, when Wooten mentioned this Hillary woman this morning I got a cold chill just thinking of her as president. I need to get moving just to warm up again.

By Mid-South Philosopher

August 28, 2007 8:30 AM | Link to this

Good morning, Jim,

A friend of mine, who, financially speaking, is upper-middle class, called his doctor for an appointment on a Monday. While my friend had been a patient of that physician for over 20 years, he was informed that the following Friday was as early as he could be seen. My friend, who was suffering from an extremely painful case of hemorrhoids, had to make other arrangements and see another physician. Had my friend not been a person of means, what would have been his options…other that to pretend he was in a meeting with James Carville and Karl Rove.

Lt. Gov. Cagle’s health care proposals have much merit. However, given the collective limited intellectual ability of the General Assembly and the Congress, if there is a way to mess it up, they will find it.

Another concern for you educational elitist and reformists is the fact that since, in your estimation, the public schools have done such a poor job educating the populace, how in the world will all of these indigents and working poor have sense enough to read and understand all the information that will be provided by the drug companies, insurance companies, corporatist medical care provision institutions, etc.?

Sorry…couldn’t let the elitists go without a bit of chastisement.

There is no argument that something has to be done to address the inequities in the availability of health care for people in America. That being said, national health care or socialized medicine will be the greatest disaster to the United States since Michael Vick visited the Virginia Dog Pound!

Cagle’s proposal deserves serious consideration.

By harold

August 28, 2007 8:35 AM | Link to this

Treating that cold at a doctor’s office could cost $100; at the emergency room, $1,400.

That tells Harold the ER is intentionally overpriced. Why? Because hospitals want to be able to charge off 20 times what it actually cost them when an uninsured person walks through their door. Also because they want to make 20x what it actually cost them when somebody DOES pay. So, they are getting paid back by the paying patients, but also charging off 20x their ER losses.

That sound to Harold like every ER visitor should recieve a complimentary rape kit.

By GoodScout

August 28, 2007 8:36 AM | Link to this

After dealing with the chaos, inefficiency and headaches of the “private” healthcare system for the past 10 years, I firmly believe the government could do no worse.

Oh, and them damn “librals” are always bringing us bad changes. Like civil rights, equal rights for women, the Securities and Exchange Commission, Peace Corps, etc. Darn them!

By Redneck Epidemic!

August 28, 2007 8:36 AM | Link to this

Here’s a real national health nightmare - fat, stupid redneck pigs gone wild!

Ten of the 15 states with the highest rates of adult obesity are located in the South. Rates of adult obesity now exceed 25 percent in 19 states, an increase from 14 states last year and 9 in 2005. In 1991, none of the states exceeded 20 percent.

This just in - obesity is related to low IQ. Duh.

By deegee

August 28, 2007 8:47 AM | Link to this

“Allowing individuals to deduct health insurance premiums from their state and federal income taxes, as businesses can do, and making coverage portable is vital, too. But real reform here requires Congressional action.”

And this assures that nothing will be done about health care in its present form. As long as Congress can continue to line their pockets with money from insurance and pharmaceutical companies we will not see any improvement whatsoever.

By Mike

August 28, 2007 8:50 AM | Link to this

My goodness, to read this blog, you would think that only Republicans are corrupt. We seem to forget about Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s rampant cronyism, as well as her campaign finance and immigration law violations

How Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid became a millionaire on a senator’s salary, plus his questionable land deals and connections to disgraced lobbyists and casino owners

Media darling Barack Obama’s cozy relationship with the indicted fundraiser next door.

Clinton foot soldier Rahm Emanuel’s love for dirty money

Rep. William Jefferson’s refrigerated $80,000 cash stash

Chuck Schumer’s clashes with campaign finance laws.

Oh, but wait, only Republicans are corrupt. Sorry, the mainstream media tell sus so, so it must be true, right?

By GodHatesTrash

August 28, 2007 8:53 AM | Link to this

Harold, still laughing over your last comment. Great! Thanks for starting my morning off right.

By GaLiberal

August 28, 2007 8:56 AM | Link to this

Moron Jim says: But Georgia Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle’s speech last Thursday to the Atlanta Press Club generated relatively little — page 5 in the local news section — for a health care proposal loaded with merit.

Most intriguing in his approach is that it does place the emphasis where it belongs: on the individual and in the private sector.

What Moron Jim doesn’t tell you is that the private sector has caused the huge runup in healthcare costs over the last decade. Big Pharma, backed by neocons and political hacks that took contributions, have caused drug prices to increase to the point where it’s unaffordable to most people. Just look at the Big Pharma giveaway senior drug program that Bush, et al rammed through Congress. First, they lied about the cost of the program, then lied about how much seniors would benefit. Only Big Pharma came out on top because the Medicare has to pay market price for the drugs. And who funds Medicare? Taxpayers do.

Another thing Moron Jim doesn’t tell you (or at least skirts in his big fat wet buttkiss to Cagle) is that as the poverty level rises, more and more people will qualify for “free” coverage meaning the state will have allocate more funds. Given the rise in health care costs and the increased numbers being covered, it will become another Medicare program sucking up an ever increasing part of the state budget. The state won’t fund Grady which provides services statewide so what makes Moron Jim think the state will fully fund this program. It won’t. ‘HillaryCare’ as Moron Jim derisevly calls it is modest by comparion. It calls for federally-available health insurance for everyone. It does not and never did dictate which doctor you can see or “ration healtcare.” That’s just the neocon scare tatitics because they have nothing better to offer. And Cagle’s proposal is a shining example of how truly morally and intellictally bankrupt Republicans have become.

By Bushwanked

August 28, 2007 8:59 AM | Link to this

I would like those on the Right, including Mr. Wooten, to comment on these recent remarks by the President of the United States:

“The immediate goal is to make sure there are more people on private insurance plans. I mean, people have access to health care in America. After all, you just go to an emergency room.”

Yes, everyone pays, everyone gets treatment. Bush and his team support the most inefficient system of socialized medicine ever devised.

By Curious Observer

August 28, 2007 9:03 AM | Link to this

Allowing individuals to deduct health insurance premiums from their state and federal income taxes, as businesses can do, and making coverage portable is vital, too.

News flash to Wooten! Individuals can already deduct health insurance premiums. Wake up, Wooten! Like Rip Van Winkle, you’ve slept through entire generations.

And perhaps you will explain how an impoverished person will benefit from deducting health insurance premiums from a nonexistent tax bill. The poor don’t make enough to benefit from itemized deductions. Any tax professional will assure you that the poor are much better off taking the standard deduction.

This Republican obfuscation is precisely the reason that no thinking individual should ever trust the neocons to develop solutions to the health care crisis. The Republicans are going down for the count in ‘08. It’s time for universal, single-payer health care. Government cannot possibly do a worse job than the health care insurers and HMOs have done.

By Tamyra Ramsey

August 28, 2007 9:08 AM | Link to this

Keep in mind that many people have to go to the ER because regular doctors won’t see patients on short notice. There are times when you have a severe cut or chest pains. You know you aren’t dying, but you still need help. Your regular doctor won’t help with that. They only see you when you are well. They practice preventive medicine. There needs to be a way to get non-emergency health care - at least in Midtown anyway.

By Pagan Poser

August 28, 2007 9:13 AM | Link to this

This healthcare debate is one of the more logical issues to come out of Wooten’s closet. Too bad the compassionate conservatives would rather the poor just die and be gone - cause we the working poor feel the same way about them. If you believe Brits and Euros are coming to the US for any medical treatment other than PLASTIC surgery, you’re just fooling yourself. Now go have a viagara cocktail and feel better about your self worth.

By Jackie

August 28, 2007 9:27 AM | Link to this

The conservatives can not make up their minds. They don’t want to pay any taxes to fund health care for those who can not afford it; they don’t want to diminish the profits made by the health care industry; they want everyone to pay for their own level of health care, i.e., if you are really ill and can not afford the major outlays of health care dollars, too bad!!!! When these so-called conservatives put forth their logic about life and how we are all collectively associated, it makes you wonder what these folks are thinking of?

By Will

August 28, 2007 9:29 AM | Link to this

Hospital emergency rooms perform lab work and tests immediately, albeit at a much higher cost than your family doctor’s third party lab. That’s one reason emergency rooms are so popular; you get everything done in one visit.

Jim, what the ER (or doctor’s office) charges , especially in Grady’s case, is pretty irrelevant. Many of the poor and indigent do not have (or do not provide) correct addresses. Neither Grady, nor a private physician, has any practical way to collect the monies they’re owed. Further, the lack of correct addresses completely masks how much of Grady’s patient load comes from outside Fulton/Dekalb. If they’re not a life threatening emergency, they know they won’t be seen unless they say “Fulton” or “Dekalb” when they’re asked. People used to share Grady ID cards all the time (did they ever put pictures on them??). Turns out there are an amazing number of John Smiths out there. And that’s just on ONE card.

