Ever been asked about gun ownership by a doctor? Wonder what you should do if this does happen to you? Listen to Dr. Robert Young:
“There are two things doctors hate,” Dr. Robert Young with Doctors for Responsible Gun Ownership told me. “Non-professionals telling us how to do our jobs, and being turned into informants on our own patients.”
DRGO describes itself as “a nationwide network of physicians, allied health professionals, scientists and others who support the safe and lawful use of firearms.” They’ve been fighting efforts to get doctors into the gun-control business for years. Young says that while many medical organizations and government agencies encourage doctors to ask intrusive questions about gun ownership, he doesn’t know of any so radical that they mandate it.
Young has a simple message for patients who get gun questions from their doctors, whether it’s mandated or not: Don’t answer.
“It violates the most basic relationship between doctor and patient,” he said. DRGO calls these questions “boundary violations” and urges patients to formally complain if their doctors persist in asking.
– Michael Graham for the Boston Herald, Doctors Have No Business Asking About Gun Ownership
…and maybe start looking for a new doctor.
This is funny, but I went in for my “annual physical” a couple weeks back and had to “excuse myself” to the men’s room before stepping on the scale to take off my Glock 43 and belt rig, which luckily fit into the large pocket of my winter jacket. You know things have become a habit when you forget the thing is there. On the way out I saw that I’d walked right past the GFZ sign.
My Dr didn’t ask any questions. The funny ones (to me) are those the Feds mandate if you’re on Medicare- rugs on the floor? Hand holds in tub/shower? Lots of home safety stuff but not even the Feds ask about firearms, I’m fairly new to Medicare- wonder why they haven’t tried to make an issue of guns on those forms?
And am I crazy, or wasn’t Robert Young (doctor in question here) the name of the actor who played “Marcus Welby, MD”???
It’s getting even harder to make this stuff up.
Yes it was.
Hey, Larry, what part of Texas are you in?
Well, that didn’t post to the thread I expected…
TTAG, bringing back the edit feature would be great. Alternatively, you could implement Disqus or something like that, which has that built in, and you’re done!
I’ve been debating with myself about whether or not to carry at the doctor, actually. I don’t think my doctor’s office is a GFZ, but it is in a super lefty college town. I truly fear the panic that might ensue if anyone there saw I was carrying (and a doctor’s office feels like a place where someone will inevitably see that I’m carrying – the story above is a good example, and I can imagine hundreds of others).
Anyone got any thoughts on this? Keep in mind, I live in NY where if someone spots your carry gun, it’s even odds that the police will be called and you’ll be charged with brandishing…
Coincidentally I just had my annual physical today and I faced your dilemma. I live in TN and gun ownership is NOT an issue. I just didn’t want to have to unnecessarily bring any attention to my firearm. I normally carry IWB at about 4:00. When I pulled into the parking lot I put my gun in the gun compartment of an old Eagle Systems black nylon briefcase that I had from my previous job (I left my holster on, it’s very inconspicuous). I also put in my wallet, keys, etc. Otherwise it was empty. I walked in with my bag, got poked and prodded, left and re-equipped myself in the car. I hope I helped!
Here’s a thought! Move to Texas and carry everywhere. I carry to the Doc and the weight he records for me includes my LC9. I carry to the chiropractor and when he asked “what’s that?”, I answered “9mm”. The ONLY reason I pay any attention to GFZs is that I’d rather not let them earn my money. I also carry when I’m drinking, although that only started when I’d been drinking for decades without getting in any bar fights. You just ignore the BS.
the correct answer is very simply “that’s none of your business”.
oops, my reply above is in the wrong place
” Feds mandate if you’re on Medicare- rugs on the floor? Hand holds in tub/shower? Lots of home safety stuff . . .”
I’ve been on Medicare for awhile now and my old-school doctor has never asked me any of those questions. Perhaps your doctor is just attributing those questions to a governmental mandate when, in fact, he has another reason for asking?
In my state those signs carry no weight and my doctor’s office doesn’t have them anyway.
I just told my doc to knock 3 pounds off whatever my weight comes in at. She simply smiled and asked if I had actually weighed my pistoI as well as if three pounds was the gun or if that included extras like a spare mag, holster, knife etc.
