Boston Proposes State Law Requiring Doctors to Ask About Guns In the Home

Given that banks/cc companies started refusing to do business with gun-related businesses, I see the most likely result of this database info being that insurance companies will "rate" or refuse coverage to people who own guns . . . for homeowners, medical, etc. Remember everything in those databases is fair game to the medical records clearing houses that the insurance companies share info with.
 
Remember folks, they will be asking your children this question, too.

How many kids will rat out their parents simply because they don't know any better or are just too young to understand the consequences?

And then how long will it be before they pass a law making it a felony to answer the question falsely?

f*** this shit, seriously.

While I agree they will hit up kids with this question and have.

Making it a felony to lie would be a stretch. Especially for kids. WTF.

And you always have a right to remain silent under the constitution and bill of rights.

Very simple....when my kids were little I told them if asked to say. I dont know.

As they got older and my son who was 18 and asked that question before surgery last year answered “ what does that have to do with my surgery?” They couldnt answer, so he said ....NEXT.
 
Given that banks/cc companies started refusing to do business with gun-related businesses, I see the most likely result of this database info being that insurance companies will "rate" or refuse coverage to people who own guns . . . for homeowners, medical, etc. Remember everything in those databases is fair game to the medical records clearing houses that the insurance companies share info with.

Yeah....but really. Medical records are what they will go on???

How about social media? Or Records of LTC’s or hunting licenses, various other records or bills.

Its not really that hard to find out if someone is a gun owner.
 
Given that banks/cc companies started refusing to do business with gun-related businesses, I see the most likely result of this database info being that insurance companies will "rate" or refuse coverage to people who own guns . . . for homeowners, medical, etc. Remember everything in those databases is fair game to the medical records clearing houses that the insurance companies share info with.

It wouldn't surprise me if some doctors/medical groups began refusing to treat gun owners. I know it sounds simple, change docs, but in the real world in MA sometimes it's not that easy. My kids require specialists of the neuro/psych variety, among others. It was hard enough to get them to the specialists affiliated w/ the big pediatric hospital in Boston. It's not inconceivable that my kids' docs might someday make an issue of my gun ownership, particularly in the guise of my children being mentally unfit/incapable to be around guns (which is essentially true, which is why they don't have access to any guns). Both my kids go to a private school, one of the best in the country for their condition, one of them lives in a residential facility (group home) affiliated with the school where they handle the bulk of the medical care through their affiliated specialists. When I pull into the parking lot there's no shortage of Obama, Coexist, Liz Warren, Greenepace, etc. bumper stickers. They'd be apoplectic if they had any idea what I have at home. I also had to move heaven and earth to get them in that school/home. Even under normal circumstances it's difficult to get typical kids into pediatric practices or even for adults to get into decent Primary Care practices so standing on principle isn't always without repercussions. So I say no and leave it at that. Who knows if someday they'll make it a crime to answer the question falsely, and of course the State knows who owns what in MA.
 
Start having a panic attack and hyperventilating when they mention the word gun.;):D
 
Sadly, it's too late for me. [thinking] My doctor helped me years ago with one of my shooting-related ailments. Would be kind of laughable to tell him now that I lost them all in a tragic boating accident. [laugh]
 
Think how many people lie about how much they drink to docs.
When they talk about storage you could start describing how the man with the Goldman gun stores his gun on James Bond. See how long you can keep him going
 
The answer is no.
Thinking those records will stay private forever if they are not already compromised is a joke.
Plus being mandated reporters , should you get one that makes Maura look like a lifelong Republican , they might just decide that you owning guns is a mental condition in itself and you might find yourself the recipient if a shiny new EPRO.
Might sound far fetched , but you had one in Boston decide he was the new owner of a 16 year old girl from CT,. and had her held against her will for how long ?
You want him holding your fate in his hands?

Kids should never be left alone with anyone period. Doctor has a problem with that ? Time for a new one.

It's a damn shame that a lot of people in the medical profession are pissing away what should be one of the most trusted relationships.
 
