From the NY Post:The state is trying to shut down a New York City doctor's ambitious plan to treat uninsured patients for around $1,000 a year.
Dr. John Muney offers his patients everything from mammograms to mole removal at his AMG Medical Group clinics, which operate in all five boroughs.
"I'm trying to help uninsured people here," he said.
His patients agree to pay $79 a month for a year in return for unlimited office visits with a $10 co-pay.
But his plan landed him in the crosshairs of the state Insurance Department, which ordered him to drop his fixed-rate plan - which it claims is equivalent to an insurance policy.
21 comments:
I guess the lobbyist are all over this one. Don't mess with insurance companies. AIG probably got all the protection it needed to screw the whole world.
Why should he have to drop it! It's his business! He should be able to do whatever he wants with his business. Damn these insurance companies!
This can be sensitive. The state insurance office regulates insurance for a reason, i.e. what happens to the money of the people who have paid in advance if he folds his practice? What about the myriad lab tests and procedures that a person would also need, none of which he would provide? What if he is paid but gives substandard or incomplete service?
"This can be sensitive. The state insurance office regulates insurance for a reason, i.e. what happens to the money of the people who have paid in advance if he folds his practice?"
Well lets hope Dr. Muney is an honorable man. It sounds like he's trying to help and right now people need help because the federal and state govt. aren't giving any help to anyone except AIG other financial institutes and the automakers! They allowed two local hospitals to fold! That really shows care!
The military/industrial complex that Eisenhower warned us all about is a pussy when compared to the medical/pharmaceutical/insurance complex.
At least with the arms manufacturers...we know what business they're in...killing people!
The Medico/drug lords tell us they're saving lives.
ONLY IF YOU'VE GOT THE MONEY FOR HEALTH INSURANCE.
Otherwise it's PAY OR DIE!
Now a true humanitarian comes along
and gets stomped on simply because he wanted to do the right thing.
But he seems to have
under priced those big time insurance scamers!
And that's a very big no-no!
I don't think there was any mention of paying in advance (other than the regular monthly payment-- small price to pay for what you are getting).
Re substandard care: as far as I can tell, this has nothing to do with the insurance companies. They can still sue him for malpractice. His license can also be revoked by the State.
Re tests: This would have to be determined by the patient, whether or not it would be worth it. On top of that, how many times do you go to the doctor and need blood work (rarely in my case).
This is an option and definitely better than no coverage.
I agree 100% with the above poster.
Queens residents should be especially grateful for this solution to health care. Two Queens hospitals just closed and the emergency rooms at the other hospitals are overflowing. At least this man had the foresight to devise a plan so he could help people. I don't see our government agencies thinking outside the box. Leave this Doctor alone and let him do his work. Seems like he's found a reasonable solution to our health care problem.
Has anyone seen the movie SICKO? I know a lot of people aren't big fans of Michael Moore, but I truly think it's an eye opening movie regarding healthcare in this country. I did medical billing for 14 yrs and it's a nightmare, the ins co's can change the rules at any time denying care this week that they approved last week. We better all wake up here. In my opinion the health care system what's being done is a form of acceptable genocide. People dying for no reason is not acceptable in my eyes.
The excellent Dr. Muney should just call this plan an installment plan and then tell the State Insurance officials to go shit in their hats (and, for $79, the good Doctor will then check them for incontinence).
The state is performing wage and price control to kill the competition and the patient.
Guys, talk to people in other cities, or even other boroughs.
From healthcare to schools to sanitation we are at the bottom of the heap.
Why?
Because as long as the clubhouse owns the seniors and illegals they have a choke hold on the borough.
"The excellent Dr. Muney should just call this plan an installment plan and then tell the State Insurance officials to go shit in their hats (and, for $79, the good Doctor will then check them for incontinence)."
Installments on what? Coverage? Expected illnesses? His heart appears to be in the right place, but this has nothing to do with the clubhouse. The guy's a doctor, not an insurance co. The same issues arose more than once with veterinarians and pet insurance and it's now a messy situation for vet's to sell this kind of insurance - and that's exactly what it is. Who is going to monitor this guy's reserves? How does the patient-customer know that he'll be around. What kind of business succession plan does he have? If he wants to make his services available to people of modest means, all he has to do is lower his prices and NOT take insurance - like most denstists and psychologists. Eg. You pay X directly to me for a specific service. If you have health insurance, then I'll process the papework and you get something back. That way he doesn't get bogged down in the red tape. He's no hero and in fact he may be doing more harm than good.
"Who is going to monitor this guy's reserves? How does the patient-customer know that he'll be around. What kind of business succession plan does he have?"
That's why you pay him monthly.