Grady’s been trying for 20 years to get the state to pony up for some of the cost of treating patients who clearly are not from Atlanta. The patients who do admit they’re from out of the area (many are high risk pregnancies and deliveries) give us an idea of the volume.

I don’t know if it’s still true (versus 20 years ago), but Grady used to be the referral center for high risk pregnancies for the 40 county north Georgia area. Given that a one month premie can run $250k or more in medical costs, that’s a lot of expensive medical care for two counties to cover.

Last thought: As P.J. O’Rourke put it, “If you think healthcare is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it’s free.” Amen…

By Peter

August 28, 2007 9:36 AM | Link to this

When the Republican’s STOP playing footsy in the Men’s bathroom, I am sure they will figure something out……..

GO GOP…….. GAY OLD PARTY !!!!!

Pretty funny stuff for the Conservative WRONG !!!

By catlady

August 28, 2007 9:39 AM | Link to this

I am all for cracking down on nonemergency use of the emergency room. I say tag each visitor with a cold, etc, with a significant financial penalty. For those of limited means, take it out of their welfare, paycheck, or social security check. Peachcare, medicare, and medicaid should NOT be paying for this abuse, because it ties up medical resources needed for true emergencies, uses the money of taxpayers, and contributes to continued poor planning on the part of those who get by with abusing the system. The kindest, most responsible thing to do is to “teach” these abusers by hitting them in their pockets, whether their pockets are lean or full.

I have been in the emergency room twice in the last 5 years (diabetic reaction, heart attack) and seen the place backed up with colds that could have waited till the next day at the dr.s office. When we expect folks to behave poorly, and we are willing to pay for them to continue to act poorly, we are going to get lots of poor actions.

By Dennis

August 28, 2007 9:45 AM | Link to this

By Mike August 28, 2007 8:27 AM “What makes anyone think the government will do better with health care than they have done iwthh all these other systems?”

What we will have is a behind closed doors meeting similiar to the one between Cheney and the energy corporations, only this time it will be between the government and the health industry.

As an example of how this will benefit everyone, all you need to do is take a look at the present Bush drug plan. Most people were better off before it came into existance.

And after the first year of “enrollment” (being suckered in) the drug tiers were changed and the costs of premieums raised on the public.

Georgians should remember this the next time Saxby Chamblis and Johnny Isakson are running for re-election.

You don’t have to be a blind conservative not to see it, just an ignorant one to deny it.

By Jack

August 28, 2007 9:52 AM | Link to this

There’s fine print in alot of the insurance plans out there. Sure you may have insurance but will it really cover you if you get really ill? Many have caps of 1 or 2 million. Once you exceed that, you are on your own.

Consumer-driven? More like profit-driven. Insurance companies are out there to make money. They don’t care about the individual consumer, they only care about the bottom line.

By Peter

August 28, 2007 9:52 AM | Link to this

When are the WRONGS going to understand…..

There is NO real National Health System……. so individuals do NOT know what to do, and / or where to go…….. for their illnesses…..most are paying for and getting ER Room coverage.

You guys want to make the system a situation that all folks involved can make big bucks marketing the insurance, so insurance companies can make big bucks, then you complain about how the system works.

I guess Whooten wants it both ways…make insurance companies rich, yet complain about where the folks getting coverage then go.

George Bush declared all could go to a ER room……. so why are you complaining ????

By Mike

August 28, 2007 9:54 AM | Link to this

Dennis,

I have lived in the UK for two years under their health care system. I agree our current system has its problems, and that there are many things that shouyld be fixed or addressed. I am no fan of Bush’s prescription drug plan for many reasons. But I will not trade our plan for the UK’s any day of the week. Ever. Socialized medicine winds up like those other governement programs all too often.

This is not blindness or ignorance on my part, it is experience and learning from other’s errors.

By JD

August 28, 2007 10:31 AM | Link to this

Per GoodScout:

*After dealing with the chaos, inefficiency and headaches of the “private” healthcare system for the past 10 years, I firmly believe the government could do no worse.

Oh, and them damn “librals” are always bringing us bad changes. Like civil rights, equal rights for women, the Securities and Exchange Commission, Peace Corps, etc. Darn them!*

This must be Al Gore! Taking credit for all the things Liberals did not accomplish - but the most inane statement of the day is “I firmly believe the government could do no worse”.

Wake up scout, the government does everything worse!

By DemDems4Ever

August 28, 2007 10:40 AM | Link to this

Peter,

You and Dennis, the blind, senseless liberals of this blog.

Peter, have you already shuffled Barney Frank from your memory banks? You remember Barney and his significant other operating a male prostitution service from dear old Barney’s condo? Of course not, that doesn’t fit with your warped senses.

Dennis, the all-seeing liberal, states a behind closed doors meeting will set the standard for health care. Does he not remember Frau Clinton’s major goal as First Woman? Socialized medicine, and she failed even though her husband was President.

Liberal=Loser, plain and simple. Socialism has failed in every attempt around the world, yet Dennis, Peter, DDDR, Curious Observer and the rest of the libs who infest this site are unable to recognize this simple fact.

By Peter

August 28, 2007 10:51 AM | Link to this

Hey By DemDems4EVER…..read the paper today…..

Georgia’s Kids remain mental midgets, just like you……..

President (King) Bush has left ALL children behind in his quest to rule the world and make all his buddies Rich…….

There has never been a more embarrassing government in Washington than we have today…….Thank you George Bush…..

Go back to putting your head in the sand, and playing in the men’s room !

By Dennis

August 28, 2007 10:59 AM | Link to this

By Mike August 28, 2007 9:54 AM

Mike, thanks for your response. Many of us retired under a state health benefit plan and our coverage, tho it didn’t cover everything, was adequate. Premiums were taken out of our retirement. This included drug coverage.

Under the present Bush drug plan we are worse off. The down grading of our remaining health coverage will happen if the plan above goes into effect. WE ARE THE REAL TARGET. Not those who abuse the emergency rooms and clinics.

By jm

August 28, 2007 11:07 AM | Link to this

It is amazing how the same people who complain about how bad the government does everything are the same people who willing give a blank check to the government whenever they hear the words “national security”. Wake up people, it is the same government.

By artc

August 28, 2007 11:14 AM | Link to this

jm…don’t you know that to republicans national security is a money maker and people are a money loser? I can’t wait for 08.

By Dusty

August 28, 2007 11:16 AM | Link to this

Have any of you tried the “Doc in a Box” facilities in many communities? I found one quite convenient one evening when my childdren had a temp of 102 and I didn’t know why. The doc on duty (an MD) diagnosed a urinary tract infection which we were able to treat at home. It did cost something but nothing equal to an ER visit and we were quickly served.

I don’t know how many of these new “clinics” are available in small towns but there seems to be a good many in Atlanta. Most are not open all night. Perhaps doctors and business people will answer the question of “triage” in some communities. Better they should try than the government in the form of socialized medicine.

By sliver

August 28, 2007 11:20 AM | Link to this

Since when did old wooden head have an MD after his name? Under EMTALA, the er must assess and stabalize all people who present to the er. Old wooden head presumes to assess the poor in advance, via his so called newspaper column. He is guessing a child with a fever and a sore throat has a throat infection, and can wait until the other doctors offices are open. What wooden head forgets, or never knew, is that a small percentage of children with those symptoms actually have menagitis, and any delay in diagnosis and treatment can be not only fatal to the child, but can also infect other people who come in contact with the child. This is why journalism majors are the butt of dumb jokes on every college campus in america.

By StallsR4horses

August 28, 2007 11:22 AM | Link to this

I didn’t realize that the bathroom stall had become an assembly area for the republican “family values” crowd.

By DebbieDoRight

August 28, 2007 11:23 AM | Link to this

Wake up scout, the government does everything worse!

Especially Dumbya’s government!! For those under the gold dome who don’t or won’t save Grady; I hope they’re not in any really bad car accidents anytime soon; because I doubt their country club HMO doctor knows how to take care of trauma patients.

By cranky old man

August 28, 2007 11:24 AM | Link to this

On its face, this proposal has merit. Getting non-emergency patients out of the ER sounds like a great idea. If done properly, it would improve service, and should actually save money. The devil, of course, is in the details.

Anyone remember the “starve the beast” strategies conservatives were toying with 10-20 years ago? The idea hasn’t gone away, but I haven’t heard it discussed much in public lately. For those unfamiliar with this particular bit of cynicism, it basically proposed increasing government spending (prescription drug coverage for seniors, anyone?)to a point that would “break the bank”, causing an economic crisis which would “prove” the validity of conservative economic dogma. Conservatives, newly empowered by a meek and panicked electorate, having now seen the folly of their tax-and-spend-feel-good-entitlement-mentality ways, would ride to the rescue, enacting draconian budget cuts and eliminating social security, medicare, public schools, etc.

