Health Care Costs: An Arm and a Leg

http://www.dinocrat.com/archives/2009/08/15/obamacare-and-amputation/

"A few weeks after President Obama slandered family practice physicians, the American College of Surgeons had something to say:

The American College of Surgeons is deeply disturbed over the uninformed public comments President Obama continues to make about the high-quality care provided by surgeons in the United States. When the President makes statements that are incorrect or not based in fact, we think he does a disservice to the American people at a time when they want clear, understandable facts about health care reform. We want to set the record straight…

President Obama got his facts completely wrong. He stated that a surgeon gets paid $50,000 for a leg amputation when, in fact, Medicare pays a surgeon between $740 and $1,140 for a leg amputation. This payment also includes the evaluation of the patient on the day of the operation plus patient follow-up care that is provided for 90 days after the operation. Private insurers pay some variation of the Medicare reimbursement for this service.

Three weeks ago, the President suggested that a surgeon’s decision to remove a child’s tonsils is based on the desire to make a lot of money. That remark was ill-informed and dangerous...

The College of Surgeons was wrong in its characterization of Obama’s remarks. Obama actually said that a surgeon got $30,000-$50,000 for a foot amputation. But they are right that Obamacare would cost American taxpayers an arm and a leg — even if the doctors don’t get an additional dime."