My doctor never asked, don’t know if the question was on any of his forms. He knew I was with the Sheriff’s Office so if a form had the question, he probably checked Yes.
my answer to doc’s or anyone else: NOYFB, AH
Is it a bad or good thing I read that start to finish fluidly without stopping to think what it stood for?
Must be going nuts, too.. No pause. Scary.
I assume you’re kidding. Saying that to a doctor will get you on the “crazy” list. Remember it’s a “permanent record” now. We have to keep patient records for a long time. They say 7 years. It’s longer, because some patient might sue us and we need proof of our innocence. Just like keeping tax records. They say 7 years. We keep it longer. Guilty until proven innocent.
At which point I figure a leftist doctor would check the ‘yes’ box, then fill out a Red Flag complaint for his medical professional’s opinion that you were a danger to yourself or others.
My answer is: “I don’t answer non-medical questions on medical forms.”
Similar when they ask you vaccine status during an ER visit for a sprained/broken ankle. Not relevant.
Except it’d be nice not to catch measles, mumps and etc cause some dipshit doesn’t think their kids need vaccines…and then bring their child into the ER via mass transit, potentially exposing half the population and this is of course a week after the kid started showing symptoms. Just easier for the Doc to ask if you been vaccinated then get into all the details, freak you out and everyone else.
Whether you like it or not, it’s for your safety and everyone else’s. I for one would prefer if you didn’t become a carrier and potentially have the chance of killing us. And I’m sure you’d like to know if something is floating around you’re not vaccinated against.
When the zombie apocalypse comes, we all know to blame for spreading it…
Lol, spoken like a true leftist…arbitrary state power is for everyone’s safety, for your own good. The gun grabbers say the same exact thing about your rights to own guns. Pricless.
@Swarf and @m. Nailed it, enough said.
Better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than open it and confirm.
Good answer.
First rule of fight club
“There are two things doctors hate,” Dr. Robert Young with Doctors for Responsible Gun Ownership told me. “Non-professionals telling us how to do our jobs, and being turned into informants on our own patients.”
Make that *some* doctors. I’m willing to bet there are some Leftist docs fully on-board with the ‘Progressive’ P.O.V. and have no problem violating the privacy of the patients that see them…
I have been asked. My answer was that I don’t use guns.
Sad. You just complied.
Just say “no”!
Told this story in a previous post about the same topic. Was recently on the search for a new GP after changing health insurance networks. One guy cam reccomended from some family, went in for general intake appointment. Asks me a bunch of typical screening questions. Then asks if there are any firearms regularly kept in my residence. I immediately ask back “Are you able to sexually satisfy your wife? Or are you concerned she might be seeking gratification of those needs elsewhere?”. He looked a little surprised and tried to find some words to react. I followed up with “Oh, I’m sorry. I thought this was the part of the exam where we ask each other extremely personal questions that have nothing to do with the purpose of the exam?”. He got his wits back and tried to tell me that as my doctor he needs a full picture of my risk factors, at which point I cut him and told him no, he didn’t need that, as he was not going to be my doctor. And I left. And they tried to invoice my insurance for that exam!
Doctors & Guns = Patient waiting areas should be required to have a 2′ x 4′ foot poster with Cooper’s Rules on it, in English, Spanish and Gangsta. As a public service. No further action by doctors is necessary.
“Look scro, it says here your shits all fucked up and you talk like a fag.” – Doctor in ‘Idiocracy’
Not original to me but here are two options you might want to consider.
(1) Ask him what firearms training he/she has had. When he/she says none tell the doctor get back to me when you get some.
(2) Ask them how their sex life is going.
And (3) Guns are icky.
Any other answer than no will be construed as a “yes”. That means telling a doctor that it’s none of their business, or asking your own inappropriate question to make a point, will always be taken as comatative/defensive implication. And if they’re making notes in your records, don’t forget that other office staff, beyond your doctor, has access to those files.
Exactly. Save all your wise-ass responses for the ride home. Evasive, confrontational, argumentative replies will be recorded as “probable gun owner”. After all, any self righteous anti-gunner would be proud to proclaim their non-ownership.
If you ask a question you have no right to ask, you have no right to a truthful answer.