So, in short, having a viable alternative to the ER for non-emergencies is a great idea, if there is a realistic funding process.

By Rovespierre

August 28, 2007 11:26 AM | Link to this

How about the new disorderly conduct charges in a men’s room against a very high ranking family-values flag-waving neo-wong? If the GOP elite withdraw prematurely in a men’s room, the nice, hairy man will follow them home. The RNC has to solicit them there cause they cant solicit them at home. Gay, Gay, Gay. GOP. GOP. GOP.

See, just change two letters and GOP is GAY.

My wife’s GOPler GAYdar was right again. First, with the Ralph Reed murder suicide thing, (obviously gay), and now this latest men’s room romp and bomp. The GOP is gay.

‘buff said.

GOPpler GAYdar. feel free to steal THAT one. It’s too true to copyright.

GOPpler GAYdar. Man oh man I am good!

So good I’m bad. Bad for the GOP.

My wife’s GOPpler GAYdar is so accurate and powerful it can see through the flags that neo-scoundrels wrap themselves in to reveal women’s nice panties and lace.

ooolala

My wife thinks McRove is gay, and you know, who but someone using gay-think would allow a loose cannon like Cheney to have any power whatsoever?

GOPpler GAYdar. Hack that.

By al

August 28, 2007 11:26 AM | Link to this

With the spiraling health costs possibly shutting down numerous government funded hospitals, I pose a question: How much are the deliveries of the so-called “Anchor Babies” costing the taxpayers. Please answer that question regardless of your position on immigration. Send them back. There is your solution to the “Grady’s” of the US.

By dawg_gone_truth

August 28, 2007 11:27 AM | Link to this

The Real issue of why the ER is in so much trouble is the dang illegals. Yes, the illegals! They come in knowing the they will not have to pay, they give a false name and never get reported to the authorities for deportation, the doctor or ER staff can not legally say anything about their immigration status. So get these Freeloading freeloaders back down across the rio grande or just shoot the invading taco eaters and be done with it.

By Rovespierre

August 28, 2007 11:41 AM | Link to this

If we dont allow illegals to have health care free of charge, then if an alien virus mutates and spreads among them, we’ll get blindsided and by the time the CDC in Atlanta figures it out, it will be too late.

That’s the evangelical message: that illegals will spread disease here. Yet those same christians would deny the hispanic catholics their RX.

That sure does sound gay. Why is everything on the christian right either about guns, gays, or god?

Anyone else smell a rat?

My wife’s GOPpler GAYdar can see through any sanctuary.

Speaking of sanctuary cities for illegal immigrants: The Wetback of Notre Dame……”SANCTUARY……SANCTUARY!!”

By sliver

August 28, 2007 11:42 AM | Link to this

one reason the er business was a money loser was the auto accident - insurance fraud game. Crooks would cause or stage accidents, go to the er, run up big bills for er services, then shake down the insurance companies for personal injury and medical expenses. Of course the medical expenses were never paid to the hospital, because the crooks pocketed the checks and disappeared. That game has been shut down by the Georgia law requiring the auto insurance companies to put both the name of the victim and the hospital on the pay to line of the check. The crook cannot cash the check without the hospitals endorcement, so they have no choice but to sign the check over to the hospital. The other parts of the fruad still continue, with outrageous demands for personal injury, lost work hours, and physical therapy. Drive defensively, because so of the other drivers are just out for a big payday.

By jbmlaw

August 28, 2007 11:51 AM | Link to this

Dear jm @ 11:07, I respectfully partially disagree. Government does three things well: (1) kill people, (2) steal property, and (3) deprive individuals of freedom. Our noble military is effective in item (1) and deserves its blank check. I do not believe that any of these government-efficiencies is a sound basis to entrust healthcare to Leviathan. To the extent that your comments are aimed at the Department of Homeland Security, you are right on target.

Dear Debbie @ 8:21, thanks, high praise indeed.

By RatherEatTacosThenChittlins

August 28, 2007 11:54 AM | Link to this

Rednecks like you dawggonetruth are the trash that needs to be washed away in the sewers. Taco eaters are preferable to you chittlin eaters anyday of the week. Now get gone dawg.

By Bushwanked

August 28, 2007 11:56 AM | Link to this

Healthcare’s boring.

Let’s talk about Larry Craig!!!

From “Meet the Press, January 24, 1999,

MR. RUSSERT: Larry Craig, would you want the last word from the Senate be an acquittal of the president and no censure?

SEN. CRAIG: Well, I don’t know where the Senate’s going to be on that issue of an up or down vote on impeachment, but I will tell you that the Senate certainly can bring about a censure reslution and it’s a slap on the wrist. It’s a, “Bad boy, Bill Clinton. You’re a naughty boy.” The American people already know that Bill Clinton is a bad boy, a naughty boy.

It don’t get no naughtier than #@&*ing a *&@% in a restroom stall.

By Rovespierre

August 28, 2007 12:00 PM | Link to this

Dont forget. GOPpler Gaydar is effective as spotting tools when used as a concientiously applied program of outing Repudlickans and regular professional male escorts, like what visited bush and mcRove so many times, and that’s just what we can prove.

Poor Laura. What a waste of good twinkie. hack that, hacks.

I say my bit about Michael Moore doing a new documentary about dogfighting called, “Vicko”, on Leno last night.

You hacks. Honestly. You know a good joke when you steal one, eh?

By Peter

August 28, 2007 12:00 PM | Link to this

Hey all the Goofy GOP Wrongs out there………

Any thoughts on a GOP state senator wants to change our Car Insurance rates………..seems this guy is a Insurance Sales Guy on the side…….So he appears to be using his office for personal gain.

Any takers on this issue ????

I bet Whooten won’t say a thing about this ????

All you GOP Happy folk out there who think Government can’t get health insurance Right….. you must know it is about the current Crooks in there NOW…….

Seems like Bush’s prescription plan is only good for the Insurance companies, and not the common folk…..

No wonder the WRONGS won’t want to deal with government getting involved with the health insurance coverage issue.

I dated a girl who worked for Blue Cross Blue Shield of GA once…….she was a top producer……..

WOW did we go on great vacations…….always stayed at the Ritz Carlton top of the line rooms………

Now there is how our / your Insurance premiums are being spent…….

All should have guessed, not only was this woman a Republican, she did not want any changes to the system…….

She had too much money personally to loose!!!!!

By harold

August 28, 2007 12:03 PM | Link to this

Considering how closet gay the Rpublican party is, and how much further to the right the Taliban Party is (not much, but some), Harold is thinking Mecca must be a Gay Mecca. No wonder they make their women cover up. They are a bunch of closet gays.

By dawg_gone_truth

August 28, 2007 12:08 PM | Link to this

Wow, got you excited hey, pig intestine is good eating, try it you may like it, but make sure it aint got no corn up in it.

So you want me dead, but you can’t dispell what I said, yeah you know why its true. All these illegals here driving without insurance, not paying taxes, crowding the health departments and flooding the ER with nothing but a cold. Okay so Taco Eaters was a little harsh, but I did at least restrain from calling them beaners! Still, they should be arrested the minute they are discharged from the ER and sent back down to good ole Mexico, or where ever they came from. At that point they would either die from infection or pay for healthcare, win win situation.

By Peter

August 28, 2007 12:21 PM | Link to this

Hey WRONGS……..

The class of 2007 averaged the lowest math and reading SAT scores since 1999, the College Board reported Tuesday.

When did Bush get in ????

Seems like he has done wonders for our educational system…….

Funny comment from JBMLAW

Dear jm @ 11:07, I respectfully partially disagree. Government does three things well: (1) kill people, (2) steal property, and (3) deprive individuals of freedom.

Looks like the WRONGS will support a GOP government that FAILS terribly, and they think WOW…..

I will vote for them again !!!!!!

Can we have more BAD Government Please !!!!!!!

By Dr Coles

August 28, 2007 12:22 PM | Link to this

The U.S. is not a socialist state (see http://tinyurl.com/2znnvl). No one is entitled to be given a house, car, food or health care, etc. If we want these things, we have to earn them. The government does not earn money. Perhaps some of us should take a civics class and learn about America. We all have to labor for what we want. For those who need help there are the charities and state programs. We need to fix the health care issue but we cannot fix it unless we know how it is broken. For the answer, please see http://www.InteliOrg.com/

By Redneck Convert

August 28, 2007 12:22 PM | Link to this

Well, I see the libruls are still carping about bathrooms and gays in the Republican party and such. I might of knowed. I don’t care weather this Sen. Craig is gay, long as he votes against gay marriage he’s fine in my books. Trying to make a mockry of my marriage to the missus. These libruls won’t stop at nothing.

