What the ACA (Affordable Care Act) Means to Me

Yesterday morning I read the Michigan Osteopathic Association (MOA) and the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) statement's on the SCOTUS decision and got nauseated.

I was not surprised when I read that the American Medical Association is a comfortable socialist bed partner with the White House, we have had evidence of this for the last four years. But, I was notably surprised that the American Academy of Family Practioners joined them as the dirty mistress with their recent positive support.

However, I was physically nauseated when I read that the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine "applauded the decision," that same SCOTUS decision that the AOA and the MOA took a position of quiet neutrality.  

To them all I say, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."  Doing nothing . . . that I what I see many of the medical society and organizations, including the AOA, doing. Doing nothing with quiet neutrality.  

They say, this is a "sticky" issue and there are strong feelings on both sides, and we have to approach this delicately. If I recall, similar words were issued when the Titanic sunk!

I cannot support the statement by the AOA that the passage of the Affordable Care Act demonstrates "significant strides have been made" to improve access and quality. 

This act has already priced at least 100 of my senior patient's out of insurance by causing an increase in their premiums by 100-500%, has made obtaining their current medications more difficult, and will likely make it impossible for me, a small business owner, to provide adequate insurance for my staff of 14 people as premiums continue to rise.  If I don't provide insurance for them, then I will be taxed out of business in 2014.

This is the largest tax increase in American history with twenty new taxes on each of us individually found within this bill.  It also brings 159 bureaucracies, 47 new governmental agencies, and adds 16,500 new IRS agents. This bill now makes the IRS the most powerful arm of the government.

I am appalled that the AOA and the MOA would release a statement that their position is one of neutrality. Do they not actively practice in the trenches and see what this bill is already doing to the good people, small or solo practice physician and seniors of these United States?

Because of this bill, I have already had a pay cut of 1.5% on Medicare reimbursement and will most likely receive another 1.5% on July 1st because the Medicare electronic prescribing submissions were "not qualified" according to Medicare and I can do nothing about it.

The decision that this bill is constitutional was NOT an overwhelming majority, it was split 50/50 and passed only because our senior Supreme Court Justice lost his spine.  This only accelerates the destruction of health care as we know it and will push our system to a single payer system within the next 3 years.

This mandate does not fix the SGR, medical liability reform, or adoption of improved clinical communications.  In fact, it appears to have made them worse by placing them further from our view and moving them off the table for the last 2 years.

A position of neutrality by the medical societies is interpreted by the lay public that we as physicians feel further socialization of health care paid for by increased governmental control and increased tax is what "every physician" wants. 

The only statement that I have read that seems to take a position other than weak political coddling is that issued by the American College of Osteopathic Family Practitioners (ACOFP).

Sincerely, mortified.

Adam Nally, D.O.