And I would add that if this is a group practice, and your family sees other doctors in the group, that you get all members of your family on the same page. It will do no good if you are saying, “no” and someone else in your family is talking about your latest custom rifle build.
Anything hostile, confrontational, smart-assessed, etc. I would posit a leftist doctor would check the ‘yes’ box, then fill out a Red Flag complaint stating that as a medical professional you were in danger of hurting yourself or others.
That’s a difficult one because shooters ought to be able to have honest conversations with their doctors, including about lead exposure and lead level testing.
I have an Orthopedic Surgeon who is a big game hunter. He asked me once what caliber pistol he should buy for a hunting trip to Alaska. Didn’t mind answering him..
A big game hunter asked you what caliber pistol to buy for a trip to Alaska?
Bullshit.
On top of that, not even the same thing as what is being discussed in this article.
There are a few advantages of living in the sticks. My doctor lives just above me and goes by my house several times per day. She doesn’t need to ask me anything because she sees or hears me shooting frequently.
I’ve prepared for that question. I’m going to ask them if they still enjoy anal sex. Then get I’ll get a new doctor.
The ‘get a new doctor’ part is the one I endorse.
I don’t think it would take too many instances of the patient immediately walking out in the middle of the consultation and refusing payment to make them rethink their office political actions.
I have been asked. At the time I had none. My doctor was asking mental health questions which was silly as I was having a cyst treated. He knew it was dumb too having been an army doc in Iraq who was pro-2nd. I’ll probably get questioned when I get Medicare in a few months…”what is this gun you speak of?!?”😏
To add fuel to the fire, refer to this article that makes it clear the Feds have access to whatever medical records they want without your knowledge or warrant thanks to ACA:
https://townhall.com/columnists/twilabrase/2019/01/19/aca-turns-patients-into-guinea-pigs-n2539280
You may want to rethink how you answer that gun question. A flippant answer may get you attention you don’t want and a lie may get you even more negative attention (how long before some creative prosecutor tries to convince a jury that the doc is a federal agent and you just committed a felony for lying to a fed, or some such novel legal crap). Just for the record, I am NOT advocating telling the doc anything, just stating this is more serious than you think. Welcome to 1984.
Do you really think any of us are aren’t on some list somewhere already? If afellow buys an NFA firearm, gets a CCW licences or a hunting license or a, God forbid, an FOI card we’re toast.
Flippant answer be damned at this stage of the game we’ve lost the game of tracking and surveillance.
Everyone who posts here who isn’t a paid poster is on some list.
Some apparatchiks have to follow up on the system generated alerts, so I take the approach of boring them with bullshit.
Or ordering AK gas system cleaners. Or the freak out over untraceable plastic guns called Glocks. Or a Cabela/BPS credit cards? Former military? Have a DTOM flag? If you use a credit card to buy any thing gun related? NSA has it all.
A Dr. asks those ? is not MY Dr. And watch out for the drug NAZI on every staff.
So… lets give them more? Most of us have CCW for the legal battle to cover our asses in the case we need to use it. The rest is entirely up to you. Nobody is forcing you to own a new car with GPS, or a smartphone, or register for anything that can be used against you. I hope you also use a custom VPN on your PC too. It’s bad enough they have camera’s everywhere and satellites to follow us, why give them any more?
I wouldn’t be too concerned.
We have more guns and more ammo than the Federal Government and all of the State & local governments combined.
We also outnumber all of the G-men (Federal, state, & local) by more than 100 to 1.
If we all get together; they loose.
All of the unarmed Leftists are not an effective threat if the SHTF.
So plead the 5th.
“A flippant answer may get you attention you don’t want and a lie may get you even more negative attention . .”
I was thinking the same thing. If you live in a “red flag’ state a pissed off doctor may just be the one to decide that your “paranoid response to his commonsense gun ownership aquestions” is sufficient to raise questions about your mental stability. And, if the person, making the red-flag complaint is a doctor that early morning knock on your door is pretty much assured.
Oh, that “Your info is our info” reaches farther than just the feds.
The thing is, they’re not used to dealing with people who’ve already been kicked off the “one of us” path, already on some list, already been mostly dead; they’re not used to dealing with people they don’t have quite so much to threaten with. It’s extortion. People comply because of a threat if they don’t.
