Starner Jones, MD is a seventh generation Mississippian and wanted to come back to Mississippi after going somewhere else for college and medical school. His extracurricular interests are golf, hunting, fishing and college football.Dear Sirs: "During my last night's shift in the ER, I had the pleasure of evaluating a patient with a shiny new gold tooth, multiple elaborate tattoos, a very expensive brand of tennis shoes and a new cellular telephone equipped with her favorite R&B tune for a ringtone. Glancing over the chart, one could not help noticing her payer status: Medicaid. She smokes more than one costly pack of cigarettes every day and, somehow, still has money to buy beer.
And our Congress expects me to pay for this woman's health care? Our nation's health care crisis is not a shortage of quality hospitals, doctors or nurses. It is a crisis of culture - a culture in which it is perfectly acceptable to spend money on vices while refusing to take care of one's self or, heaven forbid, purchase health insurance. A culture that thinks "I can do whatever I want to because someone else will always take care of me". Life is really not that hard. Most of us reap what we sow.
Don't you agree?
STARNER JONES, MD Jackson , MS
33 comments:
Absolutely, I agree. Couldn't agree more.
I agree, this proves that it is not about healthcare, it's about government taking over our every move and more of our $
I agree completely. Our system is broken and I don't see any way to fix it. I fear the "Public Option" becuase it will just create more opportunity for this kind of abuse. I can't afford health care either, but I pay for it. I don't have cable TV and never go out to eat unless it is a special ocassion. Yes, it irritates me to no end that so many Americans are perfectly willing to screw the rest of us!
1st off, I can walk through PMRC and find plenty of patients who work hard everyday but may be on medicaid after losing a job (along with insurance) or who work full time but can't afford insurance premiums. Way to maximize a minimum doc.
2nd: "Life is really not that hard"? Sure if you grow up in a two parent home with a decent income in safe neighborhoods. Now tell that to the kid growing up in drug and gang infected street (Baltimore/D.C.) with a mother who is away from home working and no father present.
I'm all about letting lazy people sink or swim for themselves but the way the right charecterizes MOST people seeking assistance as lazy, selfish, or foolish makes me sick.
It truly is a battle between those of us who work hard, pay taxes are accountable and take our responsibilities seriously --versus the entitlement driven lazy POS who are leeches on us.
Maybe offer this government insurance only to those who work a full-time job or who are retired from a full-time job. Everyone is capable of doing something, except the most severely handicapped.
While I agree that the system is broken and has been broken for a LONG time, this post makes no sense.
The doctor who sees you in the ER has not access to how you are paying the bill.
10:13, left-leaning Independent here. I could agree with that but also include people who were laid-off and small business owners.
10:15, I wouldn't be surprised if you were correct. Most of these posts skimp on facts in order to incite passion. Hey, the recipe has worked for Rush, Hannity, Beck et al. Why not keep it up?
-9:55 commenter
10:15 wrong
10:13 right
Restrict gov't option to full time workers or retired from full time work.
Are we not ALREADY paying for it?
Shouldve yank that gold tooth out and snatched the shoes. I think they should give urin tests to people receiving medicaid and welfare. If found positive, zero payments! I am willing to shell out 100 bucks for urin tests for lazy azz people who collect 4, 5 or 600 bucks welfare each month. That would eliminate a few free loaders and give us tax paying americans back some of our dignity and MONEY!
Completely agree. Well said.
You should spend a little time in Jackson, MS. It's the social services capital of the deep South.
95% of the middle/working class have moved out to the 'burbs. What's left is a giant slum.
If the patient is on Medicaid, we're already paying. And there's nothing Congress will do about it either.
Anon 9:55,
Just because they did grow up in those situations does not mean they are excused. I am not saying people do not need help, they do. But I agree that MOST people that are on these programs, are taking advantage of it. There like dogs getting a treat: sit, stay, and vote Deomcrate (I am not Republican either). Teach them to fish!By the way, I did grow up with a single mother in South Baltimore. Brooklyn to be exact, I tell them the same thing.
To all of you who have no clue...Yes, Doctors have access to a patients insurance status. It's usually flagged on the front of the chart!!! If they don't see it, they can, or will ask you. I worked in health care for over 21 years and though there are people who truly deserve the benefits, there are way more who DO NOT NEED them and scam the system because you and I are here to pay for them. I came from a single family home myself. My mother was too embarrassed to ask for assistance. I started working 2 days after my 16th bithday. I am 42 now and have NEVER taken advantage of the system. After my divorce, I raised my child as a single mother and NEVER received assistance. I was told flat out that if I wanted these benefits, even for a short time, I would have to lose my job to get them! How pathetic is this? I was also told that if I said that to anyone-the employee would deny she said it. Most of the patients I dealt with that were on medicaid, would come into the office wearing fur coats in the winter, acrylic nails done to perfection, gold jewelery and children in designer clothes. Don't tell me it's not true, I faced it every day for over 20 years! We will always pay for these pathetic excuses till someone has the balls to pull the rug out from under them.
Jefferson- thank you for posting what others fail to recognize. We are paying for those who receive MA and for those who have no health insurance whatsoever- in the form of taxes and higher insurance premiums. The hospital can't turn anyone away from the ER-emergency or not. They also must provide care to a laboring mother and the subsequent infant- all without regard to the person's ability to pay.
