Because simply blaming Obamacare sounded a little too tidy of an explanation for the doc closing up his shop without a whole lot of notice ... but one that nevertheless would likely satisfy most of his patients and most of the newspaper's readers. I'm just speculating here. I could be wrong but I doubt it.

 

Not knowing anything about this doctor or particular situation, I can go with you on this thought. I can see a situation, much like a business decision that I had to make lately, where there are other unfavorable factors building in the business that created a major challenge. Then making a forward-looking decision whether to stay in business or close....the doctor, maybe, like I did, looks at the direction of the legislative winds..in his case AHCA, in mine, higher tax burden, higher wage costs, lackluster economic growth and lower personal disposable income of potential customers and said...what's the use of continuing to fight all of these things when my own government doesn't value the contributions I or my business make. I might as well shut the door and do something else.

 

Take away the incentives and pretty soon the suppliers disappear.

A few random thoughts.

 

I am not a doctor and I have never run a medical practice. I do however know quite a few doctors. They all appear to live an upper class to wealthy lifestyle, as they should. I don't expect that to change.

 

About ten years ago my sister had to change doctors because her doctor no longer accepted her insurance. Was that the fault of the ACA?

 

I chose to change dentist because he no longer accepted my insurance. Was that the fault of the ACA?

 

Over the past 20 years or so when I have been involved in group insurance renewal negotiations, I am sure I could count on one hand and have fingers left over the number of times we could just renew the previous year's plan. Did the insurance industry anticipate the ACA requirements 20 years ago and start changing plans every year?

 

Where is the confidence in the "invisible hand" of the marketplace? If the insurance plans don't pay providers enough to attract enough providers to keep plan purchasers happy, the plans will have to up what they pay or people will move to other plans. That is how it is supposed to work.

 

An earlier poster quoted George Will saying that when employers start dropping plans, "all hell will break loose". I say, bring it on. Employer based insurance needs to go. It came about so that people could get the advantages of group rates and because of the very favorable tax treatment that employer based insurance enjoys. The ACA allows everyone to get group rates. The next step is to equalize the tax treatment. At that point, I'll be happy to add what the company spends on insurance to employee pay and let people pick the plan that works best for their family.

A few random thoughts.

 

I am not a doctor and I have never run a medical practice. I do however know quite a few doctors. They all appear to live an upper class to wealthy lifestyle, as they should. I don't expect that to change.

 

About ten years ago my sister had to change doctors because her doctor no longer accepted her insurance. Was that the fault of the ACA?

 

I chose to change dentist because he no longer accepted my insurance. Was that the fault of the ACA?

 

Over the past 20 years or so when I have been involved in group insurance renewal negotiations, I am sure I could count on one hand and have fingers left over the number of times we could just renew the previous year's plan. Did the insurance industry anticipate the ACA requirements 20 years ago and start changing plans every year?

 

Where is the confidence in the "invisible hand" of the marketplace? If the insurance plans don't pay providers enough to attract enough providers to keep plan purchasers happy, the plans will have to up what they pay or people will move to other plans. That is how it is supposed to work.

 

An earlier poster quoted George Will saying that when employers start dropping plans, "all hell will break loose". I say, bring it on. Employer based insurance needs to go. It came about so that people could get the advantages of group rates and because of the very favorable tax treatment that employer based insurance enjoys. The ACA allows everyone to get group rates. The next step is to equalize the tax treatment. At that point, I'll be happy to add what the company spends on insurance to employee pay and let people pick the plan that works best for their family.

 

Forgive me for reading this with a jaded perspective, anticipating a snippy retort to the entire thread from you. I apologize for my preconceived notion. I agree with much of what you posted. However, I'll go back to my old sideline, we need, and have needed, insurance reform. I know you are a champion for the ACA, and it is in no shape or form insurance reform. However, it may by it's own nature, cause reform to some degree. I will say this, there will be drastic change from providers to carriers at the expense of the consumer if indeed reform comes. Surely you can't deny that.

What's not fair about any of this....free medical care and additional government subsidies to people who don't value education nor leverage it to better themselves while taking money away from those who invested ~12 years of their life and hundreds of thousands in tuition? Good plan!:ohbrother:

Here's an update on the Somerset doctor story. Looks like my suspicions were correct. The doc is quitting because of computer illiteracy, not Obamacare. But who cares about the facts. It's just more convenient to blame everything on the president.

 

* * * * * * * *

 

A Kentucky doctor who took out a local newspaper ad saying he was closing his practice “due to the policies of Obamacare” is shutting down his practice because of federal requirements to transfer from paper to electronic records.

