Another gross inaccuracy from President Obama

Hat tip to Dr. Wes for his post on a press release from the American College of Surgeons regarding the President’s latest piece of misinformation on the economics of medical practice.  The money quote (literally):

Yesterday during a town hall meeting, President Obama got his facts completely wrong. He stated that a surgeon gets paid $50,000 for a leg amputation when, in fact, Medicare pays a surgeon between $740 and $1,140 for a leg amputation. This payment also includes the evaluation of the patient on the day of the operation plus patient follow-up care that is provided for 90 days after the operation. Private insurers pay some variation of the Medicare reimbursement for this service.

As with his prior remark on ENTs allegedly taking out the tonsils of patients who just have allergies so as to make more money, this President just doesn’t have his facts straight.  Overestimating how much a surgeon gets reimbursed for a procedure by a factor of 26 times is alarming in a President who wants to reform healthcare delivery.