I say Wooten got a great idea. If these people go to a Dr. they need to pay. If they can’t pay at the ER they need to go to one of them clinics and pay. And if they can’t pay at a clinic they need to go buy a policy and pay for it. Anyway, doing without food for the last part of the month to pay for doctoring will learn them not to get sick next time. It don’t say it in the bible but I bet Jesus asked for a co-pay when he healed that leper. Leastwise, he didn’t turn around and bill the decent hardworking taxpayers just because someone without money come down sick. See, Jesus was a Republican. He was always talking about doing Right.

By RatherEatTacosThanChittlins

August 28, 2007 12:24 PM | Link to this

Yeah dawggonetruth, and it’s ignorant toothless redneck bigots like you that keep pressuring the pols to keep em illegal so that they have to drive without insurance and all the other things that you jackasses think will drive em back across the border but won’t. May your brand new shiny jacked up pick em up truck get demolished by an uninsured illegal. You know how that law of unintended consequences seems to befall those that think they have the answers. When it happens, please understand that you ask for it. So until your common sense overrules your redneck bigotry….deal with it dawg.

By dawg_gone_truth

August 28, 2007 12:38 PM | Link to this

So my ancestors had to come over and kill off all the indians or move them to reservations you want the mexicans to come on over for nothing? White folks worked hard taking and building this country, we even gave some poor africans a place to sleep and eat for coming over here to help us. They deserve to be here but you mexicans need to get on back over to mexico and work on comeing here, well at least the men, mexican women are hot and can stay because they bring value by being hot.

By Rovespierre

August 28, 2007 12:49 PM | Link to this

GOPpler GAYdar.

hack that, please.

By working poor 57 yr old

August 28, 2007 12:58 PM | Link to this

I had a sinus infection and very bad ear infection two weeks ago. My local doctor wanted $80.00 in advance to have me walk in the door. I didn’t have $80.00.

Thankfully, I was able to get medicine without going in and got the medication through Publix, for free. If not for the goodness of a doctor from church, I could have ended up at the ER.

What are the working poor to do? Maybe I should pretend to be an illegal alien!

By JK

August 28, 2007 1:08 PM | Link to this

Rovespierre, consider it hacked and stolen and being widely circulated right now. Brilliant! HAHAHAHA!

By Rovespierre

August 28, 2007 1:11 PM | Link to this

D’OH!

.

.

.

.

ps. Hey, 57 year old, you had an ear infection? What were you doing, having phone sex? BWA!

By Katharine

August 28, 2007 1:12 PM | Link to this

So why pay taxes?

By Dumocrats in 08

August 28, 2007 1:13 PM | Link to this

the last time I voted for a Dumocrat-he bombed an Aspirin factory in the wrong country because he was too busy having sex with an intern and lied to congress about it under oath. But that was ok-he was given a Democratic pardon, since he was appeasing the Jihadists and providing entitlements to the work avoiders. If the poor and the mexicans would stop using the emergency room because poor Pedro or Quantavious has a cold or a cut on his hand and go to the minute clinic, we would not be having a Grady crisis. Of course, if the Attorney’s would stop suing that would help.

By Dusty

August 28, 2007 1:15 PM | Link to this

Yes, there are things we could do without. For instance:

Phony so-called Southern bloggers who are up to their necks in ….well…bigotry.

Phony self-called comedians who repeat old jokes here and the same ones again at Luckovich’s. They (he) change their ID to cover their frequent absurdities.

Then the straight out political liars are pests. Just mention the name of any Republican, particularly Bush, and libs will search history back to the Revolution to find something, anything, that they can “twist”. They totally ignore their own “spotted political history” and run with the smirks and lies.

We could also do without those who wish to discuss restrooms instead of health measures. We know where their interests lie but most of us are NOT interested. Keep your dirty linen at home.

I hope to keep the decent bloggers around. They are beginning to be very scarce.

By Peter

August 28, 2007 1:18 PM | Link to this

Well it seems that yesterday we had a more fun day on this blog…..

Bring up health care and the GOP WRONG go into Hiding……

By working poor 57 yr old

August 28, 2007 1:20 PM | Link to this

Rovespierre, how rude. It’s people like you who ruin discussions.

“We must focus on Jesus, the source and goal of our faith. He saw the joy ahead of him, so he endured death on the cross and ignored the disgrace it brought him. Then he received the highest position in heaven, the one next to the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

By deegee

August 28, 2007 1:24 PM | Link to this

Face it, Dusty. George Bush is the Al Bundy of politics, forever typecast. As soon as an audience sees his face they just laugh and squirm in their seats. He will always play the role of the hapless loser. He did it to himself.

http://www.bundyology.com/bal.html

By Rovespierre

August 28, 2007 1:27 PM | Link to this

You know, I was thinking’ about our new quarterback who threw 3 touchdown passes and only one of them was dropped. I like the way he’s in the moment, you can sense this guy’s got the goods. He reacts well, and when he’s forced to scramble, he still seems to be in control and can still throw fifty yards on a dime.

We can win with a qback like that if the front line can be worked into shape. It’s all up the the line.

The defense was never a problem for the falcons. It’s our offense that sucked. Vick being the culprit. It’s too easy to defend one guy. Gee, I wonder who’s gonna get the ball?

I blame Blank. Look at how easily fooled that man was. He knows nails and 2X4s, not football, or men. I knew what a phoney vick was from the first two-a-days. I played football. I saw the phoneys all through middle school. I knew what they were doing after practice. I knew how well they could cover anything up on the field. “look at me, coach”…”Put me in coach”….and the coach then would be distracted and miss my amazing ability. SO I never got to play. That’s why I spent so much time underneath the bleachers looking up skirts.

What?

By Peter

August 28, 2007 1:29 PM | Link to this

Dusty tell us something Good……tell us how we are better off with the Gay Old Party (GOP) in charge……..

Let’s start with 47 million Americans NOT having health insurance…..Isn’t that a big part of the issue as to why folks are showing up at the ER room ????

We can discuss the fact not only Georgia, but the entire US is losing the education battle as the SAT scores are continuing to drop……..

Let’s talk about the Republican State Rep who is also a Insurance Sales guy, who wants to change the Car insurance Rules, that will in fact make car insurance more costly to the consumer…….

Your thoughts ?????

By deegee

August 28, 2007 1:30 PM | Link to this

Where in the bible do you receive the free doctor, and the free antibiotics from Publix?

By time for the unvarnished truth

August 28, 2007 1:34 PM | Link to this

rovespierre is just yet another sickening, abjectly unfunny id from supertwat aborted foreskin and its 20,000 other putrid pukey ids.

please immediately jump under a fast moving MARTA train aborted foreskin … and take the sad and pathetic hatefulbitch heebeedeegee with ya!!

nice to see some brimming with wisdom, refreshingly honest posts from dawg gone truth …

By Typical Georgia Redneck

August 28, 2007 1:35 PM | Link to this

What the heck is wrong with a little bit o’ toe-tappin’ in the mens’ room? Heckfire, a little footsies helps pass the time while you’re tryin’ to pass water.

Them glory holes is fun, too, no matter which side of the wall you’re on.

Might know that those blue staters up in Minnesota would wanna take all the fun out o’ takin’ a leak.

I’m sure I speak for most southerners when I say lighten up, they jes havin’ a little downhome fun.

By Dusty

August 28, 2007 1:36 PM | Link to this

Sorry, deegee @1:24

Anyone who compares President Bush to Al Bundy is clearly out of their mine with hate.

I didn’t notice the veterans laughing and squirming in their seats when Bush made a speech. He clearly supports the troops in our war and knows why we are there. So do the veterans.

If you are incapable of seeing the clear foresight of our President, you would do better to keep it to yourself. America is not just this blog. Even Democrats are beginning to see the merit of fighting terrorists where they are now, not in America in the future.

By US Health Down the Drain

August 28, 2007 1:38 PM | Link to this

Only those over 65 or those that work for big companies have the coverage to see a DR in the US. This is reality. Not fiction. Even if we had the best healthcare there is to offer, more and more people every day can not afford it because they can’t afford coverage. Employers can’t offer coverage - it is too expensive. Only very large companies can afford it. Jim - don’t you have coverage? What if AJC was sold to say Mom & Pop News? I have a feeling your views on healthcare would change if you had to book a flight to Mexico for a little dental work.

Cagle’s plan might be fine for the working poor, but free enterprise has failed the small business owners. Who by the way, employee a lot of the working poor! When there is a pool of small businesses looking to purchase plans, why hasn’t the insurance company stepped up and offered them affordable coverage? Because it simply isn’t profitable to the insurance company. If it was, we wouldn’t have a problem. No, the solution has got to be the federal government. They need to either tweak the market to make it better for all to offer coverage and still make a profit, OR they need to make everyone 65 or older and offer free healthcare to all.

I’m surprised at the lack of imagination on the part of the republicans in tweaking the free market so the insurance companies can make money and still offer affordable plans. There has to be a way the feds and/or states can work the market to make it happen. Yet no one has offered any solutions about fixing the free market so it works for everyone.

