OBAMACARE A BUREAUCRATIC NIGHTMARE

Ask medical billing offices across the United States, what they think of
Obamacare, otherwise known as the Affordable Healthcare for America Act.
Although the bill's full force does not take effect until 2014 - not so
coincidentally after the next presidential election - it is already
turning into a bureaucratic nightmare, while proving once more why
government is so out of touch with the private sector.

Under the act - which apparently had to be passed to find out what was
in it - new Medicare fee schedules have been sent to every office
across the country. One billing office manager told me, "that wouldn't
be so bad, if the fees took effect this year, but they are retroactive
to 2010." Therein lies the dilemma.

Billing offices are being bombarded with paperwork. So much for the
pro-environment president, who never met a tree he didn't want to save.
Managers are being forced to sift through records from last year, in
many cases to make adjustments and send out refunds that amount to 24
cents. In some instances insurance providers are being billed $1.42. All of
this is not only leading to more of the aforementioned paperwork, but
sending our vulnerable senior citizen population into a state of agita.

In one town, for example, a 92-year-old gentleman got into his car
and drove to a billing office, puzzled as to why his supplemental
insurance carrier was asking him to fork over 92 cents for a procedure
that was performed and billed last year. The government is also
requiring billing offices to refund co-payments for procedures
performed last year, that are now 100 percent covered, such as
dexoscans. This again demonstrates the government's disconnect with
the private sector. Businesses have closed their books on 2010
and have already planned their 2011 budgets. Now they being mandated
to look back.

And Connecticut is considering Sustinet, which is Obamacare with the
government run option? Officials need to step up and address this
issue now. Sadly, with Connecticut's liberal congressional delegation
and their cohorts, who control state government, don't expect action
anytime soon.