Digest Number 1049
Hey Bill Ryan; Your symptoms sound like my symptoms. Last year I had the enzyme test positive for heart attack, this year no; but, the symptoms weren't as bad as last years. Stress test not great and angiogram showed blockage. Last year I had triple bypass, this year a shunt. My brother is six years past his bypass and valve replacement and feels great...the dog. And he is 14 years younger than I am. I don't think the cardio docs think of us as cash cows. May be the hospitals do since they get most of the cash. Michal zippered down the middle
Bill, I also worry about the future of Medicare and our medical system in general but you have not spelled out what is screwing the whole system and that is the cost of malpractice insurance for so many of the specialty doctors. When a lawyer can win a malpractice lawsuit and pocket 20-30 million dollars something is very fouled up. There is not a person on this planet that is worth that much money and it is chasing doctors out of medicine. << Michal, Sorry to inform you, I am on medicare and a recent 5 day stay in ICU and CCU was $19,000 , but medicare only paid the hospital $ 4,880 and I paid $ 200.00. Hospitals must be losing money on we medicare patients. I know my pcp retired and I could find but 2 doctors out of perhaps a thousand that would accept me. Medical care for America is going to become a disaster for seniors and speciality doctors will be the first to reduce services to us. As if I was not already a born worrier what with Coreg depressing me I am glad I am about out of here before the whole system blows up in our faces. Bill