And don’t tell me that tweaking the market can’t be done. It is done all the time in other industries. Maybe what the republicans need to do is offer a tax cut incentive to insurance companies that offer affordable coverage to small business owners. OR the insurance companies can create non-profit subsidiaries that offer affordable plans to small businesses. The feds & states could offer a matching type fund to the non-profits. Then the working poor will have coverage. Yet - no. We need to offer the tax incentive to people who don’t even make enough to pay taxes. Come on Jim - give us some vision.

By deegee

August 28, 2007 1:43 PM | Link to this

As they say in the biz, there’s good news and there’s bad news. The good news is that we are living longer. The bad news is that we are living longer. Congress knows that the Ponzi scheme that is Social Security and Medicare is set to start imploding in the next decade. Congress will never be able to tax their way out of the storm that is looming large on the horizon. The only way out is to well, get a few million off the rolls. Only those with deep pockets will be able to choose life. The rest will just have to understand that nobody gets out of here alive.

By Bushwanked

August 28, 2007 1:45 PM | Link to this

By Dusty

August 28, 2007 1:15 PM

Phony so-called Southern bloggers who are up to their necks in ….well…bigotry.

Dusty, are you talking about TFTT? Just wondering if you are willing to critisize one of your own.

By the cause

August 28, 2007 1:46 PM | Link to this

If we did have socialized medicine, we would have waiting lines like they do in Britain and Canada.It would be like Dental offices-appts are 4-6 months in advance. Can you wait to have heart surgery? What we need is tort reform. Now, as for those who are on entitlements,why not have a Gov’t clinic for all the welfare recipients, who must pay some kind of premium out of their welfare check to receive care. This way, those of us with PRIVATE insurance, can go to our own DR’s and ER’s without having to wait for hours because someone who broke into the country ILLEGALLY is hogging up the room because his ear hurts. Remember, Breaking and entering is ILLEGAL, does nto matter if it is a house or a bank or a COUNTRY. If you break into a house, the owner can shoot you; break into a bank, the guard can shoot you; break into Mexico-the Army will shoot you. We should adopt that law. Who do these Illegals think they are-entitlement holders? BTW-I wish we did have a President that would take over the oil fields so that gas would be under $1 again.

By Dusty

August 28, 2007 1:58 PM | Link to this

Typical Georgia redneck,1:35

You can’t speak for any Southerner because you are not one. Cut the out-dated comedy.

Peter@ 1:29

The GOP (Grand Ol Party) has no more to do with “gay” than you have to do with Peter Rabbit. Funny how you like to put labels on everything.

The school systems have changed from conservative to logjam liberal. Bush tried to revive the “basics” but he is working with the results of the “hippie generation” of teachers and other educators. To even try for better results in schools with a new system has been fought all the way. You can throw in single parents and parents that do not care. There are plenty of places to spread blame.

Bush has tried to help with medicare, medicaid, storm relief at home and around the word. So what do liberals do? They knock every phase of it and then investigate their NON-findings. They have consistenly tried to interfere with every project, even those they voted approval such as the war in Iraq.

I know you, Peter, and you are the typical anti-American. If it does not conform to your l;iberal ideas then it is evil. That is the super liberal philosophy, the one now applied to all things American.

By dawg_gone_truth

August 28, 2007 2:05 PM | Link to this

Okay, seriously now, what we need it political revolution and a change of the guard. Healthcare, immigration, taxes, gas prices, morality. What we need is a government of the people by the people, how many of us are career politicians? This is not a Dem or Repub issue, its an american issue. Why is healthcare so screwed? could it be because only Doctors and Lawyers can really afford to run for office? Go down to your local county offices and see what the cost is to qualify to run for office. I venture a guess that if all we elected were plumbers and electricians, that we would in the dry and dark. Why would you keep voting in a guy who says “experience you need” when the experience we are having with some basic human issues is a bad experience? It never stops to amaze me how many people go vote and will not vote for a guy who has been serving for 20 yrs and the mess is the same. We need an outcry for goodness sakes lets vote in a farmer or a hardware store manager, or an accountant or a salesman, lets make it where we are represented by people like us. We need to start local and work our way up and up til we are again a government for the people by the people.

By Dusty

August 28, 2007 2:06 PM | Link to this

Bushwanked, the anti-American @ 1:45.

I believe that TFTT is from the UK. He has never claimed to be a Southerner. Perhaps you are not too good at geography, just ignorance.

By Sara

August 28, 2007 2:18 PM | Link to this

And this plan by Cagle solves what exactly? Are they really prepared to put these clinics in all the rural areas hit hardest by poverty and lack of insurance coverage? Where the ERs are rarely reimbursed for their work on uninsured emergent and non-emergent patients? Never mind the FEDERAL laws and potential law suits that impact the turning away of patients from an ER - particularly when lack of insurance is the issue. And that IS the issue - people go to ERs for non-emergencies because either a) they can’t afford a DRs office that makes them pay up front or b) nothing else is open at 2 am and they don’t want to wait until something is. Ususally A - and I know since I worked in an ER for years in a rural community. Nevermind that many come seeking drugs that I seriously doubt would be available to them through a clinic anyway.

The problems with healthcare in this country are multitudinous. Unfortunately no one in the government has been able to come up with or effect proper changes - usually they just end up making things worse.

And if you want to see a good option of public healthcare working, try looking to France. Perfect, no, but revolutionary in many ways and their system would fix a number of the problems we face here - particularly with insurance fraud, doctor shopping, and prescription drug abuse. All things the taxpayers ultimately foot the bill for anyway.

By getalife

August 28, 2007 2:19 PM | Link to this

Our government loves their socialized medicine and so will we.

Hillary 08.

By dawg_gone_truth

August 28, 2007 2:20 PM | Link to this

Dusty it is not un-american to disagree with out leader, actually that is what makes america great, of course that is not what Rush Lardbaugh and Sean Hannity want you to think so they tell you to think otherwise. Don’t Stereotype people or you will always be wrong, single parents cause schools to be bad, well dude there are about 2000 single parents due to this war, those are bad people? They single women are so wrong for letting there husbands go fight for our country. See where I’m going with the stereotype thing now? You call people liberals like its a disease or something, the Germans all agreed on one leader and all got behind him without opposition once, maybe you heard about that?

By Peter

August 28, 2007 2:22 PM | Link to this

HA HA HA Dusty,

Bush has tried to help with medicare, medicaid, storm relief at home and around the word.

Is that why he tried to stop health Insurance for our young poor kids ?????

Really WHEN ??? Katrina ???? HA HA HA……….he blew that one BIG TIME…. go ask a New Orleans citizen where they are at because of the great government help……

Have you seen the groups of trailers that are sitting around New Orleans, that we paid for with our Tax dollars, but have never been put to use ????

WHERE is Bush helping around the world???

Bush tried to revive the “basics” but he is working with the results of the “hippie generation” of teachers and other educators.

HA HA HA what a comment…….. “Hippie Generation” come on now talk about trowing around blame and having nothing to say…….

You are the one smoking something….

HA HA HA……… “No child left behind” is rhetoric and not really funded……plus he cut most of the after school programs for young kids, and stop funding stuff like the Boy and Girls Clubs of America.

Results are in…SAT scores are going down, so he is not instituting any NEW policy that works……

“To even try for better results in schools with a new system has been fought all the way.”

Who fought what ??? Bush has cut public spending on education each year in office…..

“I know you, Peter, and you are the typical anti-American”

HA HA HA how are you more American than me?

I own a business pay taxes and employ others…. what are you doing to create for your country ???

“Funny how you like to put labels on everything”

HA HA HA………. seems like you don’t have anything to say……..

Seems like if you got zero to say…make stuff up !!!!!!

By WAR EAGLE

August 28, 2007 2:31 PM | Link to this

Let me say that it was the DEMOCRATS in Louisiana that REFUSED Bush’s offer to send in the national Guard and Supplies. It was the DEMOCRATS in LA. that thought the levy’s were safe and did NOT evacuate the millions of Africans to Africa because NO STATE WANTED THEM! They came to GA and committed crimes. They went to Texas and Ark. and Committed Crimes. The DEMOCRATS of LA. wanted no help-why? Because new ORleans is a CHOCOLATE city. Where Vanilla is not offered. Where was Jackson, Sharpton and the NAACP? Why didn’t they help? Oh that’s right-they are an INCOME organization and not an OUTCOME organization. Idid not see ANY African Nation offering help to LA. Probably because they were laughing thier butts off watching the stupid people who did not get out days before when the warning sounded. Greyhound was ready. The planes at the airport were ready ot take the Chocolate people to Africa, but no! The DEMOCRATS of LA said it was going to be alright-just go to the Superdome. As for healthcare-as long as those that are here LEGALLY get it-it’s fine with me for them to get the socialized treatment-all others-GET OUT! Americans need the services mroe than you do because Americans earned it and paid for it.