Myself, I’ve been mostly dead, I’m certainly on a list or three, and I got kicked off the “main chance” path decades ago: their good opinion matters not at all to me in those ways. They may have other threats: withholding treatment, SWATting, etc.
Anyway, there was another lovely but non-gun “authorization” a couple years back…
In NYS, in ’17 a new “We need you to…” authorization appeared at one of the follow-up visits to one of my (4 that year) eye surgeries. As I’d just done the intake permission mambo a couple months before, I had some recollection of what I’d signed already. So, “I thought we did this?”
It turns out that I had already authorized sharing of my case information with other medical providers, as needed for my treatment, and said so. “You guys ought to have that. Is there an expiration date on that that I missed, or something?”
“This is so we can share information for your treatment…” “Yeah, I got that. That’s what I thought I signed already.” It turns out that with checkup anxiety adrenaline, even in my old, damaged state, I can quick scan a document while having a normal-pace conversation with an admini-droid. “This doesn’t say anything about using the info for my treatment, not so far.” “It does say research, investigations, and a couple other things, and names a state authority, which doesn’t sound like a doctor or provider as far as I can tell.” “What is this?”
It turns out this was a new authorization, for new information sharing, not for my treatment, not for my benefit, at the discretion of some unspecified collection of state level health related programs.
“Are you requiring me to sign this as a condition of providing me treatment?” “Do I have to sign this so I can check out right now?” That took a couple rounds.
“May I speak to a supervisor, please.” That took another couple rounds of polite intransigence.
Supes shows up, and I hold up the form.
“OK, I’m not signing this unless somebody tells me it’s required for you to continue providing me treatment. (Let’s note that I’m post-op on a procedure you guys executed — that’s right there in the chart.) ”
“Not that an explanation is required, but I’ll tell you. I’m not signing because I don’t want the facts and stats of my medical treatments used as some kind of political football. I’m all for research, indeed I support it concretely several different ways. *This*, however, is empowering unspecified knuckleheads in the administration, or their minions, for god knows what, and they get way too much wrong for me to want to be a part of it. You have plenty of occurance and efficacy statistics without my pesonal details. My permission is needed, and the answer is ‘No.'”
Why am I telling this to supes?
“Policy isn’t your job, so the fact that somebody wants this isn’t your fault. However, this was stuck in front of me without explanation, and misrepresented both initially and as I asked what it was. No, it is not authorizing sharing my information with other providers so they can treat me.
“The way this was presented is an implementation problem, so if that’s how these people are supposed to do it, what they’re being trained into is wrong, if that’s not then the training is failing. I am bringing this to your attention so you can fix it. It also took me three asks to get to speak to you, and the prior responses were obfuscation and misdirection. I know fogging when I see it, and they were following a protocol to do so. That is your problem.”
“While I’m at it, pushing a full page of dense text full of obscure terms in the face of a guy who’s leaving a post-eye-op check up really counts as questionable consent if you got it. Duress. Lack of understanding. Can I even see what I’m signing? That’s a pretty poor standard, and you might consider my ability to consent to anything at all, given how much I’ve slept in the last post-op week. I get it, I can sign this, you can file it as an addition to your leaf pile of “consents” that has some kind of value in the larger health admin collectives. However, I’m going to pretend that, if you have to secure the fig leaf of my ‘consent’ that I’m here too, and no. You should probably consider that doing it this way is leaving your institution hanging out on a limb more than a little. Whoever wants this has you doing their dirty work, with me.”
“I do have two questions” 1) Are we cancelling the remaining post-op followups because I won’t execute this? 2) More generally do I need to go find myself another provider for ongoing care after this?”
Supervisor-person really did make sure to get the form back, as they do. Ever tried to get a copy of a medical consent form you’ve signed, let alone one you haven’t?
My doctor escaped communists in nicaragua and loves guns and owns some. We talk about them every visit
I have actually lost my provider credentialing and billing numbers with one of the top eye insurance providers because I refused to use their intrusive questioner in my practice . I was able to get it back , but I will quietly retire before I allow any entity to pressure me into stepping on my patients 1st and 2nd amendment rights .
