Dr. Jill Vecchio, Breast Imaging Radiologist, tells why we should be very concerned and proactive when dealing with the consequences of the new healthcare law. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6e3udzHIiVs

I took a listen to the good Doctor. Unfortunately the people with an agenda against the Affordable Health Care Act love to spread stories about people being put in jail. Somehow I doubt that women will sit still at being denied necessary tests and treatment just like seniors are not going to passively accept so called "death panels". Some folks will go to any extreme and use scare tactics to preserve a "status quo" that serves their interests.

Lumpectomy 4/14/05 at age 69
Stage 1, 2cm, Node Negative
Grade 3, Triple Negative
AC/Taxol, Radiation,
BRCA2 positive (It's always something!)
No Family History

I wonder if I reply here, does it go on to the sound off board where I started? Anyway we all really should be afraid. Let me explain about one aspect that everyone seems to agree with, but I am sure no one really understands the consequences of. Obama often said that we should reward doctors for quality care, and then everyone nods their heads - but what does it mean? Well, the rewards, are, of course, money. We will pay doctors more for "quality care" OK, now let's define quality care. There are over 600,000 doctors, quality care has to be quantified - something we can check. When any of us evaluate a doctor to see if he is good - what do we look at? Whether his patients die, have complications, etc. Don't we all want to go to the doctor whose patients all live? and live well? So we will start looking at doctors' complication rates, death rates, etc, and reward them with money if they then lower those rates. Sounds good, right? WRONG. Anyone who has watched a soap opera knows the line "not a candidate for surgery" That actually means that the patient has a high chance of a complication during surgery, and the surgeon would rather that patient die with the internists, than with the surgeons. On our airwaves now is an ad for Sloan Kettering Cancer Center "My cancer was complicated, so my doctor told me to go to Sloan" It is supposed to promote Sloan as a great place to treat complex disease. But actually - my cancer was complicated - so my doctor told me to go!! We will start seeing more and more doctors refusing to treat the most sick people - we will start to hear much more often - I am sorry, but this facility does not treat stage 4 cancers. I'm sorry but it is against our policy to continue to treat dialysis patients after 3 years - you must go to the transplant doctors. The safest way for doctors to reduce their complication rates is to turf those patients away - and now the gov't is going to reward them for doing it. Remember - I noted 2 examples that are happening today, not just scare-mongering. As a doctor, I know that the doctors with the best records are those without the skill sets to tackle the toughest patients. They cherry pick their patients, and turf the ones likely to have complications. The best doctors actually have bad records - they treat the sickest among us.

Farla
dx 8/09, R double lumpectomy, invasive mixed DCIS/LCIS
ER + PR + Her -
1/3 Sentinel pos. 1/15 nodes pos
 Stage 2A  Grade 2, Nottingham 6
chemo A/C x4, Taxol x 4 started 9/21/09 DONE!!!
femara  started 2/5/10
rads  2/8/10 DONE!!!
Now - osteoporosis?  Vit D, calcium, and a baby aspirin to boot!

Farla, What you are saying is that doctors and hospitals will opt to treat people who are not really very sick. If that is the case, then we can expect thousands upon thousands of doctors and hospitals will no doubt go out of business. Is that what happened in Massachusetts under Romney care? I do not recall reading about it or that people are dying by the thousands in that state or in countries that already have universal health care. If things are so bad, I wonder why the voters in those places do not change their system. Is there a chance, however slim, that they like what they have? Just asking.

Lumpectomy 4/14/05 at age 69
Stage 1, 2cm, Node Negative
Grade 3, Triple Negative
AC/Taxol, Radiation,
BRCA2 positive (It's always something!)
No Family History

Farla, I have'nt moved this thread and nor has anyone else but it was not posted on the Sound off forum but on the Hot Topics and just wanted you to know.

Tricia Keegan...From Ireland Dx July '05 IDC 3/9 nodes pos..triple positive..a/c x 4..Taxol/herceptin x 12
Herceptin 1yr ..rads x35 oophorectomy Aug '06
Currently taking Arimidex /Zometa 1 x yearly
Carepage- survivortricia

this is pretty ridiculous and obviously the video was made by some fear mongering, tea party wackadoo.  please stop believing every stupid thing you see on the internet.  healthcare reform expands on the services people like myself depend on.  i have already been asked to go away by an orthopedist who didnt want to deal w my cancer and my oncologist said this has always happened so its not some new thing that the evil obama has done.  get a freakin grip this is going to provide healthcare to millions of people that woud  die otherwise.  i assume you arent rich s o open your eyes and see what the right wants to take away and deny you and every other non rich american.