By Govhealthcare

August 28, 2007 2:31 PM | Link to this

How can we expect these bathroom stall GOP family value conservetive people to make our healtcare system right. Look at how messed it is now. They love to say let the market will drive healthcare. Pretty soon no one will be able to afford it. Yes we have the best healthcare facilities but what good are the if no one can use them. We should go for Hillarycare as our solution. All GOP only care about money and sex then about peoples health and well being.

By Dave

August 28, 2007 2:41 PM | Link to this

There are somethings that must be considered if the ER problems are to addressed. Federal regulations on health care and there are many from many different departments shape the how and why a person is treated in an ER. EMTALA rules force the hospitals to give a full medical screening to each person who comes in the door. Many hospitals define the door as entering their campuses. A hospital must define what their choice of door will be. It it the door to the ER or is it the entrance to their facilities. A hospital can receive a large fine and potential law suit.

The State and Federal leaders and legislators can rant and rave all they want to about health care but, the fact of the matter is that the regulators have the final say. These are the folks who have put such an impossible mission on health care. It has been estimated that a conservative number on the cost of regulations for the doctors, hospitals, and insurance companies in this country is about $168 billion dollars a year. This is probably on the low end. There are answers, but no one really wants to address them.

By deegee

August 28, 2007 2:53 PM | Link to this

Keep up the good work, WAR EAGLE. The Republican party needs you now more than ever.

By Dusty

August 28, 2007 2:55 PM | Link to this

Peter,@ 2:22,

When you get over your hysterics, you might be able to think more clearly. Right now you seem blindly ignorant of facts and don’t want to hear them anyway.

I congratulate you on running a business. That is truly amazing considering the thought in your posts. And if your two employees can manage, that is fine. But watch the hysterics. They are demoralizing to those to those who are still stable.

By Whoever

August 28, 2007 3:01 PM | Link to this

This already exsists in Community Health Centers program. He is ripping off a federal program that has been serving the uninsured and under insured for over 45 years. Check out the HRSA website: [http://bphc.hrsa.gov/] Also giving every American access to care shouldn’t be confused with socialized healthcare. The work poor have a right to affordable healthcare and affordable does not mean FREE.

By Dusty

August 28, 2007 3:05 PM | Link to this

dawg-gone-truth 2:20

Liberals are the main ones saying that our education system is rotten. I listed the common causes named such as teachers, parents, and the total education system. Single mothers constitute a large portion of “parents” and 2ooo of them is just a drop in the bucket. But liberals want to say that all the fault lies with BUSH which is not true.

You may want to compare Hitler and genocide with this great country of ours. Hardly a valid comparison. But you have made it with your free speech. I support this country because it is the exact opposite of Hiter’s Germany. And I will continue to do so. That’s MY free speech.

By Redneck Convert

August 28, 2007 3:08 PM | Link to this

Well, I’m awful glad Sister Dusty has woke up and started whacking the people that pretend to be Southren. They give us Southreners a bad name. Anybody that thinks TFTT is a Southrener is just a idiot. Us Southreners hide our hatred alot better than that.

By Peter

August 28, 2007 3:12 PM | Link to this

HA HA HA……… Dusty HA HA HA……… Hysteria…… ??????

Gee what do you do to help your country ?????

By Peter

August 28, 2007 3:31 PM | Link to this

HA HA HA HA Dusty…..you are too much today……

“Liberals are the main ones saying that our education system is rotten”

Let’s see what the Media says………

Nationwide, average math and reading SAT scores fell four points for the high school class of 2007 to their lowest mark since 1999.

When did Bush take Office again ????

Come on Dusty….perhaps YOU should get hysterical about how poorly our government acts….. !!!!!

By dawg_gone_truth

August 28, 2007 3:48 PM | Link to this

Dusty I never compared our country to Nazi Germany, I compared blindly following a leader to the German people blindly following Hitler. When you call someone un-american for disagreeing with our president that my fellow american is very similar to what what happened in Germany during that time. I know that is not what Rush Lardbaugh tells you, but try thinking for yourself. Diversity is what makes this country great, and tolerance. I’m so glad that the Methodist don’t want to kill me with all there heart because I am Baptist. I think you are dead wrong if you honestly believe that liberals are the only people who think we have an education crisis, I mean you live in Georgia, and you think its okay that we are 49th in the nation in graduation rate? One of the lowest states for test scores? You seem to care or you wouldn’t be blogging about it, most of the time I’m on these blogs playing “devils advocate” but I’m serious here you need to open your mind and look around you. The hispanics are here to stay, the schools in the black neighborhoods are still sub standard because of long standing prejudices, so you have to legislate with those things in mind, like it or not. I don’t hate Bush, I don’t think he got elected to just help out his rich friends and go to war, he actually wanted to help, just like Clinton did. OPEN YOUR EYES

By Dusty

August 28, 2007 4:14 PM | Link to this

dawg-gone-truth,3:48

You surely did have to play around with that Hitler-Germany bit to make it palatable. But you WERE saying that to agree with the president’s policies was like Germans with Hitler. Liberals use that line alot. It isn’t true.

As to diversity, you are preaching to the choir here. Our family has always put diversity under “love thy neighbor”. That works just fine.

The education system cannot be fixed without the help of teachers, parents including single mothers and the administrators of the system. BUSH cannot do it by himself anymore than any other president can. Of course, the LIBERAL media will blame it totally on Bush. Just like you.

The South is a drawing card for many people. Many of them are looking for work, often manual labor. This kind of worker does not usually bring a high grade of education with him or his family. They have potential but it has not been developed. One of these days the South will not only lead in economic success, but also in education. It already has some of the leading universities in the country. Just wait!! The rest is coming.

By dawg_gone_truth

August 28, 2007 4:30 PM | Link to this

Dusty Good post, but two errors, I didn’t blame Bush, sorry I know you want me to, but I didn’t and won’t. The south is not drawing manual laborers, it has always had them. I grew up in Dalton I know about poor education and generations of people getting in a rut. I really do believe the south is going to get better but not soon, a lot has to happen first. You and I have agreed on these blogs a lot, and today we just disagree, education is a local problem anyhow, Healthcare is the topic here today which I blew off long ago. Have a great day, thanks for being a good sport.

By Sailor

August 28, 2007 4:39 PM | Link to this

He should have asked Rush to take him along on his next trip to the DR, or ask Karl/a Rove to send over Jeff Gannon/Guckert, or asked Tom Foley to borrow his pager, or just gone to any public restroom in Georgia.

But like my Andi/e-duh says, you gotta go where the real fun is.

Just ask tft-tranny.

By Dusty

August 28, 2007 4:46 PM | Link to this

dawg-gone-truth,

I have enjoyed debating with you. But I must tell you that all those men standing on numerous corners in North Atlanta were not present when I first came to Atlanta.

Also, there were no teachers leading Spanish classes in school. I can only assume that a man looking for work on a street corner is probably a manual laborer. And if he is speaking Spanish, he has not been in the South very long.

That is what I meant. These people may be good for the economy but they do not improve educational systems. Maybe you haven’t been to Atlanta lately.

By Marky Markerson

August 28, 2007 5:07 PM | Link to this

They were teaching me Spanish at North Springs High School in the late 70s there Dustmeister.

Did you actually mean to say that there were not classes being taught for Spanish speakers who are not proficient in English?

Oh well. Have you figured out where Warner Robins is yet? Here’s a clue. It might be near the center of the state.

By Rovespierre

August 28, 2007 5:40 PM | Link to this

Sen. Craig blamed his guilty plea for disorderly conduct in a Minneapolis men’s room, in which he solicited homosexual activity from an undercover african american cop, on the Bosanova.

Blamed it on the Bossanova, with it’s magic spell. He blamed it on the Bossanova, that he did so well…..

I’ve heard enough from the Repudlican Party.

Now we must face the future alone, without the scoundrels who perpetrated our current impasse. They are fleeing as I predicted they all would. Let them go. We’ve got a country to save, and a world to convince.

By Dusty

August 28, 2007 5:44 PM | Link to this

Marky Markerson,5:07

Glad they taught you Spanish. Maybe teachers thought you were going back to Mexico. French and Latin were being taught at my school..

Oh, do you know where Milledgeville is? There’s an institution there you might enjoy. It too is near the center of the state.

By Rovespierre

August 28, 2007 5:51 PM | Link to this

Sen Craig blamed his homosexual overtures to a black undercover cop in airport mens room on the Bossanova with it’s magic spell, yes, he blamed it on the Bossanova that he know so well.

I’ve heard enough from the Repudlickan Party.

We have plans to make, a country to save, and a world to convince.

By Dem Scandal Mania!