"Installments on what? Coverage? Expected illnesses? His heart appears to be in the right place, but this has nothing to do with the clubhouse. The guy's a doctor, not an insurance co."
Simple: Installments on service.
Plumbers and mechanics offer this all the time.
Lawyers do too. Lawyers just call it a retainer.
This morning, on CSPAN, the US Senate was holding hearings on Ticketmaster (why? To get face time and to "protect" the theatergoing public.)
The great, courageous senator from Minnesota, Amy Klobuchar, asked how ticket prices were ever going to get lower (as though they must; as though it is the "right" of the public to forever pay low prices to enter a theater). One witness replied: "Rivalry" will cause prices to go down.
What an astonishing notion! That competition serves the public. Wow!!
Well, would rivalry, competition, be good for the patients, for the insurance companies, for government (Medicaid, Medicare, ya know).
Why does the NY State Insurance Department want to prevent competition?
Isn't that the real question here?
this is called government interference liberals. remember it the next time you hear people rightly complain about too much regulation (which is just the same as government granted monopolies to the powerful).
We need more "government interference" people are stealing us blind. The good doctor may or may not be an honest man but let's not forget all the people who swore by Madoff for years.
When it comes to financial services, and make no mistake this is insurance by another name, you make people account for every penny.
"We need more "government interference" people are stealing us blind. The good doctor may or may not be an honest man but let's not forget all the people who swore by Madoff for years.
When it comes to financial services, and make no mistake this is insurance by another name, you make people account for every penny."
The saddest feature of this comment by Anonymous, is that it is a confession of stupidity and incompetence. And its belief that since anonymous is so stupid, everyone else must also be stupid and helpless. The "people who swore by Madoff for years" were greedy, stupid people who actually though they could outwit the conman. Typical behavior of the 'mark'. Screw them. They have been around forever and will never go away.
These marks never wanted government interference; they though they were beating the system, They wanted nobody to examine Madoff. Don't argue the analyst who, during the Clinton administration, tried to get the SEC to examine Madoff. The analyst was not one of the marks, or acting as an employee of any mark.
Apparently, anonymous wants government - politicians - to do all our shopping for us, selecting the best product/service at the best price.
But, here's the problem, anonymous: if all of us are all so stupid and unable to look out for our own best interests, what makes you believe that politicians are any smarter, or really care what our interests are, and will cater to them?
How will politicians handle the vast differences among people, religion, education (oh, that; we're all too stupid to be educated), tastes in movies, books, newspapers? The differences in our political opinions, products, services ...?
No, it's far better that each of us individually look after our own best interests, each in our own stupid or very smart way. It's called choice. It's called freedom.
Like it or not, all suppliers of products or services are competing for our money.
Doctors provide services, and all compete ferociously for our money.
This interference in that valuable competition is destructive to patients. The purpose of the interference is to eliminate competition, the engine of choice.
How is it useful to the economy, society, patents and medical practice itself when the politicians protect an insurance industry the allows patients to never have to ask "How much will this ____ cost doctor?"
We have to ask how much something costs in all other aspects of life; why are medical costs secret?
Anonymous, time to think things through.
No, you are right, government can be very crooked, but that's what elections are for--to remove thieves. Madison said, "If men were angels, no government would be necessary." Also, Thomas Hobbes, in Leviathan, "Life in a state of nature is nasty, brutal and short." I suppose they were stupid too.
"No, you are right, government can be very crooked, but that's what elections are for--to remove thieves. Madison said, "If men were angels, no government would be necessary." Also, Thomas Hobbes, in Leviathan, "Life in a state of nature is nasty, brutal and short." I suppose they were stupid too."
This just in: Madoff, who is about to get a sweet plea deal, contributed several hundred thousand dollars to the politicians that anonymous want to believe will protect us. The marks will never see their money. The Madoff family will just have to keep it, thanks to the politically appointed US Attorney. Clinton gave the fellow free rein, Clinton got money from the conman, Obama will protect the conman.
The elections didn't sweep them out. So, what are you going to do about it?
The fact is, you are on your own. Politicians don't see their job as baby-sitting citizens from predators. They protect the predators from the citizens. Politicians see predators like Madoff as fellow predators.
Predators like Madoff don't seek out a politician for protection; the politician seeks out the predators for money to acquire power over the citizens.
Elections COULD be the cure, if citizens were smart enough to use them to purge the predators.
But, we're on our own. Fail to understand that at your own peril.
"There is one safeguard known generally to the wise, which is an advantage and security to all, but especially to democracies as against despots. What is it? Distrust." -- Demosthenes: Philippic 2, sect. 24
Distrust all politicians and agencies of politicians.
And private businessmen as well
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