New Medical Drama “21″ And The Evil SGR Conspiracy To Cut Medicare
Name: “21″ (% to be cut from Medicare)
Protagonist: Dr. Rob and a cast of thousands of physicians (Kiefer Sutherland wouldn’t work for such small payment.)
Villain: Evil SGR (Sustainable Growth Rate) conspiracy to cut Medicare by 21% across the board.
Victim: The elderly population depending on Medicare for payment of their medical care.
Plot: A follow-up to the popular drama “Lost” where members of congress were stranded in Washington D.C. with the task of reforming healthcare without any contact or communication from doctors and patients. This new drama “21″ tells the tragic tale of an industry under siege and a population facing possible disaster.
Already stretched to the limit by the paltry reimbursement from Medicare for primary care office visits, Dr. Rob and his band of physicians is hit by the evil conspiracy of SGR, a secret society whose goal is to harm the elderly people in the country by driving away all people willing to give them care. The congress, tired out from haggling over the healthcare reform bill, allows evil SGR to exert its power in the name of “fiscal responsibility.”
Within a short period of time around the (appropriately) April 1st reimbursement drop, thousands of physicians stop accepting new Medicare patients and consider dropping the plan altogether. Medicare patients are left to fend for their own care without anywhere to go to get it. Dr. Rob runs down the hall yelling something on every episode solely for dramatic effect, although he does uncover a crop-dusting cartel who plan on world domination by dropping fliers for a cut-rate insurance scam.
Will congress see the ruin of Medicare before it’s too late? Will primary care physicians be able to afford to care for Medicare patients? Will dentists and veterinarians be called to emergency duty with the sudden loss of primary care? Will Oprah’s llama adoption ever go through?
*This blog post was originally published at Musings of a Distractible Mind*
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