August 28, 2007 6:01 PM | Link to this

Just to remind those out their who like to deal with truth and reality:

William Jefferson Clinton- Impeached by the House of Representatives over allegations of perjury and obstruction of justice, but acquitted by the Senate. Scandals include Whitewater - Travelgate Gennifer Flowersgate - Filegate - Vince Fostergate - Whitewater Billing Recordsgate - Paula Jonesgate- Lincoln Bedroomgate - Donations from Convicted Drug and Weapons Dealersgate - Lippogate - Chinagate - The Lewinsky Affair - Perjury and Jobs for Lewinskygate - Kathleen Willeygate - Web Hubbell Prison Phone Callgate - Selling Military Technology to the Chinesegate - Jaunita Broaddrick Gate - Lootergate - Pardongate

Edward Moore Kennedy - Democrat - U. S. Senator from Massachusetts. Pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident, after his car plunged off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island killing passenger Mary Jo Kopechne.

Barney Frank - Democrat - U.S. Representative from Massachusetts from 1981 to present. Admitted to having paid Stephen L. Gobie, a male prostitute, for sex and subsequently hiring Gobie as his personal assistant. Gobie used the congressman’s Washington apartment for prostitution. A move to expel Frank from the House of Representatives failed and a motion to censure him failed.

DNC - The Federal Election Commission imposed $719,000 in fines against participants in the 1996 Democratic Party fundraising scandals involving contributions from China, Korea and other foreign sources. The Federal Election Commission said it decided to drop cases against contributors of more than $3 million in illegal DNC contributions because the respondents left the country or the corporations are defunct.

Sandy Berger - Democrat - National Security Advisor during the Clinton Administration. Berger became the focus of a criminal investigation after removing highly classified terrorism documents and handwritten notes from the National Archives during preparations for the Sept. 11 commission hearings.

Robert Torricelli - Democrat - Withdrew from the 2002 Senate race with less than 30 days before the election because of controversy over personal gifts he took from a major campaign donor and questions about campaign donations from 1996.

James McGreevey - Democrat - New Jersey Governor . Admitted to having a gay affair. Resigned after allegations of sexual harassment, rumors of being blackmailed on top of fundraising investigations and indictments.

Jesse Jackson - Democrat - Democratic candidate for President. Admitted to having an extramarital affair and fathering a illegitimate child.

Gary Condit - Democrat - US Democratic Congressman from California. Condit had an affair with an intern. Condit, covered up the affair and lied to police after she went missing. No charges were ever filed against Condit. Her remains were discovered in a Washington DC park..

Sowande Ajumoke Omokunde - Democrat - the son of newly elected U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, was booked on charges of criminal damage to property for allegedly slashing tires on 20 vans and cars rented by the Republican Party for use in Election Day voter turnout efforts.

Daniel David Rostenkowski - Democrat - U.S. Representative from Illinois from 1959 to 1995. Indicted on 17 felony charges- pleaded guilty to two counts of misuse of public funds and sentenced to seventeen months in federal prison.

Melvin Jay Reynolds - U.S. Representative from Illinois from 1993 to 1995. Convicted on sexual misconduct and obstruction of justice charges and sentenced to five years in prison.

Charles Coles Diggs, Jr. - Democrat - U.S. Representative from Michigan from 1955 to 1980. Convicted on eleven counts of mail fraud and filing false payroll forms- sentenced to three years in prison.

George Rogers - Democrat - Massachusetts State House of Representatives from 1965 to 1970. M000ember of Massachusetts State Senate from 1975 to 1978. Convicted of bribery in 1978 and sentenced to two years in prison.

Don Siegelman - Democrat Governor Alabama - indicted in a bid-rigging scheme involving a maternity-care program. The charges accused Siegelman and his former chief of staff of helping Tuscaloosa physician Phillip Bobo rig bids. Siegelman was accused of moving $550,000 from the state education budget to the State Fire College in Tuscaloosa so Bobo could use the money to pay off a competitor for a state contract for maternity care.

John Murtha, Jr. - Democrat - U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania. Implicated in the Abscam sting, in which FBI agents impersonating Arab businessmen offered bribes to political figures; Murtha was cited as an unindicted co-conspirator

Gerry Eastman Studds - Democrat - U.S. Representative from Massachusetts from 1973 to 1997. The first openly gay member of Congress. Censured by the House of Representatives for having sexual relations with a teenage House page.

James C. Green - Democrat - North Carolina State House of Representatives from 1961 to 1977. Charged with accepting a bribe from an undercover FBI agent, but was acquitted. Convicted of tax evasion in 1997.

Frederick Richmond - Democrat - U.S. Representative from New York from 1975 to 1982. Arrested in Washington, D.C., in 1978 for soliciting sex from a minor and from an undercover police officer - pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor. Also - charged with tax evasion, marijuana possession, and improper payments to a federal employee - pleaded guilty.

Raymond Lederer - Democrat - U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania from 1977 to 1981. Implicated in the Abscam sting - convicted of bribery and sentenced to three years in prison and fined $20,000.

Harrison Arlington Williams, Jr. - Democrat - U.S. Senator from New Jersey from 1959 to 1970. Implicated in the Abscam sting. Allegedly accepted an 18% interest in a titanium mine. Convicted of nine counts of bribery, conspiracy, receiving an unlawful gratuity, conflict of interest, and interstate travel in aid of racketeering. Sentenced to three years in prison and fined $50,000.

Frank Thompson, Jr. - Democrat - U.S. Representative from New Jersey from 1955 to 1980. Implicated in the Abscam sting, convicted on bribery and conspiracy charges. Sentenced to three years in prison

Michael Joseph Myers - Democrat - U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania from 1976 to 1980. Implicated in the Abscam sting - convicted of bribery and conspiracy; sentenced to three years in prison and fined $20,000; expelled from the House of Representatives on October 2, 1980.

John Michael Murphy - Democrat - U.S. Representative from New York from 1963 to 1981. Implicated in the Abscam sting. Convicted of conspiracy, conflict of interest, and accepting an illegal gratuity. Sentenced to three years in prison and fined $20,000.

John Wilson Jenrette, Jr - Democrat - U.S. Representative from South Carolina from 1975 to 1980. Implicated in the Abscam sting. Convicted on bribery and conspiracy charges and sentenced to prison

Neil Goldschmidt - Democrat - Oregon governor. Admitted to having an illegal sexual relationship with a 14-year-old teenager while he was serving as Mayor of Portland.

Alcee Lamar Hastings - Democrat - U.S. Representative from Florida. Impeached and removed from office as federal judge in 1989 over bribery charges.

Marion Barry - Democrat - mayor of Washington, D.C., from 1979 to 1991 and again from 1995 to 1999. Convicted of cocaine possession after being caught on videotape smoking crack cocaine. Sentenced to six months in prison.

Mario Biaggi - Democrat - U.S. Representative from New York from 1969 to 1988. Indicted on federal charges that he had accepted bribes in return for influence on federal contracts.Convicted of obstructing justice and accepting illegal gratuities. Tried in 1988 on federal racketeering charges and convicted on 15 felony counts.

Lee Alexander - Democrat - Mayor of Syracuse, N.Y. from 1970 to 1985. Was indicted over a $1.5 million kickback scandal. Pleaded guilty to racketeering and tax evasion charges. Served six years in prison.

Bill Campbell - Democrat - Mayor of Atlanta. Indicted and charged with fraud over claims he accepted improper payments from contractors seeking city contracts.

Frank Ballance - Democrat - Congressman North Carolina. Pleaded guilty to one charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and money laundering related to mishandling of money by his charitable foundation.

Hazel O’Leary - Democrat - Secretary of Energy during the Clinton Administration - O’leary took trips all over the world as Secretary with as many 50 staff members and at times rented a plane, which was used by Madonna during her concert tours.

Lafayette Thomas - Democrat - Candidate for Tennessee State House of Representatives in 1954. Sheriff of Davidson County, from 1972 to 1990. Indicted in federal court on 54 counts of abusing his power as sheriff. Pleaded guilty to theft and mail fraud; sentenced to five years in prison.

Mary Rose Oakar - Democrat - U.S. Representative from Ohio from 1977 to 1993. Pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges of funneling $16,000 through fake donors.

David Giles - Democrat - candidate for U.S. Representative from Washington in 1986 and 1990. Convicted in June 2000 of child rape.

Gary Siplin - Democrat state senator Florida- found guilty of third-degree grand theft of $5,000 or more, a felony, and using services of employees for his candidacy.

Edward Mezvinsky - Democrat - U.S. Representative from Iowa from 1973 to 1977. Indicted on 56 federal fraud charges.

Lena Swanson - Democrat - Member of Washington State Senate in 1997. Pleaded guilty to charges of soliciting unlawful payments from veterans and former prisoners of war.

