Yet, to me, the larger problems are the issues that you bring up so well in the main part of your post about people being denied coverage or, as Moyer’s show talked about, with those of us who have coverage (as far as it goes) having the financial burden mostly shifted to us, with huge deductibles, gigantic premiums jacked up for the flimsiest of reasons, and all kinds of things that are simply disallowed.

One of my son’s young, extremely healthy, rock-climbing friends had her health premiums triple because of a single health issue that has long-ago been corrected.

Watch the Moyer’s thing. It’s totally enraging—particularly the segment with the whistleblower, Wendell Potter, who is very eloquent—and horrifying.

All of which discourages patients from seeking treatment and/or revealing their true histories to doctors who are generally quick to scribble all info on those computerized forms, making the patient’s appropriate healthcare and relationship with their doctors even more marginal. Because in fact, doctors who work for HMO’s or PPO’s especially are in effect working for the insurance company. These days with the prevalence of electronic records, I’ve had to look long and hard for a doctor who does NOT operate this way, and actually keeps records private.

Then there’s the Catch-22 that if you don’t declare something as minor as these conditions and they find out later, they’ll revoke your insurance altogether when you file a claim for something ELSE that may be expensive.

Electronic records actually make this problem worse (as well as facilitating snooping — so everything about you is visible at literally a quick glance by ANYONE remotely associated with your care, including a temp booking appts.). This also enables them to share info about you for financial promos not only without your permission but, again e.g. Cedars supposedly a premier facility, if you do NOT consent you’ll be denied even planned surgery. (Based on my personal recent experience.) A side letter I wrote objecting “disappeared” from their files.

When you go in as a new patient and are required to fill out those electronic bubble forms (or update them annually), you’re asked if you EVER had a condition, say anemia. Let’s say you’re a woman who had it for a brief period but took iron pills and are now normal, you’re still listed as “anemic” as a “condition” of your health. I was also surprised to see how general the questionnaire was (standard at Cedars) for new patients to ascertain AIDs risk: the SAME question asked if you’re dating more than one partner OR use or share needles for drug injections (i.e., being a junkie and dating 2 people are listed as similar risks). ANYTHING contrived to work against you.

That’s why I and many others have grave concerns about the privacy and denial of benefits aspects inherent in Obama’s plan to require all records to be computerized. From what I can see there’s no thought to these downsides and for now, they actually play into insurers’ games to deny or significantly increase coverage.