tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3098264341625381422.post4868122343330718910..comments2024-03-18T17:01:07.165-07:00Comments on The Provocateur: Responding to Mr. Merian: BCBS Vs. Private Family Physicians the Follow Upmike volpehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02999118519606254362noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3098264341625381422.post-51002077764554943012008-08-11T06:26:00.000-07:002008-08-11T06:26:00.000-07:00First, it isn't merely hearsay to say that your fa...First, it isn't merely hearsay to say that your father was part of this group. His inclusion in the group has been confirmed by third parties on the internet. Second of all, hearsay is a term used in court not in stories on the internet. Third of all, the only proof you offered is your father's word that he didn't serve on both at the same time. Fourth, like I said, when BCBS shows transparency about this group, I will update my story. I will not update it because you claim to have talked to your dad and he claimed that he didn't serve on both at the same tim. <BR/><BR/>Again, your father is such a tangential part of this story that it is peculiar that you are still consumed by this. You offer no concern for Dr. Pigott, Dr. Kuehne, Dr. Rea, or any of the other doctors targeted by Dr. Miller. Your only concern is that my story implied something nefarious about your father. Of course, in order to imply, you, not me, have to read something in the story that wasn't actually there.<BR/><BR/>I haven't of course offered stories for all one thousand doctors which is why I said that it was likely that was the number. Though, this is a number I received from more than one doctor targeted. I did, however, do four stories related to the corruption at the TMB and another at the TNB, and now I am working on another at both. <BR/><BR/>Again, either the stories I have found are all there is or more likely, I have merely scratched the surface. <BR/><BR/>My connection between Dr. Pigott being targeted is that BCBS insures one third of all patients in Texas are covered by BCBS. Furthermore, again, this is not the only story I have written about doctors in Texas being targeted and others also used BCBS. Finally, my main connection was uttered by Dr. Curran himself. He is the one that made BCBS Medical Advisory Board into a nefarious group, not me. Two of the three people mentioned by him as being part of this group wound up being involved in the targeting of Dr. Pigott. Dr. Miller has been featured in stories by me multiple times, and he has resigned under bad circumstances from his position at the TMB. <BR/><BR/>You are frankly pretending the facts are on your side. My story takes twenty minutes to read and that is just one. I have written multiple stories about corruption within the Texas Medical apparatus. Either all of them are wrong or I am on to something.<BR/><BR/>You are attempting to pull a magic trick. You seem to think that a four paragraph response to an article that was five to ten times that is enough. <BR/><BR/>The original story speaks for itself. The audience can draw their own inferences. That said, that story is full of facts. Dr. Curran's admission is backed up by plenty of evidence that gives my assertions plenty of credibility. <BR/><BR/>You seem to think that you can attack one small part of my story and maintain credibility. You can't because you already said that my story, in whole, was so full of holes that this is why it wasn't picked up by the MSM. <BR/><BR/>You have already vouched for the credibility of not only your dad but Dr. Curran and Dr. Miller. <BR/><BR/>What you have done is attack my story in every which way, and then when those attacks don't gain traction, you settle on the minor point that your dad claims that he wasn't concurrently part of this BCBS group at the same time he was President of the TMA. Well, if this group was transparent, this issue would be settled. They aren't and so I asked lots of questions. <BR/><BR/>Now, let's look at the big picture. Dr. Pigott has had her life turned upside down for four years and counting. There are many doctors in Texas like her and even more in the rest of the country with similar stories. Yet, you are consumed with your dad's reputation by the implications of this story. Your father has had it pretty good. Dr. Pigott has not. Isn't it time for you to look at the big picture and stand up for what's right? Where is your sympathy for the thousands of doctors touched by the scourge of sham peer review.mike volpehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02999118519606254362noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3098264341625381422.post-57169371236006906052008-08-11T05:53:00.000-07:002008-08-11T05:53:00.000-07:00Mr. Volpe, that is a shame. You alleged my father...Mr. Volpe, that is a shame. You alleged my father served as President of TMA at the same time he was on a board advising BCBS. That has been shown not to be true, but you refuse to correct it.<BR/><BR/>You claimed my father was placed in the Presidency of the TMA by BCBS, yet you offered no proof.<BR/><BR/>You claimed my father was in a position of "power" at BCBS. But, even you admit that you don't know what authority (if any) this board has. (According to my father they have none, because they are an ADVISORY board) BCBS is under no obligation to follow any of the boards advice.