Abraham J. Hirschfeld - Democrat - candidate in Democratic primary for U.S. Senator from New York in 1974 and 1976. Offered Paula Jones $1 million to drop her sexual harassment lawsuit against President Bill Clinton. Convicted in 2000 of trying to hire a hit man to kill his business partner.

Henry Cisneros - Democrat - U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from 1993 to 1997. Pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of lying to the FBI.

James A. Traficant Jr. - Member of House of Representatives from Ohio. Expelled from Congress after being convicted of corruption charges. Sentenced today to eight years in prison for accepting bribes and kickbacks.

John Doug Hays - Democrat - member of Kentucky State Senate from 1980 to 1982 Found guilty of mail fraud for submitting false campaign reports stemming from an unsuccessful run for judge. He was sentenced to six months in prison to be followed by six months of home confinement and three years of probation.

Henry J. Cianfrani - Democrat - Pennsylvania State Senate from 1967 to 1976. Convicted on federal charges of racketeering and mail fraud for padding his Senate payroll. Sentenced to five years in federal prison.

David Hall - Democrat - Governor of Oklahoma from 1971 to 1975. Indicted on extortion and conspiracy charges. Convicted and sentenced to three years in prison.

John A. Celona - Democrat - A former state senator was charged with the three counts of mail fraud. Federal prosecutors accused him of defrauding the state and collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars from CVS Corp. and others while serving in the legislature. Celona has agreed to plead guilty to taking money from the CVS pharmacy chain and other companies that had interest in legislation. Under the deal, Celona agreed to cooperate with investigators. He faces up to five years in federal prison on each of the three counts and a $250,000 fine

Allan Turner Howe - Democrat - U.S. Representative from Utah from 1975 to 1977. Arrested for soliciting a policewoman posing as a prostitute.

Jerry Cosentino - Democrat - Illinois State Treasurer. Pleaded guilty to bank fraud - fined $5,000 and sentenced to nine months home confinement.

Joseph Waggonner Jr. - Democrat - U.S. Representative from Louisiana from 1961 to 19 79. Arrested in Washington, D.C. for soliciting a policewoman posing as a prostitute

Albert G. Bustamante - Democrat - U.S. Representative from Texas from 1985 to 1993. Convicted in 1993 on racketeering and bribery charges and sentenced to prison.

Lawrence Jack Smith - Democrat - U.S. Representative from Florida from 1983 to 1993. Sentenced to three months in federal prison for tax evasion.

David Lee Walters - Democrat - Governor of Oklahoma from 1991 to 1995. Pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor election law violation.

James Guy Tucker, Jr. - Democrat - Governor of Arkansas from 1992 to 1996. Resigned in July 1996 after conviction on federal fraud charges as part of the Whitewater investigation.

Walter Rayford Tucker - Democrat - Mayor of Compton, California from 1991 to 1992; U.S. Representative from California from 1993 to 1995. Sentenced to 27 months in prison for extortion and tax evasion.

William McCuen - Democrat - Secretary of State of Arkansas from 1985 to 1995. Admitted accepting kickbacks from two supporters he gave jobs, and not paying taxes on the money. Admitted to conspiring with a political consultant to split $53,560 embezzled from the state in a sham transaction. He was indicted on corruption charges. Pleaded guilty to felony counts tax evasion and accepting a kickback. Sentenced to 17 years in prison.

Walter Fauntroy - Democrat - Delegate to U.S. Congress from the District of Columbia from 1971 to 1991. Charged in federal court with making false statements on financial disclosure forms. Pleaded guilty to one felony count and sentenced to probation.

Carroll Hubbard, Jr. - Democrat - Kentucky State Senate from 1968 to 1975 and U.S. Representative from Kentucky from 1975 to 1993. Pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the Federal Elections Commission and to theft of government property; sentenced to three years in prison.

Joseph Kolter - Democrat - member of Pennsylvania State House of Representatives from 1969 to 1982 and U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania from 1983 to 1993. Indicted by a Federal grand jury on five felony charges of embezzlement at the U.S. House post office. Pleaded guilty.

Webster Hubbell - Democrat - Chief Justice of Arkansas State Supreme Court in 1983. Pleaded guilty to federal mail fraud and tax evasion charges - sentenced to 21 months in prison.

Nicholas Mavroules - Democrat - U.S. Representative from Massachusetts from 1979 to 1993. Pleaded guilty to charges of tax fraud and accepting gratuities while in office.

Carl Christopher Perkins - Democrat - Kentucky State House of Representatives from 1981 to 1984 and U.S. Representative from Kentucky from 1985 to 1993. Pleaded guilty to bank fraud in connection with the House banking scandal. Perkins wrote overdrafts totaling about $300,000. Pleaded guilty to charges of filing false statements with the Federal Election Commission and false financial disclosure reports. Sentenced to 21 months in prison.

Richard Hanna - Democrat - U.S. Representative from California from 1963 to 1974. Received payments of about $200,000 from a Korean businessman in what became known as the “Koreagate” influence buying scandal. Pleaded guilty and sentenced to federal prison.

Angelo Errichetti - Democrat - New Jersey State Senator was sentenced to six years in prison and fined $40,000 for his involvement in Abscam.

Daniel Baugh Brewster - Democrat - U.S. Senator from Maryland. Indicted on charges of accepting illegal gratuity while in Senate.

Thomas Joseph Dodd - Democrat - U.S. Senator from Connecticut. Censured by the Senate for financial improprieties, having diverted $116,000 in campaign and testimonial funds to his own use

Edward Fretwell Prichard, Jr. - Democrat - Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Kentucky. Convicted of vote fraud in federal court in connection with ballot-box stuffing. Served five months in prison.

Jerry Springer - Democrat - Resigned from Cincinnati City Council in 1974 after admitting to paying a prostitute with a personal check, which was found in a police raid on a massage parlor.

Guy Hamilton Jones, Sr. - Democrat -Arkansas State Senate. Convicted on federal tax charges and expelled from the Arkansas Senate.

Daniel Flood - Democrat - U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania from 1945 to 1947, 1949 to 1953 and 1955 to 1980. Pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge involving payoffs and sentenced to probation.

Otto Kerner, Jr - Democrat - Governor of Illinois from 1961 to 1968. While serving as Governor, he and another official made a gain of over $300,000 in a stock deal. Convicted on 17 counts of bribery, conspiracy, perjury, and related charges. Sentenced to three years in federal prison and fined $50,000.

George Crockett, Jr. - Democrat - U.S. Representative from Michigan. Served four months in federal prison for contempt of court following his defense of a Communist leader on trial for advocating the overthrow of the government.

Cornelius Edward Gallagher - Democrat - U.S. Representative from New Jersey from 1959 to 1973. Indicted on federal charges of income tax evasion, conspiracy, and perjury

Mark B. Jimenez - Democrat fundraiser - sentenced to 27 months in prison on charges of tax evasion and conspiracy to defraud the United States and commit election financing offenses.

Bobby Lee Rush - Democrat - U.S. Representative from Illinois. As a Black Panther, spent six months in prison on a weapons charge.

Bolley ”Bo” Johnson - Democrat - Former Florida House Speaker - received a two-year term for tax evasion.

Roger L. Green - Democrat - Brooklyn Democrat Assemblyman. Pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for accepting travel reimbursement for trips he did not pay for and was sentenced to fines and probation.

Gloria Davis - Democrat - Bronx assemblywoman. Pleaded guilty to second-degree bribe-taking.

By Dustbuster

August 28, 2007 6:11 PM | Link to this

No need to get snoddy, Dusty. Just because you went to a school that taught French and Latin doesn’t make you better than everybody else. Besides, even the Catholics don’t speak Latin any more, connard.

By nyscof

August 29, 2007 8:49 AM | Link to this

93% of Georgia’s public water supplies are fluoridated. Obviously, fluoride is of no value when dentists won’t treat low-income Americans.

Dentists, whose education is government subsidized, get rich treating only people with insurance. Almost 50% of Americans don’t have dental insurance.

80% of dentists refuse to treat Medicaid patients which cost a 12-year-old Maryland boy his life - when a cavity infection traveled to his brain. Two weeks and $250,000 spent in an emergency room (at taxpayers’ expense)couldn’t save his life. But the twenty dentists that refused to treat him probably could have.

By Nikita

August 29, 2007 4:09 PM | Link to this

What a pathetic bunch of party baiting! Seriously, I’d like to see people stop blaming the usual suspects for 10 minutes and think hard about what’s really going on.

People can’t afford health insurance and don’t qualify for it regardless. They can be seen in the ER when they cannot be seen by private physicians, and that is why they go there. And the medical establishment in this country, and especially in places like Georgia, is for physicians only.

So…what would address this problem: 1. Recruit and enable nurse practitioners to handle non-emergency care.
2. Provide this care at adequate cost, and do not turn anyone away, even if they cannot pay. This can be done at the hospital, and that would be the most efficient way to provide it.