It is not true that the "obamacare insurances" don't start until January. The insurance exchanges don't start until then, but plenty of Obamacare insurances have already been implemented. Children under the age of 26 have been allowed to purchase insurance on their parent's plans for at least January of 2011. People with pre-existing condititions, such as myself, were given the same ability to purchase affordable insurance. My plan is called PCIP (pre existing condition insurance plan). It would not exist were it not for Obamacare. I would be one of the 48 million uninsured if it were not for Obamacare. Obamacare has been doing lots of good things for the last three years. Now, it is only going to get better.

As to your assertion that physicians can't charge more the 115% of the medicare allowable amount, it sort of flies in the face of your assertion that doctors are going to quit accepting medicare. Why would you dump all your over 65 patients if you can only charge an additional 15%? That would be economic stupidity. In my years of practicing law I have seen plenty of medical bills and can assure you that medicare cuts most bills by at least half if not two thirds of the amount billed. Perhaps Swampgas can chime in here because I am sure he sees the same with his personal injury clients that have medicare liens.

I enjoy your comments, but to suggest my post was BS is incorrect. That post is factually correct. I may post alot of things, but I don't post BS. If you think some part of the post is BS, I welcome you to point that part out.

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The Balanced Billing Act of 1978 forbids collecting anything over 115% for any patient on a plan pegged to Medicare. Period. You can write any number on a bill, but you must refund any payment over that amount. The physician has two options if he wants to bill over that...1) bill for no covered services as a "concierge" fee or 2) not take Medicare. The best plastic surgeons do not accept Medicare because they have enough people willing to pay them cash so they do not have to. It is difficult for primary care doctors to do that because so much of what they do is covered...but they are increasingly opting for option #1.

The exchanges opened on October 1, the insurances and mandates start Jan 1. All insurance now operates under the old system. You could, and did, get insurance despite your "pre-existing" condition as per the preACA system. I did too, and my condition is much worse than yours.

You need to thank Carter. His rules are the ones we are using until Jan 1