Dr. Stephen Kiteck of Somerset, Ky., said the financial burden of electronic records is “too much of a burden to overcome” and that he didn’t want to “make a long-term investment” in his small medical practice.

Though Kiteck’s ad blames Obamacare, the electronic health care incentive programs were part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2009 — the federal stimulus act — and not part of the Affordable Care Act, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Kiteck said he is approaching retirement age, and that he and his office are “computer illiterate,” adding that he would need special training to add electronic records. He said it would be a financial burden and take “thousands of man hours or woman hours to get the records on the computer.”

Analysis from earlier this year showed that electronic health records have not produced expected savings in health care costs.

The ad, placed in the Commonwealth Journal in Somerset, was passed around Tuesday morning by conservatives on Twitter.

 

Here's Why That Kentucky Doctor Is Closing His Practice "Due To The Policies Of Obamacare"

Here's an update on the Somerset doctor story. Looks like my suspicions were correct. The doc is quitting because of computer illiteracy, not Obamacare. But who cares about the facts. It's just more convenient to blame everything on the president.

 

* * * * * * * *

 

A Kentucky doctor who took out a local newspaper ad saying he was closing his practice “due to the policies of Obamacare” is shutting down his practice because of federal requirements to transfer from paper to electronic records.

Dr. Stephen Kiteck of Somerset, Ky., said the financial burden of electronic records is “too much of a burden to overcome” and that he didn’t want to “make a long-term investment” in his small medical practice.

Though Kiteck’s ad blames Obamacare, the electronic health care incentive programs were part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2009 — the federal stimulus act — and not part of the Affordable Care Act, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Kiteck said he is approaching retirement age, and that he and his office are “computer illiterate,” adding that he would need special training to add electronic records. He said it would be a financial burden and take “thousands of man hours or woman hours to get the records on the computer.”

Analysis from earlier this year showed that electronic health records have not produced expected savings in health care costs.

The ad, placed in the Commonwealth Journal in Somerset, was passed around Tuesday morning by conservatives on Twitter.

 

Here's Why That Kentucky Doctor Is Closing His Practice "Due To The Policies Of Obamacare"

 

Sounds like the same person to blame.

buzzfeed? Really? Why do I suspect they took parts and made their story fit their agenda? I just wonder what the entirety of the story is? I'd venture a guess that there were multiple reasons that the Dr. closed shop. Sure, going paperless is a nightmare. I've done it. And sure, it was a mandate not related to the ACA. But the article seems to lay blame on one singular event, no different than the doctor did in his ad.

Forgive me for reading this with a jaded perspective, anticipating a snippy retort to the entire thread from you. I apologize for my preconceived notion. I agree with much of what you posted. However, I'll go back to my old sideline, we need, and have needed, insurance reform. I know you are a champion for the ACA, and it is in no shape or form insurance reform. However, it may by it's own nature, cause reform to some degree. I will say this, there will be drastic change from providers to carriers at the expense of the consumer if indeed reform comes. Surely you can't deny that.

 

Not my intent to get snippy. I suspect that most of us have the same aims. I approach health insurance as both a consumer of medical care and as an employer. In the years I have been dealing with it, I have only had one year where I thought that the insurance company was trying to "slow walk" our employees to deny coverage. They were not our carrier a second year. Other than that, my experience has been that insurance carriers have tried hard to fullfill the terms of their contract - and not a penny more. That doesn't bother me. If I get quotes from several carriers and take the one that is most attractive, it doesn't bother me that the carrier might raise the price or refuse to renew if the assumptions they made when they quoted the first year don't work out. I'll disagree a little that there is no insurance reform in the ACA. It sets minimum standards for what constitutes a health insurance policy. To me that is an absolute requirement to make any system that mandates coverage of pre-existing conditions viable. I'll admit that for our company, the ACA has very little effect. The requirements of the ACA were for the most part things that we had to do inorder to attrack employees. I understand that that is not true for all employers.

 

I do disagree that the the ACA will be harmful to the consumer. If anything, it will be a great benefit to consumers. Many years ago, one of my sons was offered a plan by his then employer that had an annual maximum benefit of $3,000. That is not health insurance. The ACA eliminates those kinds of plans. That is a consumer benefit. There will be disruption in the market. The carriers will do their best to negotiate with providers for the lowest rates they can. That is their job. The providers will do their best to negotiate the most favorable rates they can. They should. Welcome to the marketplace. That is how every other business works. It will force the providers to get smarter and more efficient. Good. Some providers won't be able to adapt. That is also how it works. I used to shake my head when I would go into a doctors office and see a wall of paper files and realize that the same industry that operates at the cutting edge of technical advancement was storing information with 19th century technology.