Wonderful husband, Jim, four dogs, and 8 cats and bubbies on the way!Living on the shore of Delaware.
Dx 11/4/08 triple neg.
Lumpectomy L breast 11/19/08 4.5 cm
3 lymph nodes +
Mastectomy 12/10/08
Chemo started 1/15/09 6 rounds ACT
Done 4/30/09 Yea!
Radiation 33 treatments starting 6/1/09
Done 7/21/09
Expanders 10/6/09
Implants 10/7/10
8/11 metastasis bones, Arimidex
9/12

I applaud Mr. Obama for having the guts to bring healthcare front and center. No one has had the balls to challenge our "for profit" healthcare system. I am not 100% on this, but I do believe that I read that we are the only country who has a "for profit" healthcare system. And the reason all other politicians have been too afraid to do anything is because it may piss off the rich healthcare lobbyist who is lining their wallets.
The plan may not be perfect, but it's a start in the right direction. I applaud Mr. Obama for getting the ball rolling. My suggestion would be, instead of hating each other because of their political differences, our government work together, compromise, and come up with a totally overhauled system. Because we most certainly need it.

~ charlie
Dx : 5/16/2012 Left breast Infil. tubular carcinoma 2cm Grade 2 Stage 1 ER+ PR+ Her2-
Dx : 6/5/2012 Right breast Infil. lobular carcinoma 1.5cm Grade 2 Stage 1 ER+ PR- Her2-
Bilateral mastectomy, TE's, and sentinel node biopsy 8/6/2012  Nodes - 0/6 :) 

Hi Nuzzy, I am not familiar with the Massachusetts system - but I am aware that it is much more expensive that originally planned. Also - what individual states do is very different that the federal government. Only about 30% of doctors remain in private practice because is it becoming impossible to meet payroll. And yes, today, some doctors cherry pick their patients, and turn away some very sick patients. Beware those "best doctors" lists - as an insider- I know for a fact that some of them I wouldn't let touch my dog! But they are in positions of power so they make the lists. Many hospitals do run in the red - and will go bankrupt if they continue to treat the sickest among us. mhogsett - this is not the place for name calling. You have first hand experience with a doctor turning you away because of a complication - I said it is already happening. Obamacare just gives doctors financial rewards for doing it. It will be harder and harder for you to find care. Obama's task force recommends delaying mammos until age 50. I'd be dead if that were the case. Charlie - if Obama's plan was so good, then all the democrats would have voted for it, no problem. Instead we had to have the Lousiana purchase, and the corn husker kickback. It was too radical, too left for many democrats to vote for. A good bill has bipartisan support.

Farla
dx 8/09, R double lumpectomy, invasive mixed DCIS/LCIS
ER + PR + Her -
1/3 Sentinel pos. 1/15 nodes pos
 Stage 2A  Grade 2, Nottingham 6
chemo A/C x4, Taxol x 4 started 9/21/09 DONE!!!
femara  started 2/5/10
rads  2/8/10 DONE!!!
Now - osteoporosis?  Vit D, calcium, and a baby aspirin to boot!

Hi Farla...I didn't mean that Pres. Obama's plan was "so good", by no means perfect. But what I'm trying to say is that I admire him for bringing it to the forefront. No other politician has the guts to do it, and if he wouldn't of, no politician ever would of in our lifetime. (I actually heard that from a healthcare expert.) The problem is...there is so much hate between Dem.'s and Rep.'s that they cannot and will not work together to make it a perfect plan. Sad. Someone could come up with the most perfect, awesome plan, to benefit everyone, but if a Rep. comes up with it, the Dem.'s will never agree to it and vice versa. And in the mean time...guess who suffers? Me & you.
I know a lot of hoopla was made over the "tax"...but I kind of like it. Why not penalize people who are offered insurance and don't take it. If thats the case...why shouldn't I just cancel my employee healthcare, save myself over $200/month, and let everyone else pay for my care. Or just let the bills pile up, file for bankruptcy, and once again, in the long run, let everyone else pay for my care.
Of course, I would never do that...but many would. The premiums that you and I pay would be a lot less if we weren't helping to cover the uninsured.
I most certainly don't have the answers. And I just wish we could have some give and take on both sides so that the poor, disadvantaged, and uninsured don't have to continue to suffer.

~ charlie
Dx : 5/16/2012 Left breast Infil. tubular carcinoma 2cm Grade 2 Stage 1 ER+ PR+ Her2-
Dx : 6/5/2012 Right breast Infil. lobular carcinoma 1.5cm Grade 2 Stage 1 ER+ PR- Her2-
Bilateral mastectomy, TE's, and sentinel node biopsy 8/6/2012  Nodes - 0/6 :) 

I have read and listened to the arguments for and against universal healthcare most of my life. My own father was a General Practitioner who supported Harry Truman's plan back in 1948. I remember all of the threats and scare mongering that were thrown around during Lyndon Johnson's tenure when the Medicare bill was first passed. Now, seniors love Medicare and no one wants to lose their benefits under it.
 
No plan is perfect. But I refuse to be swayed by scare tactics and name calling. Woman make up over half of the population. So it seems to me if we are denied health care that is necessary we have plenty of opportunities to voice our objections at the polls.
 
Right now, my daughter is in danger of losing her health coverage. She is a  diabetice and BRCA2 carrier and would be in great danger without health care. Do I support single payer, Medicare for all? You bet I do.

Lumpectomy 4/14/05 at age 69
Stage 1, 2cm, Node Negative
Grade 3, Triple Negative
AC/Taxol, Radiation,
BRCA2 positive (It's always something!)
No Family History