There is no reason I need to know how many firearms my patients own .
Good for you, but I honestly wish more people would not just go quietly. Yes, it would jeopardize everything you work for and earn, but if the masses had any sense of organization, not complying vocally would change the future. When we go quietly, nothing changes other than a new headline. When we force ourselves upon them, we get things like the formation of the United States….
What would happen if physicians simply filled in the blanks with false information designed to reflect the political bias of the insturance company or federal bureaucracy. Who would know the difference?
I have this unshakable sense that we are on the cusp of:
(a) 100% electronic medical records
(b) clandestine entity with unfettered access to those records
(c) said clandestine entity using those records to suppress political enemies
If that is true, our political enemies will use our truthful answers about firearm ownership against us. (They will say that we are paranoid crazies, seething cauldrons of rage about to explode, and/or enemies of the state in the making.)
Furthermore, if that is true, our political enemies will also use our FALSE answers about firearm ownership against us. (They will say that we are dishonest people who cannot be trusted in personal and business relationships, that we are not “team players” in our society, and/or that we are hiding our intent to do something horrific.)
I do not appreciate my political enemies putting me in a lose-lose situation.
A and B are pretty much already here if you include known alphabet soup agencies as “clandestine”.
That said, cross referencing your answers with other parts of your life to find out you lied isn’t necessary. Your browsing history and financial statements are enough to know most of your ownership “issues”.
If they care enough to look deeplu at you pretty much everyone is fucked unless they’ve never had a cell phone, never had/used the internet, never used a credit or debit card for any gun related purchase, never talked guns on the phone (landline or cell) and a bunch of other shit too.
Realistically the only thing that might slow them down is the sheer amount of data they have.
There’s a reason they call our current surveillance capabilities “turnkey tyranny”.
Wait? Hasn’t that like been going on even before written history? Nothing new here.
Computers and the internet just make it easier to find, collate, organize and present everything into a fancy PowerPoint.
I am a practicing physician and NRA instructor. I have no issue with my patients or my staff carrying.
While I sympathize with those who would tell their physician to GFY if he asked about gun ownership, I worry that this answer would put you on the radar. Better to lie. At this point a physician is not a federal agent, and while we can go way down the rabbit hole speculating what some court might come up with in the future, for the time being, you’re under no obligation to answer your physician’s questions truthfully. While being less than truthful to your physician isn’t a good idea with regard to your medical care, when he asks about political crap like this, lie away.
Children are being medically kidnapped at the behest of the medical profession for the flimsiest of reasons across the country. While medical offices may not be federal agents yet, you certainly are state agents.
Jesus dude. Show me on the doll where the doctor hurt you. You’ve got some serious issues. Seek help. Wait, scratch that. You’re obviously traumatized by the medical community.
No, you have that backwards. Medical/pharmaceutical care is the 3rd leading cause of death in the US, very likely the leading cause if the all the cases were reported. You seem to be suffering from severe cognitive dissonance/Stockholm syndrome.
I have thought of a whole list of responses:
When are your KKK meetings?
Where is your favorite gay bar?
How much child porn do you have?
….
or, pull out your .45 and say, “why do you ask?”
But, probably the best response is no, then find a new doctor.
One thing doctors don’t seem to mind at all is getting all their pharmaceutical education/information from the sales reps who visit them regularly selling the products. Aside from what the sales reps tell them about the drugs, MDs product knowledge about the drugs they are prescribing is poor.
I believe I’d ask my doctor If I’m required to answer the questions and then ask how he feels about having to ask them, then In the end I’d just tell him I don’t answer non-medical questions or I don’t own any firearms.
If the doctor answered poorly I’d start Interviewing other doctors.
Never had that question asked of me. If it comes up , I will just start talking about my Harley Davidson motorcycle that I have and all the traveling I have done on it. A 69 yr. old on a Harley should change the subject.
