Monday, April 05, 2010

Florida Doctor Warning Away Obama Voters Admits He Doesn’t Know What He’s Talking About On Health Care

THINK PROGRESS

Last week, the Orlando Sentinel reported that a Republican urologist in Florida, Dr. Jack Cassell, posted a sign on his business door reading: “If you voted for Obama…seek urologic care elsewhere. Changes to your healthcare begin right now, not in four years.” On Friday evening, Alan Colmes interview Cassell, who basically admitted that he didn’t know the facts of the new health care reform law:

COLMES: Do you really think the government wants people dead?

CASSELL: Well I think that they’re cutting all supportive care, like nursing homes, ambulance services –

COLMES: What do you mean they’re cutting nursing homes?

CASSELL: They’re cutting nursing home reimbursements.

COLMES: Isn’t what they’re cutting under the Medicare plan what was really double dipping; they were getting credits and they were getting to deduct them at the same time.

CASSELL: Well you know, I can’t tell you exactly what the deal is.

COLMES: If you can’t tell us exactly what the deal is, why are you opposing it and fighting against it?

CASSELL: I’m not the guy who wrote the plan.

COLMES: But if you don’t know what the deal is why are you speaking out against something you don’t know what the deal is?

CASSELL: What I get online, just like any other American. What I’m supposed to understand about the bill should be available to me.

COLMES: It is; it’s been online for a long time; it’s also been all over the media.

Listen here:

A local TV station in Florida spoke to one of Cassell’s patients, who said that while the doctor’s care has been “wonderful,” he’s never going back after this political stunt. “Keep politics out,” said patient Steve Berger. “I mean, he can have his opinion, but what’s the next sign saying? If you’re Catholic, you can’t come? Or you’re an Arab, you can’t come in, or you’re a Jew? It has to stop somewhere.”

It’s not surprising that Cassell doesn’t have the full facts on the health care law. While he wasn’t even aware that the Affordable Care Act could be accessed online, he “keeps Republican materials in the waiting room” for his patients to read. As Colmes pointed out, the National Association of Home Care and Hospice actually praised the new law.

Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) has said that he is helping a constituent who was affected by Cassell’s sign file a complaint. In response to this news, Cassell said, “I think he [Grayson] really seriously needs to see a psychiatrist, number one, because he needs to be on some kind of medicine.”

Cassell insists that he’s not actually turning patients away, but as of this morning, he told Fox and Friends that his sign is still up.

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