I wish I cold remember who it was who first proffered the observation that, in every picture ever viewed of Nancy Pelosi,  she always looks to have just sat in something wet.

Because proper attribution of that is credit due.

I can’t help but think that doctors, insurance companies, hospitals, pharmaceutical and medical equipment manufacturers are getting nervous. In fact, I think I have proof in the form a phone call I received a short while ago today.

A few months ago, I took my son in to the hospital emergency room when his flu decided to go “big league”; his temperature spiked to 105 and he started passing out. Now, I need to mention that my son was very shortly after returned to good health and the insurance I had took the brunt of the financial hit, leaving us only a little over $350 in out-of-pocket expenses.

We’re squarely a middle-class family; decently afforded but by no means rich. We likely could have paid it off almost immediately but we decided to send between $60 and $90 a month for a few months and pay it off in that manner. The hospital seemed fine with the arrangement and each month dutifully sent us an account balance and the applied payments detailed thereon.

We’re halfway throug the payments and we expected to pay another sometime in the next week, but I received a call from their accounts department. The lady was nice, but insisted that unless we set up contractual payment terms, she would be forced to turn our account over to an outside collections agency. “So can I set you up with a payment schedule for $30 a month?”

I found this very odd, as we have been sending in money faithfully for the few months since the ER visit. Not at least at the amount; she wants to contract with us for a $30 monthly payment with all of the terms and conditions in lieu of a $90 regular check?

It seems to me that the heads of the accounts departments of health care providers are beginning to get nervous. The only explaination I can think of is that while our account would be paid off months sooner with the arrangement as it was, it was “unofficial” in terms of expected revenue and therefore the beancounters couldn’t, well, count on it for their projections. CLearly something happened to make them want to get every nickel, dime and penny on the books marked down. It doesn’t take an actuary to figure out that the health care legislation has them pulling their hair out.

I have to admit to being a little mean by playing with the account clerk. After she asked if we would accept the $30 monthly plan, I told her that “I done watched the news, and I know it’s all free now- so why callin’ me when Obama gonna pay you?”

The poor woman nearly had a fit. She preceded to try to explain that the legislation didn’t work that way, there was no new “single payer” that took care over costs incurred, that it hadn’t been implemented yet, that they still looked to insurance companies, employers and individuals to pay for services rendered, etc. I let her off of the hook early and told her that I was only joking and I fully expected to pay for what I received. She sounded very relieved… and then proceded to tell me that I was nearly the only one on the phone that day that didn’t actually believe that our Saviour in Chief wasn’t going to pick up all costs from here on from his own deified pocket.

If this is how people are now suddenly looking toward doctros and hospitals, we are not going to have to wait for benefits to kick in in 2012 and 2013 for much of the populace to get dependent on the entitlements- we’re going to have to work on repeal-and-replace efforts now.

But is that all? Capt’ Ed (and many others, myself included) think that some of the flaws included in the “passed” legislation are purposefully implented. Take for example the no preconditions clause, the personal and the employer fines for non-compliance. It seems as though it is intentional that insurance companies will beging to go out of business when people can wait to buy their insurance until after they receive an injury or get sick and have a need for it. When the penalty is smaller than having to pay the premiums, insurance companies will begin to go underwater and eventually the government will force the “private option” in another manufactured crisis so others can retain health care. Machiavellian, isn’t it? And it makes perfect sense, if your plan is actually control the populace (thanks Rep. Dingle for clearing that one up.)

“Shhhh… just don’t tell anyone.”

Captain Ed received one hell of a scan from Capitol Hill today.

It seems that a confidential memo from House Democratic leadership has emerged instructing proponents of Health Care legislation not to talk about actual entitlement spending issues within the bill/reconciliation schedule/whatever the hell it is, because it puts the lie to “savings” and the monetary efficiency built into the bill.
The Doc Fix is a plan to kill doctor’s care reimbursement cuts that will cost an additional $371 Billion dollars in unfunded spending, placing the total cost of the bill over the $1.25 Trillion mark, a taboo number when it comes to marketing the plan. Follow the link above for the details.

…I’ve been busy this week. Well, I’m trying to finish up a largish project and this is the “final push” as it were. Expect “stuff” this weekend.

-Flynn