Describing herself on her blog as a "Constitution-defending Conservative Christian Texan Physician Patient Survivor Mother of 4 daughters small business owner on a mission to get government out of medicine," Dr. Kristen Held's defiantletter to Aetna on January 30 is now the talk of the internet.
An ophthalmologist and co-founder of AmericanDoctors4Truth.org, Dr. Held says she has read, tweeted and studied the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and has decided that she will not implement it, comply with it "or let my patients live or die by it."
In the letter to Mark T. Bertolini, chairman, CEO and president of Aetna, she accuses insurers and government of inserting themselves "smack-dab in the middle of the once sacred patient-doctor relationship. I am called a provider- not a doctor. My patient is now yours - not mine. What I can do as a physician now has strangulating strings and nonsensical numbers attached - to you and government and money - not the best interests of the patients."
She goes on to describe Obamacare as the “law of the land” which contains "ever-changing-at-the-whim-of-HHS, politically-expedient mandates, rewards, penalties, rules and regulations with which I cannot rationally or morally treat my patients and run a practice, much-less interpret, implement, or comply."
It wasn't until she logged onto an ObamaCare exchange that she realized Aetna, in collusion with the government, was selling plans featuring her services for which she gave no consent.
"Only by logging in as a prospective patient did my office manager and I discover that Aetna was selling plans for which I am a provider - effectively selling my services without even asking, much less informing me that my services would be sold on such a site, under the auspices of new terms with which I will not comply."
Adding insult to injury was a form letter she received from Aetna informing her of the "new allowables" under ObamaCare.
"I will not sell my services under such terms," Dr. Held wrote. "While treated as such, patients and doctors are not commodities worthy of such impersonal, inconsiderate, and cavalier treatment. We choose dignity and personal service over disrespect and form letters."
She concludes: "Accept this as my official written notice that the changes that you have unilaterally made to our contract are unacceptable to me and make our contract null and void. You must explain this to your patients. You must tell them that they have purchased a product that was misrepresented to them and that you cannot deliver. It saddens me to think of the decreased access to care from actual physicians and the shockingly increased costs Aetna patients will now experience because of your choice to collude with big government rather than collaborate with patients and physicians."
She also offered some rather frightening information in the comment section of the blog where she describes the fear many physicians have of speaking out against ObamaCare.
"We are afraid of the government," she admits. "We are afraid of IRS audits, being demonized, RAC audits, huge financial penalties (up to $1.5M for a HIPAA violation), and now even imprisonment (see the case of Dr. Natale). . . . We fear loss of licensure and loss of insurance contracts."
Dissenting doctors can't rely on the American Medical Association (AMA) for support either. As Dr. Held reports, this organization has been "infiltrated by far-left, socialist cronies of Valerie Jarrett, the Obamas, Ayres and their operatives" such as current CEO Dr. James Madera who worked with Michelle Obama and Valerie Jarrett.
However, thus far, the letter has drawn nothing but praise from all corners, including doctors who are equally fed up with the fumbling new system.
"I agree completely. Truth to power," wrote Dr. Cynthia Scott in response to the posted letter.
After applauding Dr. Held's courage, Teresa, an RN, said she wanted to "encourage all Christian people to join medical sharing ministries, for many reasons, one among them being the ability to deal with physicians on a cash basis. They are to Obamacare what homeschooling is to public school!! Opt out! Starve the beast!"
Dr. Held also suggested that people visit a site called Medibid where doctors post cash fees accepted for their services.
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