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Hope none of you have had this Louisiana criminal as your doc...
http://www.theheart.org/article/982403.do
XOXOXO
http://www.myheartsisters.org
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Cardiologist convicted for performing unnecessary interventional procedures
- By Kennarina
- Posted June 27, 2009 at 9:30 am · 5 replies
- In Experiences with healthcare professionals
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- By martzj
- Posted June 27, 2009 at 1:22 pm
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I was at the university library browsing JAMA yesterday.....saw a map of US that color-coded areas where knee and hip replacements were recommended and performed. Turns out if you live in the midwest to upper northwest....look out! In Washington state, Seattle patients had 5 times less replacement surgeries than cites on the other side of the Rockies. Very striking demographics. It is being investigated by the Obama administration now....because these are Medicare funded surgeries. (age 65 and over).
Redmond, CA had a huge heart center where a cardio was finally indicted (fellow cardio turned him in against major peer pressure). He'd been operating, especially caths and stents at 4 times the rate of his peers...and finally got caught doing caths of on perfectly healthy patients, manufactuing symptoms. Big scandal that the hospital tried to cover up while he kept operating and bringing in those massive $ for the center. (he was making over $million per year, while the docs in labs next door were performing about one to his 4). He wasn't brought to trial, hospital settled out of court and he still has a license.
It is for this reason, we badly need to shift into single-payer insurance.....it would mean the funds come directly from gov't oversight...not insurance company. Gov't would keep incessant records, and could control prices....because 'single-payer' means it holds a monopoly on how much it is willing to pay pharmaceuticals, doctor services, supplies, etc. Taxes go to gov't coffers and $ payments go directly to doctors. No creepy insurance preditors working nonstop to deny treatments and claims. Of course, gov't beaurocracy is no thrill for patients either....but over time, it can work to provide a global, everyone included system with enormous power to control arbitrary medical costs/billing. Insurance lobbyists are frantically working nonstop in D.C. right now to try to prevent this. Obama has surprised me....he doesn't appear to be backing down on his August deadline for health industry plans on his desk!
- By martzj
- Posted June 27, 2009 at 1:27 pm
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http://www.theheart.org/article/192539.do
It was Redding, CA. Redding, CA - The cardiologist at the heart of the controversy surrounding Tenet Healthcare Corp's Redding Medical Center (RMC), Dr Chae Hyun Moon, has announced he will suspend his medical practice.
In a prepared statement, Moon announced that he has been unable to renew his malpractice insurance, which expires at the end of January. "While I believe this is grossly unjust, as no legal charges have ever been brought against me, I simply cannotand will notpractice medicine without insurance," Moon said.
Last fall the FBI raided the offices of Moon and cardiac surgeon Dr Fidel Realyvasquez, Jr. An FBI affidavit accused the 2 physicians of performing unnecessary procedures on their patients. The investigation has also raised concerns about the Medicare billing practices of Tenet.
In his statement, Moon expressed hope that he might "be able to resume my medical practice when I am able to obtain appropriate insurance coverage."
According to a report in the Redding Record Searchlight by reporter Maline Hazle, Realyvasquez's insurance is not about to expire.
- By NewAllie
- Posted June 28, 2009 at 11:59 am
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What I find most astounding in all that is that the criminal charges brought against the Louisianna doctor were not for risking the lives, playing with the lives of patients, but for fraud. That itself speaKs volumns to me.
- By Ecksunbeam
- Posted June 28, 2009 at 1:38 pm
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Oooooooooooohhhhhhhhh . . . .
SCARY!
And anybody wonders why I sometimes question my doctor's opinions?
May the Blessings Be!
Sherrie
- By arizona1
- Posted June 29, 2009 at 10:44 am
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I mentioned before that I had stents put in when there was no coronary artery disease. This type of thing happens all to often and one cardiologist has published a book on this practice of doing unnecessary procedures. His name is escaping me right now, but I will look it up. I contacted his office in Florida, but he was on a book tour.
Kathi
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