<BR/><BR/>You claimed BCBS employs my father to "punishes doctors that powerful forces deem a threat". You then go on to detail Dr. Pigotts issues before the TMB. With no evidence BCBS was involved except that ONE of the TWENTY or so doctors has a passing connection to BCBS. <BR/><BR/>You also claim my father has "gotten into bed with BCBS in order to help BCBS root out those of (his) colleagues that they determine too expensive to keep around." Again though, you admit that you have no idea what this advisory board does, so how can you possibly make this statement. Especially when you admit that you made absolutely no attempt to contact BCBS?<BR/><BR/>You also claim that during 2002, while my father was President of the TMA, he was also on the BCBS Medical Advisory Board. However, that is not true. But you refuse to remove it solely because it is the only link between Dr. Pigott and BCBS and between her and my father. Is a story more important than facts?<BR/><BR/>You base your inclusion of my father based on something Dr. Pigott stated that Dr. Curran stated. This is hearsay, and as such, unreliable. And again, you made no attempt to contact my father or BCBS to verify any of this.<BR/><BR/>You also claimed that Dr.'s Miller, Curran and Merian were on this board with BCBS the same time they were in "positions of power". But, I have illustrated they were not. Your house of cards is collapsing.<BR/><BR/>In part 3, you claim it is "likely" my father was "helped" into his "position of power by BCBS in order to help execute corruption against doctors like Dr. Pigott" Again, you made this statement knowing nothing about my father. You claim that there are many Doctors with a resume "finer" than my father, yet you admit knowing nothing about him, so your statement is unqualified. Your sole complaint about my father seems to be that he is from a small town so he is inherently unqualified to hold any position of power. (BTW Dr. Pigott is from a small town as well, but you don't doubt her credentials, why?)<BR/><BR/>Your description of Family Practitioners, while accurate in some areas, shows a level of ignorance about who they are and what they do.<BR/><BR/>You also claim thousands of Doctors have been "targeted" by the "likes" of Keith Miller. But again, you offer no proof of that allegation either.<BR/><BR/>You claim the facts speak for themselves. They certainly do.kmerianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11096693234053975595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3098264341625381422.post-73058492299212712412008-08-10T10:38:00.000-07:002008-08-10T10:38:00.000-07:00I'll update my piece when BCBS updates their web s...I'll update my piece when BCBS updates their web site and makes this group transparent. Until then, I will simply allow your father's comments, through you, to stand as they are. Again, I didn't say anything about your father that you don't readily admit yourself. I will not change anything. I don't know when your father began working for BCBS because such things can't be confirmed because the group isn't transparent. <BR/><BR/>Your father may not have advocated against doctors, and we will just have to take his word for it, but the other two members of this group clearly did. Where was your father while Dr. Pigott, along with thousands of othr Texas doctors, being sham peer reviewed?<BR/><BR/>Again, your father is such a minor and inconsequential side issue to this piece that it is amazing you continue with this. Given that Dr. Curran identified him as one of the three members of this group, how exactly do I do this piece without mentioning him. In fact, given the consequences of Dr. Curran bringing up this group like he did, I frankly mentioned your father very little. <BR/><BR/>What I would hope is that folks like you look at the big picture. Your father doesn't have it so bad. The same can't be said for Dr. Pigott and thousands of other doctors targeted by the likes of Dr. Keith Miller, the same Dr. Keith Miller that you vouched for.mike volpehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02999118519606254362noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3098264341625381422.post-18140565957205990082008-08-10T10:24:00.000-07:002008-08-10T10:24:00.000-07:00Mr. Volpe, I spoke with my father this weekend.You...Mr. Volpe, I spoke with my father this weekend.<BR/><BR/>You claimed the only thing you accused my father of was serving on a board with BCBS at the same time he was president of the TMA.<BR/><BR/>Turns out that is not true. At no time during my fathers presidency with the TMA did he serve on any board with BCBS of Texas. As a matter of fact, that board did not even exist at that time.<BR/><BR/>Also, my father wanted me to tell you that he has never advocated FOR BCBS against a physician. And if BCBS ever attempted to make him do that, he would quit in a moment. The excellent relationship between the physicians of Texas and BCBS is evidence of the advisory boards fairness and strength in presenting physicians issues to BCBS.<BR/><BR/>I only know Dr. Miller and Dr. Curran in a professional capacity. I vouch for what I know. If the allegations of Dr. Pigott are correct, then I was mistaken.<BR/><BR/>But the fact remains, you included my father in this sorry debacle when in fact he had nothing to do with any of it. I don't know why Dr. Curran brought him up, or the context in which he did.<BR/><BR/>But, I hope you will update your piece to reflect that my father had no relationship with BCBS AT ALL while he was president of the TMA. And as a matter of fact did not begin serving on that board until he retired.kmerianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11096693234053975595noreply@blogger.com