He can bill whatever he wants - he can only collect what Medicare allows. That is why so many doctors have jumped ship on Medicare because it doesn't pay enough.

Yes, he accepts Medicare assignment, thus he bills only what he knows Medicare will pay. Btw, he's one of the top cardiologists in this county. But much of that bill was for hospital charges.

My husband got an itemized bill. Amazing what certain things supposedly cost. Next time we will supply our own from home and save money.

Doctors have jumped ship because they are greedy. One of my oncologists pushed meds on me (that I refused). I found out later she would receive a percentage from the pharmaceutical company for having gotten me on that drug. I'm guessing that's s.o.p.

Pharmaceuticals, that's a whole new topic. But, my wife has been in medical billing for a long time. Doctors have a lot of expenses, malpractice insurance for example, and they deserve to get paid well for all they've done to get where they are and considering the risks of the profession, the hours they put in, etc. Medicare doesn't pay what they're worth.

Hello again,

So, whaddya know about that? Any Republican who ties his future to the Ryan plan will most likely go down in flames...

excon

Maybe ,but I see this as a repeat of NY 23 special election 2009 .
That was also a Republican seat that went Dem . The only difference was in that race the Republicans picked a RINO who eventually withdrew and gave her support to the Dem Owens. She still managed to pick off enough Republican votes to swing it in Owens favor.

Yesterday Davis got almost 10 % of the vote . But the voters who threw their support to him are Republicans who want to construct all types of trade barriers ,or got fooled by the phony tea party banner he ran under.

Back in 2009 the national press jumped on that Republican reversal and was quick to point out that demonstrated the national mood ,and that the Republican's goose was cooked in 2010.
How'd that work out ?

If you can find a similar 3 way race in 2012 ,be my guest to apply any lesson learned from this contest. What this should be is an eye opener to the TP. They should make sure they control the party label and not let it get hijacked by a trojan horse. They should also consider a similar strategery by running a phony on the Greens or Peace party or something similar.

There is also another lesson here. Jane Corwin is a NY establishment Republican. It may very well be the weakest Republican party nationwide. They had a chance to nominate conservative Iraq war vet David Bellavia .I believe he would've been the stronger candidate. To paraphrase the President... nominating her was 'bringing a knife to a gun fight'.

The national GOP was just as lame. Johnny Bonehead got interested in the race far too late and let the fake TP dude and the Dems outspend the GOP . Perhaps he thought the district insignificant .He's wrong .Now going into 2012 Hochul will be the incumbent . It will be her seat to lose.

As for Medicare. The Republicans do need to fine tune the message and the need for their reform ,and to effectively counter Democrat Mediscare tactics. Perhaps the American people aren't ready to tinker with the nanny state. Eventually they will have no choice. We may need to be dragged kicking and screaming like the Greeks. Ryan is trying to avoid that economic hair cut .

Hello again, tom:

IF the public believed that, then this race would have turned out differently... We've discussed this before, but, according to the Republicans, the last election was about jobs, jobs, jobs.. Then as soon as they had a chance, they slammed their social programs down our throats. THAT didn't go unnoticed...

IF the public believed the Ryan plan was TRULY about the deficit, then EVERYTHING would have been on the table... Instead, it looked like they were pursuing an agenda instead of a balanced budget. REFUSING to tax the rich didn't go unnoticed.

You say the nation isn't ready to give up the nanny state... If the Republican fix is to DISMANTLE the nanny state, I agree. But, if the fix is SHARED sacrifice, who knows? Nobody ASKED that question yet.

excon

Let's see the Dems propose tax reforms that are based on shared sacrifice and we'll see. But that isn't what they want . They want to fleece the people who already pay the most Federal taxes at a time when they know tax increases are counter productive if your goal is jobs jobs jobs.

Hello again,

Just watched Paul Ryan on Morning Joe. He sounds like the Democrats who were saying that when the public actually LEARNS what's IN the HEALTH CARE bill, they'll love it...

Ryan STILL believes, in the face of the defeat last night, that when the public actually LEARNS what's IN his bill, they'll love it...

Guess what?

excon

Hello again, tom:

No, they don't know it... Wall Street just enjoyed their BEST year in a LONG time. They had the present Bush tax rate for the last 8 years, and didn't produce any new jobs.. In fact, the OPPOSITE happened...

You SAY I want to fleece the rich... I SAY you want to throw granny off the cliff. There's a deal somewhere in the middle that'll save us. That is if any politician has the balls to do it.

excon

Hard to say that when American business pays the highest rate in the industrial world .
Tax the evil rich... the evil rich with their mobile money go elsewhere.

The Dems used all hands on deck to eeek this one out . Let's see that effort duplicated around the country next year. They are going to need every penny of the President's $billion in campaign funds.

Compromise... hummm just saw the gang of 6 breakup and reunite for another go of it. No one expects anything from them. The Biden (watching expenses like a hawk) group takes turns waking him up... haven't heard anything constructive from them . The last compromise I saw the Dems do was that dead of the night game played to pass Obamacare... adding to our already unsustainable entitlements.

Obama is already throwing granny off the cliff with his Medicare cuts and unaccountable health boards.

Hello Steve:

Well, I see you're in no mood to make a deal..

excon

What, looking for an MVP to rescue your middling team?

The season is still young yet, and hot bats cool off sooner or later.

And Ryan's plan is just a back door effort to repeal Obamacare, and let Insurance companies get back control over who lives, and who doesn't. Funny how the cuts to Medicare were directed at administrative costs for Medicare advantage and not in services for seniors.

He may call it premium support, but it shifts financial burden from government to seniors. A smoke screen for not making jobs, or putting everything on the table for budget considerations.

Gee Steve, he is talking about your future finances, not mine. You better count your money now, or suffer later. Granny won't be the only one going over the cliff, you will be next.

Oh my, Bill Clinton and Paul Ryan on the same page about Medicare?

Bill Clinton to Paul Ryan on Medicare Election: ‘Give me a Call’

Bill Clinton: We’ve Got to Deal with Medicare

The Dems won't care, they've already bought into Mediscare as the campaign tactic of choice.

It was an issue last election cycle when Obama said lets do something, and the Republicans sat on there asses, and made it an issue with lies, and rhetoric about killing grandma. Now they turn around, and beyatch about the same thing being done to them. What's good for the goose..!

The repubs refused to vote, but Obama care is half Republican amendments. Still they cry foul!! That's what compromise is about good ideas from both sides, but they made it an issue because an election was coming up, and power was all they cared about, not policy.

We have a law, lets work with it, make it work for every body. Conservatives need to stop acting like Rush Limbaugh, and get with the program. Why do the righties hate America so much??

I'm sorry for your loss in NY. The voters have spoken.

No loss, a step closer to single payer, and Universal Medicare for every U.S. citizen.

Not even close ,and the amendments are periferal . Clintoon's point is sound. The Dem talking point about saving Medicare "as we know it " is a mute point . It fundamentally changes under Obamacare with government command and control ;or it changes with market based programs ;or a combination of both . That is the debate going forward .

Dude, Republicans were virtually locked out of any discussions. That's not compromise.