Years ago my son’s pediatrician asked me if I had firearms in our home. I asked him why he wanted to know. He began to lecture me on the hazards of firearms ownership. I interrupted him and said, “Doctor, I’m a deputy sheriff and a law enforcement firearms instructor. Not only are there firearms in my home, and a lot of them, I’m carrying one now.” I went on to tell him John had owned his own firearms since he was five years old. (He was about ten at the time.) Then I asked him about his experience with firearms. He admitted he didn’t have any. I said I wouldn’t advise him how to treat a patient and suggested he shouldn’t give advice on firearms. His face turned a deep shade of red and the subject was never brought up again.
If the question is part of an intake form, leave it blank. If the doctor or staff persists, Use your judgement for your response or non response depending on your relationship with the doctor. All these snarky replies sound good on paper, but we live in the real world, not a TTAG echo chamber.
Spot on
If you respond to doctor that it is non of their business or some similar response, it is a tell that you have or are pro-gun. The doctor probably will infer gun ownership and categorize you as such. Better off to lie convincingly and run a better chance of getting identified as a non-gun owner. Being smartass or in their face does you no good.
I always laugh inside when they see that I cross out lots of questions and write please stick to medical issues
That might work for your doctor. My doctor is a human lie detector. Always seems to know when I’m stretching the truth about something. Fortunately he hasn’t asked me about guns.
NOT THAT I’M ADVISING ANYONE TO DO THIS, BUT……. patients selectively omit information all the time (my personal observation after 35 years treating patients).
I once declined to answer that question to my doctor’s nurse. She then said “good for you” and we proceeded to have a nice conversation about her home defence gun of choice.
“Any guns in the house?”
“No.”
…which is entirely truthful.
If nobody’s at home (which is always the case during a doctor’s office hours), the guns we’re not carrying are all in the safe, which is bolted to the slab in the garage. Not in the house.
Some of us “out in the sticks” have little choice when it comes to choosing practitioners. I like the old saying “I can neither confirm nor deny the presence of weapons in my home”.
If you purchased a firearm through a FFL and filed a 4473. You are already on a list that every branch of government has access to. Lying or playing games is only good for your ego. When my doctor asked this question years ago I told him yes I did and invited him to join me at our local range which is own by the state of Iowa (Another List). He eventually accepted my offer and now is a firearm owner and occasional hunter during deer season. For me it turned out out be a chance to convert a new person to firearm ownership. later I found out that 2 of his nurse’s were married to firearms owners who hunted. So you never know about people. Just remember you are already on The List.
I was asked that once and I told the Dr.,”Oh yeah, I am a big Second Amendment guy. I have a slingshot and a BB gun!” She chuckled and moved on, and so did I.
Honest puzzlement might be the best route:
“Why would you ask a question like that?”
“Because the hospital that owns my practice forces me to ask it and demands that you answer it”
“Thank you for explaining. Now I know to avoid every practice in this building if I want medical treatment instead of political indoctrination”
How about this. Just forget your gun owner pride, lie and say “NO”. Screw them, so I lied to the doctors. Who cares? I’m sure they are told a lot of lies every day.
That only works if you believe in giving aid and comfort and your own money to the enemy.
My answer is “OMG” guns kill people, heavens no!!! OPSEC
We’re “ALL” on some list somewhere , no need to fill in the blanks. OPSEC
When the time comes “these lists” will be used to target you. OPSEC
Look at what happened to the Covington crew, access to college info ,employment, Addresses…. How much more PROOF do you need….
No longer Rule of Law, Now it’s MOB RULE.
TIME IS SHORT…. MAKE EVERY SHOT COUNT.
Well, my ophthalmologist knows that I shoot, because I had him help me with some shooting glasses to correct the remaining astigmatism that the LASIK couldn’t get. He isn’t a shooter, but he understood the issue with red dots “smearing” and the glasses help a lot.
But of course it was my choice to ask him.
Optimist that I am, I fully expect that one day evading the question will either be a felony, or automatic forfeiture of health care insurance. With the federal push to digitize all medical records, there will be confirmation searches done after each medical visit as a means to find out if one has been consistent.
There will be a tie between medical records and NICS/NCIC. All of which will not constitute an illegal gun registry (which is not a constitutional prohibition, but subject to mere legislation). Do not delude yourself into thinking zillions of medical records cannot be digitized; it is only a matter of sufficient government contract as incentive. And it can be done at no cost to medical providers.
