Either Phil Roe (R-TN) is one lucky doctor, or he is a lying POS

[Ardent15]

He just said on C-SPAN, "I have personally not seen anyone in my years as a doctor denied health insurance because of a pre-existing condition. I'd like a reference to that." (Paraphrase)

Really?

[BattyDem]

1. I'm going to go with "lying POS"

Who does he think he's kidding? :eyes:

[Tempest]

2. There's plenty of recent examples

Including insurance companies denying coverage to women who were victims of domestic abuse.

He apparently lives in a bubble.

[cynatnite]

3. My fucking congressman...

:banghead:

[Renew Deal]

4. Yes, he's never seen those people because those people don't have the money to see him.

He needs to take the blinders off.

[Orsino]

15. +1. Duh. n/t

[tularetom]

5. I have a young female relative (early 30's) who cannot get insurance - rheumatoid arthritis.

Mr Roe is welcome to call me and I'll direct him to her. He'll get an earful. She has had this condition for years and has NEVER be able to get health insurance. And she is pissed about it.

[drm604]

6. I think he may be literally correct, but disingenuous.

I don't know that people are actually denied insurance. What happens is that either they are quoted a ridiculous unaffordable premium, or they can get insurance but the preexisting condition is excluded from coverage. Both of these are equivalent to being denied insurance as far as I'm concerned, but I suppose they're not literally denied.

It sounds like Dr. Roe may be intentionally trying to mislead people by not spelling this out.

[Ardent15]

7. Yes, he was

The way he said it was very sleazy.

[iwillalwayswonderwhy]

16. Oh NO, in some cases you simply cannot get insurance

My son, who was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder cannot get private insurance. He can get insurance through his job, but with a pre-existing clause on anything related to the bi-polar disorder. When he wasn't working (when he COULDN'T work and was living at home), I tried to get a private insurance policy.

NO one would cover him. I kept telling them that I understood anything to do with the disorder couldn't be covered, but I just wanted coverage in case he broke his arm or got appendicitis or something like that. NO GO. NADA.

[drm604]

24. Okay, I was mistaken then.

Maybe it depends on the state. Whatever, it's unacceptable either way.

[napi21]

8. I find this hard to b. I checked his bio, and ...

"Prior to serving in Congress, Phil served as the Mayor of Johnson City from 2007 to 2009 and Vice Mayor from 2003 to 2007. As a physician, Phil ran a successful medical practice in Johnson City for 31 years, delivering close to 5,000 babies."

I would think as a Dr. for 41 years & delivering 5,000 babies, he HAD to be aware of the real situation with ins. greed. Maybe he couldn't stand it and decided to leave a "successful medical practice" and go into POLITICS!

[cynatnite]

10. And he was confronted with this sort of thing at a town hall...

I attended the Sept 3rd Town Hall held by Congressman Phil Roe in Kingsport. He claimed that the Republican bill, HR 3400, was a much better bill than HR3200, and that the main difference was that there would be no government insurance option in HR 3200. He made a point, complete with whiteboard presentation, of claiming that HR3400 would ensure that those of us (like me) with "pre-existing" conditions could not be denied insurance coverage because of those conditions.

Let me give a little background. I probably have a genetic condition called "Essential Tremor" or "Benign Familial Tremor", which has caused a hand tremor since I was a child. The doctors tell me it's an inherited trait, and since they consider it merely a "social" problem, not a whole lot of research has been done for the condition. I never really had any problem with it, and until the past couple of years I was able to perform on stage singing, acting, and playing my autoharp or dulcimer. It never caused a problem until I started having thyroid problems, but that's another story. In addition, a few years ago, a doctor diagnosed a pain in my side as a "possible" kidney stone. He didn't do any tests that confirmed the stone, and I never passed it, but the possibility of that condition gave Blue Cross the incentive to deny me coverage for the tremor, or any kidney related problems. There are millions like me, with something that the insurance companies won't cover.

http://justwondrin.blogspot.com/2009/09/did-phil-roe-lie-misrepresent-or-did-he.html

[Historic NY]

9. "You LIE"!!!

[lbrtbell]

11. Me, frantically waving my hands

Me! Me! I'm one of those people!

Roe is the kind of doctor whose incompetence and lack of caring kills people, then whines because he has to pay so much for malpractice insurance.

[Mojorabbit]

12. Hell

my husband is a family physician and has not been able to buy insurance at any price for the past decade. He had a mild heart attack and afterwards United dropped him like a hot potato. We had paid premiums on a private policy for years and years without a single claim. We applied with every company but he was "uninsurable". This doctor is lying.

[Tempest]

13. Newborn Baby Denied Coverage Because Of Pre-Existing Condition

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4321295

[area51]

14. I'm going to pick ...

... lying POS for $200, Alex. Fscking assclown. Kind of like Rusty Limpdick saying "there's nothing wrong with our health care system", when he's richer than god and can get any treatment that he needs due to his wealth, since we ration health care in this country based on personal wealth. And this recent legislation of course does nothing to address this problem.

[Iggo]

17. Translation: "I only treat rich people."

[LostInAnomie]

18. He's probably telling the truth.

He probably hasn't been seen anyone denied health insurance because of a pre-existing condition. Meaning, he hasn't been willing to take appointments or treat anyone without insurance.

[GoCubsGo]

20. Yep.

Most doctors see patients who ALREADY have insurance before they step foot into the doctor's office. What a misleading load of crap.

[ecstatic]

19. A person in that situation would not have insurance and would be unable to schedule

a visit. Typical RW asshole

[johnaries]

21. I thought "R" meant "lying POS".

:shrug:

[cynatnite]

22. He was an OB/GYN and it's likely no one was allowed in the door unless they had insurance. n/t

[Edweird]

23. Well, ok, it's possible on a technicality. How many has his receptionist turned away?