I thought Tom voted against everything. I know the AMA (which is useless) is pushing for him. I remember putting a link to a town hall meeting. I believe you.
_________________
I don't do any of the government-pushed garbage. Of course, it doesn't affect MaineCare as much.
What they should do is a complete health screening on all of Congress. Cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugars, etc. See if they would fit the profile of "good outcomes." Besides the sheer time wasting of this and the lack of autonomy, we simply can't get the patients to comply. I have way less diabetics than FP and IM. Maybe 10. But, none of them, NONE, have ever had a decent HbA1C. Maybe they need to change the reference values. I am serious. Not one has ever had a normal HbA1C.
Government just needs to stay out of healthcare. And, the latest is the opioid crisis. Yeah, I am sure that we have contributed to some long-term addiction. But, instead of healthcare changes to help those addicted and doing more at the level of the supply, they impose crazy regulations on prescribers. I'm pretty sure checking the PMP will stop the Heroin/Fentanyl combination drug. I checked the other day, and it said three of my patients were on heroin. Wouldn't have even known. Thank God for checking the PMP.
So, here is the story of why the heroin epidemic is out of control. And, I took care of this patient since birth. Never prescribed pain meds with the exception of may one or two times for acute pain. So, she is now 19 and in the back of a car with her "friends." Overdoses and they throw her out in a snowbank. Cops give her Narcan, and take her to hospital. They observe, offer a mental hospital, but she is not suicidal, so hey, send her home. She is cured. Not even a social worker. Not even a f/u appt, which I know she would have missed. But, I guess that would be my fault for not writing an ICD-10 code on a script.
