Ever think about what if you married your high school sweetheart? Or if you decided on a different major in College or occupation? Ever wonder what happened to old friends? Well as I have grown older I have. So I embarked on a mission to answer these questions. It took much research and time but I finally found the answers to all my what ifs. I was finally able to contact my first "love" in High School, me a freshman and he a junior at the time. Thankfully he is still alive, but his life hasn't been as positive as mine. Divorced twice, children don't speak with him and hardly earning a living. After dating him I started dating a man a year older than me and he encouraged me to attend College, which I did. He graduated the same College a year ahead of me and went on to Podiatry School, I graduated the following year and went to work for the largest V.A. in the Country, located outside of Chicago. I was able to get him a surgical residency at this V.A. following his Graduation from Podiatry School and we both transferred to Houston Texas. Where I set up 2 medical practices for him and where he has been in practice for over 30 years now. Due to Obama Care we have been struggling to stay in practice since 2010. Surviving only on savings and outside investments to keep our practice locations open. This is the norm now for most private physicians and surgeons that don't work for large hospitals or clinics. Back to What if? When I was admitted to College I wanted to be a lawyer. But when my now husband declared a "pre-med" major I changed my major to "medical administration and medical information management as I thought I could help him in his practice. That was true. But I never really enjoyed what I was doing. Always wishing I would have went pre-law and then on to Law School. But, in the past 5 years and after working at an upper level Administrative position with the V.A. Hospital System for the 5 years, consulting for nursing homes for 5 years, managing my husbands private practices for 30 years, selling real estate for 10 years and raising two boys now in their 20's; I have decided that I could never have survived in the legal system. Why? Because if it is unfair, corrupt and needs so much reform in order to improve it. I beat my head against the wall when I worked for the V.A. Hospital System. Why? Because those in upper level positions were there for so long that they were basically unable to be fired and just sat their counting the days to retirement. Anyone with new ideas were not welcomed. It was definitely not where I belonged. Then managing my husbands practices I was confront with Medicare and Medicaid. Both programs reimbursed so little that it hardly covered our costs of treating the patients, and that was back in the 90's, today, it is even worse. Then in the early 90's private insurance said to themselves, "hey these doctors are accepting much lower payments from Medicare and Medicaid so lets start paying them less by creating PPO's, HMO's and eventually managed care. Each year since reimbursements have been less while the cost of complying with more and more Federal Regulations has risen as has the cost of doing business. Medicare Reimbursement rates have not kept up with the cost of providing care since the early 1990's. So what if like Dentists, Plastic Surgeons and Vets; Physicians and Surgeons simply stopped accepting any insurance? The patient required to pay upfront or sign a payment plan and submit the charges to their insurance companies on their own? IMO, the cost of care would go down as doctors and other providers vie for patients business. Doctors would be paid the fee they deserve. Just like unregulated Lawyers, Accountants, Plumbers, Electricians, Dentists and Vets. Funny how people are willing to pay cash for a $1000-4000.00+ surgery for their pet or for dental care or attorney fees but are unwilling to pay a fair fee to their doctor or surgeon for care to improve or save their lives. I simply don't get it and ask why?
Yup.... I do ask some similar questions and I also think that you might enjoy the quotations that I give in the opening post here because he is also the author of "Ruby" that I just posted in this forum! http://www.politicalforum.com/relig...osophical-implications-multiverse-theory.html The Philosophical implications of Multiverse Theory? I have suspected for about fifteen years that that time is not limited to being one straight line but instead branches. Over in another thread I just received a very specific and pretty amazing explanation for this that is in the language spoken by high level theoretical physicists.
