new healthcare: don’t ask don’t tell

   With my first annual check up since healthcare reform approaching, I received a letter from my doctor’s office.

   Reaching for my letter opener I mused, “Ooooh! Let’s see what healthcare reform has brought?”

“If we choose to address any health problem or concern at the time of the preventive physical, we will bill you an additional visit … and some insurance companies add a second co-payment … “ 

“…many patients feel this is a time to also ask us to evaluate problems or concerns … these issues take away from the time we have scheduled to spend with you …”

WTF! What happened to the much ballyhooed preventive services?  Health questions or concerns take away from ‘our’ time spent together? Who wrote this? … Is arguing with a piece of paper considered a health concern? OMG, I just cost myself four co-pays.  

Jumping on line to healthcare.gov I learned the error of my thinking. It seems the trumpeted preventative services (at no additional cost) of the Affordable Care Act apply to people enrolled in health insurance policies "created after" March 23, 2010.

So since I had existing health insurance, let me get this straight. If I do not ASK about any health problems or concerns, and my physician chooses not to TELL me about any health problems or concerns then … well, ‘yes we can’ be healthy. You just gotta love Obamacare.

Caregivingly Yours, Patrick Leer 

web site: http://caregivinglyyours.com/
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musings: patrick ponders