As a former federal employee I can assure you the attack on the Second Amendment is not restricted direct frontal assaults. There is very little a person can do that does not involve government, somewhere along the line. Maybe not directly, but think of all the federal interaction that is required of every business or service extended to the public.
Sam, there’s little doubt there will be coming penalties, civil and/or criminal, for lying to a medical doctor. The infrastructure to make this real is already in place. This will easily be sold to a public so socially conditioned about the greater good, ‘community health, collectivism, it’s a slam dunk. Half the population already depends on government intervention just to east as live, and this growing segment will only too easily comply to keep their benefits working.
I could argue that would more likely come about because of for profit insurance companies and the for profit medical establishment. Whatever they can do to not pay out is good for there bottom line and collect every last penny we own. And hey, if it’s legal then nothing we can do even when we’re spending $2,000 a month on said insurance.
There is very little in health care today that you could call purely private, for profit. The government is entrenched at all levels of healthcare, down to the insurance companies. One of the goals of this arrangement does seem to be to bankrupt what’s left of the working/middle classes. Here in MA an asthma inhaler with BCBS can cost over $100 with the copay. The same inhaler with Mass Health costs $3. There seems to be open discrimination against people who actually work.
The only thing that will keep this from happening is when the Supreme Court firmly support our 2nd Amendment rights in such a way that renders these kind of invasive, manipulative questions illegal. If we didn’t have our Bill Of Rights, these kinds of questions and the bureaucratic correlations that support them would be legal. Because we have a Bill Of Rights and a 2nd Amendment they are illegal. You cannot and should not use a medical interview as a pretext for abridging someone’s constitutionally guaranteed freedoms.
As a medical doctor, I agree with the other doctors above who advise you to lie and just answer no.
I am a gun nut and have had lots of fun conversations with patients about guns and shooting.
Here in south Florida there are very few places to plink outdoors.
I’m always looking for private property to legally shoot on with the owners permission. I have been lucky to have several different patients over the years allow me to shoot on rural property they own.
Patients do seem to have a distressing tendency to either die or move away.
Doctor asked me once and when I asked why he said he was concerned about any potential dangers in the home. I told him that I burn leaves in the yard, mow the yard with a push mower, drive vehicles and four wheelers, and breathe the nice clean air and those were the primary issues and danger items in my life. Nothing else was mentioned about firearms.
I told the Dr. that asked I had over 1,000.
For some reason, the relationship went immediately downhill, and I stopped going to him.
So if firearm safety is now part of a medical doctors scope of practice, can they be held liable when shooting accidents do occur? Or be held liable when and if someone is hurt or killed while following their advice because they were unable to properly access their firearm in an emergency situation? Or will they enjoy blanket immunity when their advice injures or kills as it sometimes does when patients follow their vaccine advice?
Dude you are a one trick pony… no, that can’t be right, we vaccinate horses.
Lol, you’re only upset because you’re a zero trick anything. You might be the easiest poster to rebut and debunk , ever, on this subject.
If my doctor asked me about gun ownership, we would have a VERY long talk about how many people are killed by medical malprectice, how many people have been killed by socialism, Nazi gun control, the abject failure of gun control in the US, the unscientific nature of gun control, etc etc. And she BETTER be able to tell me the 4 rules without stopping to think about it.
This. I’m thinking the proper response is to ask the physician to recite The Four Rules. When they can’t, then say “I won’t tell you how to practice medicine if you don’t tell me how to practice firearm safety.”
Of course, they would probably know the answer to their question when they tell me to take off my pants and I unload the mag and chamber as a safety precaution.
My Gun? Doc you just seen it when You lifted my left nut and ask me to cough.
Meh. You say “I don’t have to answer that”, doctor picks up the phone as soon as you leave and calls in a confiscation order. You didn’t admit to having guns, that clearly means you’re dangerous and planning something.
This isn’t about safety. It’s designed to work in conjunction with red flag laws to turn physicians into agents of confiscation.
Doctor to me: “Do you own any guns?”
Me to doctor: “Have you ever had sexual feelings for a child under the age of ten?”
Heh. Choked on my coffee. Great line 🙂
If ever asked I will simply say I don’t like guns. It wouldn’t be lying either because I love guns!
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