Of those enrolled 10 to 15 % have paid the premium. So even with the tiny enrollment numbers, those who can get care on January 1 is a sliver of those who fought through the technical mess. And hopefully a lifetime subscription to Lifelock comes with the enrollment from the sounds of the security functions.

 

When people show up at their doctor and are told - no tickie, no shirtie then some of the hell will start breaking lose. The employer-mandate was (illegally) deferred since that is the broad market. Obviously enough companies did their homework and made a case to (illegally) postpone that part of the law.

 

By February this will be real ugly.

Not my intent to get snippy. I suspect that most of us have the same aims. I approach health insurance as both a consumer of medical care and as an employer. In the years I have been dealing with it, I have only had one year where I thought that the insurance company was trying to "slow walk" our employees to deny coverage. They were not our carrier a second year. Other than that, my experience has been that insurance carriers have tried hard to fullfill the terms of their contract - and not a penny more. That doesn't bother me. If I get quotes from several carriers and take the one that is most attractive, it doesn't bother me that the carrier might raise the price or refuse to renew if the assumptions they made when they quoted the first year don't work out. I'll disagree a little that there is no insurance reform in the ACA. It sets minimum standards for what constitutes a health insurance policy. To me that is an absolute requirement to make any system that mandates coverage of pre-existing conditions viable. I'll admit that for our company, the ACA has very little effect. The requirements of the ACA were for the most part things that we had to do inorder to attrack employees. I understand that that is not true for all employers.

 

I do disagree that the the ACA will be harmful to the consumer. If anything, it will be a great benefit to consumers. Many years ago, one of my sons was offered a plan by his then employer that had an annual maximum benefit of $3,000. That is not health insurance. The ACA eliminates those kinds of plans. That is a consumer benefit. There will be disruption in the market. The carriers will do their best to negotiate with providers for the lowest rates they can. That is their job. The providers will do their best to negotiate the most favorable rates they can. They should. Welcome to the marketplace. That is how every other business works. It will force the providers to get smarter and more efficient. Good. Some providers won't be able to adapt. That is also how it works. I used to shake my head when I would go into a doctors office and see a wall of paper files and realize that the same industry that operates at the cutting edge of technical advancement was storing information with 19th century technology.

Have to keep records for a minumum of time. Hard copy when you transfer to digital. Not the point. The ACA has some benefits. I like the fact that I can keep my oldest on my plan til he's 26. But my point is that there could have been a huge change years ago by reigning in insurance companies and their practices. Wasn't in the politicians best interest. It's still not, however, I think it may eventually be because of the ACA. In the interim, the consumer will be the one who pays the price is my only point.

buzzfeed? Really? Why do I suspect they took parts and made their story fit their agenda? I just wonder what the entirety of the story is? I'd venture a guess that there were multiple reasons that the Dr. closed shop. Sure, going paperless is a nightmare. I've done it. And sure, it was a mandate not related to the ACA. But the article seems to lay blame on one singular event, no different than the doctor did in his ad.

If you don't like buzzfeed, you can also read updates of this story on theblaze, Fox, Dailykos, townhall, washington.cbslocal, topix, newsmax, WND, blurbrain and insurancenewsnet. I'm sure that's only a partial list. (Just google "Somerset doctor" and "Obamacare.") What's interesting is that this story has attracted attention from both far right and far left websites.

 

Re: "I just wonder what the entirety of the story is?" I raised that question at the beginning of this thread and was shot down by the right wing of BGP. Good to see I have company now.

If you don't like buzzfeed, you can also read updates of this story on theblaze, Fox, Dailykos, townhall, washington.cbslocal, topix, newsmax, WND, blurbrain and insurancenewsnet. I'm sure that's only a partial list. (Just google "Somerset doctor" and "Obamacare.") What's interesting is that this story has attracted attention from both far right and far left websites.

 

Re: "I just wonder what the entirety of the story is?" I raised that question at the beginning of this thread and was shot down by the right wing of BGP. Good to see I have company now.

 

Please, I wasn't one who said there weren't other reasons. But I won't begin to discount the fact that the effect of Obamacare on his practice wasn't a reason. Not remotely.

The Somerset Dr. is just one of hundreds of Dr.'s nationwide that are hanging it up because of ObamaCare..

The Somerset Dr. is just one of hundreds of Dr.'s nationwide that are hanging it up because of ObamaCare..

Because this doc doesn't even have a computer in the office, he probably never got any of the e-mails on Obamacare. Also, if you have carpal tunnel syndrome, you might want to see a different doc.

Doesn't explain why hundreds of Dr's quitting..