2012 DINKTHINK ROUND 2

I think that it is again time for me to inform people about changes in healthcare that are occurring both locally and nationally. These are changes that are largely harmful to patients and their pocketbooks.

As you may remember, I ran a series of these educational advertisements several years ago. There were many people who appreciated hearing an honest viewpoint from an independent, self-employed physician who was not under anyone's thumb.

There was even one patient who offered me a check to fund additional newspaper ad space for me. I declined of course, but was taken aback by how he and others were longing to hear the truth about various healthcare issues.

Many things that need saying about the changes in healthcare are not being said. Since my last series of ads there are even fewer people with inside knowledge of the local and national healthcare situation that are are willing/able to speak their mind.

Just as my office has always provided flu shots at cost (charging about 50% of what Medicare allows), this is a service to the community that otherwise wouldn't get this candid information. Hopefully, this will spark dialogue and action to correct problems both locally and nationally.

Healthcare reform so far has been a pseudo-science at best. Changes such as mandatory electronic health records are being enacted at great expense in the name of progress, modernization and efficiency despite it never having been shown to improve the health of patients.

Over the next 11 weeks I will be enlightening many, shocking some and annoying a few (OK , maybe more than a few) by illuminating the problems with the present state of our local and national health care system. So buckle up, it could be a bumpy ride for some.