I got an unwanted dose of politics when I read the following notice in the office of a local physician Monday morning.

Notice: Due to OBAMACARE and the rising costs of health insurance premiums, some insurance companies are contracting with specific labs to process their customer’s specimens. Please be aware that All Lab Specimens (blood and pathology) are sent to one of the following: Labcorp or Andalusia Regional Hospital All patients are encouraged to check insurance benefits regarding restrictions on coverage for lab services.

Insurance companies have contracted with health care providers for discounted rates for years. This includes hospitals, doctors and labs. Why someone would connect this with the Affordable Care Act is beyond me but it seemed very unprofessional. I like to support my community by shopping local when I can and this extends to using our local physicians and facilities as often as possible but I don’t want to subjected to propaganda in the exam room. It’s one thing to have political opinions; it’s quite another to impose them on your patients. I’ll be finding myself another doctor.

 

Teresa Tolbert

Red Level