I have excellent health insurance, but I know people that work full time in decent jobs that absolutely cannot afford healthcare- people that live quite modestly and within their means- and without children.
I'm not saying that the government should be in charge of healthcare at all- but something desperately needs to be done. And it's not a matter that is black or white- life rarely is.
I'm all for mandatory drug and alcohol testing on ANY individual receiving state benefits of ANY kind, including unemployment.
The tests need to be random, but need to be done on a somewhat regular basis. They should be made to go to a testing facility (changed up so they don't end up with "friends" testing them and if they don't show for the appointment, their benefits should be stopped immediately.
This alone would stop a lot of the abuse of the system.
Thank God someone finally said something about this, it's burns me up when I am working in one of our local ER's and treating a patient who has a much nicer cell phone than me one that usually costs 3 or 4 hundred dollars, has a coach bag(not a knock off), wearing polo shirts and jeans and a pair of hundred dollar boots. Than when registration asks for an insurance card they have a pocket full of cash and priority partners insurance card, which usually means they are on welfare. It's ridiculous and they most likely live in section 8 housing where they might pay 50 bucks a month in rent or none at all. Meanwhile I live in a standard ranch home with a mortgage and household bills and I can barely afford to go out to eat or buy new clothes. The whole system is messed up especially health care but I bet everyone nothing will ever be done about it.
got me some obama money, got me a obama car! now gonna get me some obama health care!
Then I'm a gonna get me a new place to live when obama says you got to take me in!
hell yeah! ain't america great! jus keep laying around smokin dope drinkin malt and pumping out trash!
I agree with the good doctor.
Paint with a broad brush much?
1:16 - Just because someone (or their child)has a Priority Partners card does not mean they are on welfare...jerk.
Hey 1:16, did someone hit a nerve? Why don't you explain why someone is a "jerk" for thinking that someone with a Priority Card is on welfare? I do commend you for being so polite, when you have so apparently been offended.
Make that last post to 2:37, not 1:16.
Everyone I have ever seen with a priority partners card is someone with a kid/kids that they couldn't afford to have in the first place and expect the rest of us to pay for it or they are on welfare or some form of state assistance.They also may be out of a job and need some help, so if thats the case I feel sorry for your situation, get a job the rest of us that pay for your child or you are just sick and tired of paying. We have families to take care of too. So if someone knows of a different reason someone has priority partners insurance please enlighten me and I will apologize.
1:00, I agree with all that except unemployment. Unemployment is funded by the employers not tax dollars. I was recently laid off for reasons not my own fault and am actively aggressively searching for a job, but in the mean time I will enjoy a beer on my couch at night (no illegal drugs though).
Also, I used to work in a convenience store in town and would see all the time. People come in and try to buy beer and cigarettes with independence cards. When I'd say no they pull out a wad of cash a person on independence should not have. Spending $40 or more a day, every day, on cigarettes and beer all while on gov't assistance. Made me sick.
Rob S
Did you know that the Obama administration gives people on welfare a free cell phone and 70 minutes a month FREE???
First off, please cite some actual facts not observations regarding the "majority" of "these people" are scamming the system. Of course there are going to be those who take advantage, but to claim that the majority do without having any actual facts or statistics is not accurate. I love hearing all these stories from people who have single parents and worked there way out and now are comfortable. What you fail to realize is that times have changed significantly. Those minimum wage jobs, even with 2 or 3 per family can no longer support housing, food, utilities. Times are simply tougher and for the poor, wages have not kept up with the cost of living. In the 50's families could survive on one income, taxes on the rich neared 90%, and the middle class was strong. Not anymore. So, it is not only that people are "lazy" but to make it today, low paying jobs aren't enough, and aren't that available.
As to anon 10:56. The phone thing began with your messiah ronald regan and was updated by bush...
Look some people do need help but oh boy is there alot of abuse.Rob S. is right,poor people always have money for booze and its usally top shelf stuff!
And I'm sure because of this doctors perception, she received the absolute worst possible care and that is the real abuse.
The last thing any doctor should be observing when treating a patient is a gold tooth or a pair of shoes. Shelters don't provide cigarettes but they do provide many top brand name items of clothing.
The so called good doctor is obviously in the wrong profession.
Although that is not the issue of the article, that is the wrong argument to use. And all those individuals who are quick to agree, apparently aren't trying to live in this world on $5.00 per hour. Try it for about 3 years, no less, then come back and talk.
Salute to the good doctor for telling it like it is - And all you bleeding heart liberals make me SICK!
While there are people who's circumstances warrant help, the MAJORITY are coasting on the FREEBIE SYSTEM & you know it.
Stand in the grocery check-out line behind some fat-assed woman with a perfect "weave" & manicure, who can't stop talking on her cellphone long enough to get her assistance card out of her expensive purse - & who buys a cart full of things I can only afford occasionally. When she cant speak English, I just want to slap the hell out of her.
The only CHANGE I see coming from that imposter of a President we have now is more freebies for the lazy & more resentment from those of us who have to pay for it.
Thank you Dr. Jones for your bedside manner. I would think your patients love your style of honesty and simple truths.
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