This wonderful story found by Jim B. must be rescued from the comment section.
Oh, don’t you wish this woman could be your doctor!
This wonderful story found by Jim B. must be rescued from the comment section.
Oh, don’t you wish this woman could be your doctor!
Yet I’m guessing there’s probably a large percentage of people who would say that she’s being “selfish” or something to that extent, since she won’t accept people’s Medicare.
No good deed goes unpunished right?
Wow…well, she can probably look forward to an obamacare swat team visit…
In HS one of my friend’s dad’s was the town doctor. He accepted whatever payment the customer could afford. This being a logging community he never seemed to lack for loads of logs piled in the back yard.
This describes my medical practice and my attitudes almost exactly. If Obamacare goes into effect, or an Obamacare-lite Republican alternative (which is even more likely), then the demand for such medical practices will rise. More people will want to go outside the system to get individualized care and to avoid waiting lines. Hopefully, we will even see direct-pay surgical centers arise, like the medical tourism in other countries. Ironically, our increasing socialism in medicine also leads to a growing free market. The biggest reason I have for taking a direct pay approach is principle. I do not want to take money that has been forcibly confiscated from one person to may my fees for somebody else’s health care. Many of my patients have the same attitude. I even put “The New American” in my waiting room, and rather than alienating people, it has turned out to be probably the most popular magazine out there. Freedom is not dead in these united States.
Jim Brook, family practice, Idaho Falls Idaho
I have a doctor like that. No insurance, no medicare, medicaid. Cash only. He’s great.
My grandfather was like that, I remember one lady paying for treatment with guinea fowl, which were dinner that night.
The article states that she is the lower middle class. That’s still a lot better than it was in the ancient days of yore.
http://www.hsl.virginia.edu/historical/artifacts/antiqua/doctors.cfm
Back then most doctors were freed slaves. With the social standings that went with it.
Apparently the only “Doctor” that was doing anything that’s considered modern would be Galen. While more modern works have largely displaced Galen’s theories, his is still required readings for some parts.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galen
I can’t compete with my colleague in the article, but I was paid in ammo once. I have a patient who suffered some abrasions in an AR-15 shoot. They became infected and progressed to cellulitis. He should have received IV antibiotic therapy, but being without insurance, I got him through on orals. I wrote off his visits — a courtesy to a fellow shooter.
Some months later he presented me a hundred finely-crafted .223 handloads. They were gratefully accepted and have accounted for their share of marauding coyotes.