Approaching 75 years of age? … not good for your health

 In a conversation about the “future,” Dr. Suzanne Allen, head of emergency services at the Johnson City Medical Center in Tennessee, was asked if she has seen any affects of Obama Care in her work.  “Oh, yes. We are seeing cutbacks throughout the services we provide. For example, we are now having to deal with patients who would normally receive dialysis can no longer be accepted. In the past, there was always automatic approval under Medicare for anyone who needed dialysis — not anymore.” So, what will be their outcome? “They will die soon without dialysis,” she stated.

What about other services? She indicated as of 2013 (after the election), no one over 75 will be given major medical procedures unless approved by locally administered Ethics Panels. These Panels will determine whether a patient receives medical treatment or not. While details on specific operating procedures and schedules, Dr. Allen points out that most life-threatening emergencies do not occur during normal hospital business hours, and if there are emergencies that depend to be resolve within minutes or just few hours, the likely hood of getting these Panels approval in time to save a life are going to be very challenging and difficult, if not impossible she said.

This applies to major operations such as receiving stents, bypass surgery, kidney operations, or treating for an aneurysm that would be normally covered under Medicare today. In other words, if you needed a life-saving operation, Medicare will not provide coverage anymore after 2013 if you are 75 or over. When in 2013? “We haven’t been given a specific date — could be in January or July….but it’s after the election.”

This is shocking to anyone who will be 75 this year. Her advice — get healthy and stay healthy. We do not know the specifics of the actual implementation of the full Obama Care policies and procedures — “they haven’t filtered down to the local level yet. But we are already seeing severe cuts in what we provide to the elderly — we refused dialysis to an individual who was 78 just the other day….we refused to give stents to a gentleman who was in his late 80s.” Every day, she said, we are seeing these cutbacks aimed at reducing care across the board for anyone who is over 75.

We can only hope that Obama Care will be overturned by the Supreme Court — otherwise, this is a death sentence to those who are over 75… perhaps you should pass this on to your friends who are thinking of voting for Obama this year.
Regardless if you have private health care coverage now (a Medicare supplement) — it will no longer apply after 2013 if the Ethics Panels disapprove of a procedure that may save your life. Scary, scary, scary. Think about this. You? Your parents? Your loved ones?

Didn’t know about it? Of course, not. As Nancy Pelosi said….”well, if you want to know what’s in the bill, you’ll have to read it…” after it was passed.

This is a graphic reminder of the need to stay healthy. Get your plot now at Forest Lawn… while they last. Is this a death sentence to those of us who will reach 75?… Yes!

Please do pass this along to those in your address book.
 
Dr. Suzanne C. Allen, MD
is a real person: http://www.healthgrades.com/physician/dr-suzanne-allen-2cbdp
Progressive ethics: If society deems you a burden due to age or infirmity, you should be willing to die to benefit society.