Should congress spend $300 BILLION on Medicare doctors?

I agree that our medical system is run by the almighty dollar, and it to many cases that decides how good of coverage you get. Many are questioning getting government involved in this, but it is really that much different than private insurance companies? It is good that you found a doctor that actually cares about your daughter, and isn't abusing the medicare system. It would be nice if we had more doctors out there that were doing the same. I know my doctor runs so many test on me, and I know that is because he wants to make as much money as possible. I have had to explain to him that if he wants to buy another BMW he is going to have to do it with money from someone else, because Bush insurance (HSA).

Your Doctor runs tests on you for two reasons, and neither of them have anything to do with revenue: your Doctor wants to understand your state of health, and your Doctor doesn't want your Lawyer to sue him for failing to provide the standard of care if you come down with something that one of those tests would have detected. You don't pay the Doctor for all those tests, you pay a lab which is why you get a second bill from the lab.

Actually I have caught him requesting test that I didn't need and he wasn't happy about that. I have type 2 diabetes and he was requesting a kidney sample every time I went in there, which cost about $150 every three months. I talked to another doctor and he asked if I had kidney problems, and said that this test should be run about once a year unless there is an issue. When I asked my doctor he said that it was just another test and they used the same blood that they use for all of the other test. I told him how much it cost, and he was shocked that I knew, and that I found out what he was doing. Now I get this test once a year like I should, and I save about $450 a year on the lab work. I understand that I get a bill from the lab, but he is also paid a portion of that lab work because it is done on site in his office, according to his nurse.

I agree that health care cost a lot of money, and it is only getting worse. The AMA has donated $1.2 MILLION more to republicans since 2004.

I do understand that the AMA represents doctors, and has been donating money on behalf of doctors for decades. I am not saying that ALL doctors donate money to only republicans, but their trade group is very one sided. Last time I checked $200,000 is a lot of money, and I am sure that will buy influence which is what it is meant to do. Do you think they donate all of this money because they are nice guys?

You do understand that "The AMA" is an organization and "Doctors" is a group of lots and lots of individuals who do things independently of the AMA, including donating money, yes? You also understand that 1.2 million since 2004 is less than $200,000 per year, which is not very much money at all spread across all the races in a country in a year, yes?

The Indian politicians have mastered the art of Re-election. They simply raise the price of Petrol multiple times leading up to the election period. And just before the election period they will reduce the price of petrol and say that they have done this for the welfare of the poor and middle class citizens of the country!! Cheers! Ram

That is done here as well. But, what do you do?

Right now in our political system you have another principle that is: REELECTION. This third principle cost a lot of money, and requires you to basically sell your soul to the highest bidder. Unfortunately, way to many politicians have put to much faith into this third principal and it is destroying the country.