Rand Paul goes idiot...

Generally, I have been a fan of a lot of the things I have heard Ron Paul speak about.  I have read one of his books The Revolution: A Manifesto and thought it was both provocative and insightful.  I am a strong proponent for the "Keep it Simple. Keep it Local" philosophy of government and Ron Paul seems to be on that page as well.  I will describe that particular political philosophy further in another post sometime.

Rand Paul, though... Well, I have struggled to like him.  Initially, I ascribed to him the attributes of his father without really thinking about it.  This, I realize, is pretty dumb, though.  Considering how I would feel if I was automatically ascribed the character of my own father... shiver...

I digress.

Rand Paul seems at times to be legitimately concerned about governing well and ensuring that liberty is protected.  However, other times he is just... well... Dumb.

For example, take a look at the following article covering Rand Paul's speech at an Iowa Republican Party hoedown where he decided to spend some quality time doing his Republican duty bashing "Obamacare" or, more maturely know as, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Rand Paul claims Obamacare will include diagnostic codes for injuries sustained from a turtle, walking into a lamppost and burning water skis

This article was successful in both inducing me to vomit in my mouth and finalize my decision that Rand Paul is just another establishment bozo.  He is supposedly a doctor (ophthalmologist) and, therefore, should have a firm grasp on what these "new" diagnostic codes are all about.  He doesn't.

At one point the article states: "Included among these codes will be 312 new codes for injuries from animals; 72 new codes for injuries just from birds; 9 new codes for injuries from the macaw.  The macaw? I've asked physicians all over the country, ""Have you ever seen an injury from a macaw?"

First of all... "All over the country"?  What kind of conversations is this guy having where he is asking about macaw attacks all over the country?  Ah well...

Secondly, what the fine Senator is referring to here is the decision to move from one medical "coding" system to another more modern "coding" system.

Interlude: Coding here is not computer coding (i.e. programming).  Instead, it is the method that translates physician verbiage into a code that is electronically transferable and used for statistical and reimbursement purposes in the medical field. End Interlude.

The Senator's assertion that this code change is an Obamacare function is false.  George W. Bush signed the law that required the change from ICD-9 to ICD-10 codes sets in 2009.

Federal Register mandating the change

So, his attempt to throw this on the back of Obama is incorrect and unjustified.  Which either means he is uninformed and ignorant or is deliberately trying to further the anti-Obamacare Republican platform.  It's probably both.

Another issue with the Senator's comments is that he doesn't know what he is talking about regarding the actual code set.  While it is true that the increase in codes from ICD-9 to ICD-10 is mind blowing; it is also true that the change is absolutely necessary.

Currently, there are (as the article states) around 18,000 codes for ALL the things that can possibly go wrong in the human body.  That may seem like a lot, but it really isn't.  If you don't believe me, look up all the different types of fractures there are and multiply that times the number of bones in your body (roughly) and there you have just the number of codes needed for fractures.  That's a lot.  Then add in all the different diseases and whether they are new, current, or cured.... If you have any imagination at all, I think you get the picture.

ICD-9 cannot withstand both the growth in technology and the discovery of new pathology.  There are no places left in our current coding system to bring these new discoveries into the light.  When a new virus (H1N1 etc..) surfaces around the world, the only industrialized nation that has trouble quantifying our outbreak is the US.  This is because, unlike the rest of the world who is using ICD-10, we don't have the ability to create an accurate code for the disease.  Without the code, the ability to submit this data to be used is difficult to impossible.  In other words, our coding system is the equivalent of caveman talk in a room full of Rhodes Scholars... yay America...

As for the macaw reference...  There is a whole portion of the code set (both ICD-9 and ICD-10) that have to do with how a person has been injured.  This is actually important information.  How many people reading this have received a lovely letter from an insurance company asking whether an injury was work related, happened in a car, caused by a sasquatch or some other thing?  I have... well, I haven't ever been asked about the sasquatch attack but I should be... brutal...

Anyway, the codes are there for a reason.  Just because the codes are there does not, in and of itself, add any difficulty to the whole.  Senator Paul is building a straw man.

Rand Paul's made himself a fool.  Luckily for him, he is generally talking to fools.

P.S.  Our healthcare system is a bloated cadaver of selfish business practices, over regulation, union beareucracy, corporate greed, and political hand tricks.  I hate it, work in it and think it is doomed to fail.  There is a big fat bubble here just waiting to pop.