I gave a more flippant idea earlier. Best thing is to straight up lie and say no. The next step is training docs that owning a gun is a sign of depression. They will have 'science' to prove it. Thus if a patient answers yes they are by default depressed and it is red flag time. Just lie, no games. Even if you've talked guns with your doc before. If they aren't shooters they will just uncheck the box without question same as if you quit smoking or drinking. They don't have time for questions and if they aren't gun people it isn't going to sound suspicious.
 
I've said it before. My Dr already knows as she saw some GOAL shirt I was wearing.

Now we can all get entered into a medical history report to follow us around for life. What a country.
 
I'm so happy with people shitting in the streets, leaving needles everywhere including playgrounds on a daily basis, doing heroin in broad daylight and overdosing dozens of times per day, that our paste eating Mayor has his priorities straight.

I am also quite amused that the local media can't handle or celebrate our new black transgender Republican City Councilor because of the wrong letter after their name. Heaven forbid they live up to their own rules.
 
I've said it before. My Dr already knows as she saw some GOAL shirt I was wearing.

Now we can all get entered into a medical history report to follow us around for life. What a country.
Non gun people don't necessarily notice that stuff. And people still wear shirts from hobbies they no longer participate in. Just say no. Yes I know gun owners generally never give up the hobby, at least fully. They don't know that, and don't care they have a ton of shit in their heads and are working from a script, just say no.
 
so a licensed person is asked. the doctor reports it to the .gov. the .gov does a records check to see the patient has an LTC further investigation reveals several firearms registered in the patient's name. warrant is issued. guns are found in the home. patient loses LTC and has now perjured him/herself so they are a prohibited person in Mass. and perhaps elsewhere depending on how severe they make this new crime.

Luckily, lying to your doctor isn't perjury. Can you imagine?

"Yes doc, I've been exercising"
 
Non gun people don't necessarily notice that stuff. And people still wear shirts from hobbies they no longer participate in. Just say no. Yes I know gun owners generally never give up the hobby, at least fully. They don't know that, and don't care they have a ton of shit in their heads and are working from a script, just say no.
So the lead test I requested wasn’t the final straw? She asked me point blank if I worked with lead paint. I laughed and said I do a lot of indoor shooting. Granted, this was on another visit.
I will be damned of hiding the fact of who I am and what I do. I don’t like it being possibly being part of my permanent medical history with this stupid state.
 
When your Doctor asks you about your guns, just pull out your wallet, flip open the plastic accordion photo holder and start telling him all about your "babies"

"Here's my oldest. She's a M1911A1 I got from my uncle after the war"
"And here is my newest. Cute little .380 ain't he?"
"This one was my first ND, we call her 'The accident' "
"Here we are on vacation at the Shot Show in Vegas..."

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I do have stairs, cleaning chemicals, power tools, a couple cars, flammables, numerous kitchen knives, foods containing trans fats, plastic bags, electrical outlets, bathtubs, gas appliances, internal combustion engines, chest freezers, propane tanks, peanuts, ropes and strings, sporting goods...

Shoot, a fella could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff.

Luckily, lying to your doctor isn't perjury. Can you imagine?

"Yes doc, I've been exercising"
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I gave a more flippant idea earlier. Best thing is to straight up lie and say no. The next step is training docs that owning a gun is a sign of depression. They will have 'science' to prove it. Thus if a patient answers yes they are by default depressed and it is red flag time. Just lie, no games. Even if you've talked guns with your doc before. If they aren't shooters they will just uncheck the box without question same as if you quit smoking or drinking. They don't have time for questions and if they aren't gun people it isn't going to sound suspicious.

They're practically begging for people to get belligerent with the doctor, who can then turn around and use your response as cause for removal of guns from your home, involuntary mental health hold, sic the DCF on you if you have kids.

Also you can bet they will have mandatory "education" for all doctors along the lines of "So, folks, you better make sure you check that question because you know what, if you do not check that question and they go home and kill themselves or someone else, boy you will be in trouble. Civil penalties, criminal penalties, WHOOOO."

So yeah, your gun loving friend doc will be following orders, just like your gun loving friend cop. Sure some docs in private practice will ignore it, but who will care.
 
I've said it before. My Dr already knows as she saw some GOAL shirt I was wearing.

Now we can all get entered into a medical history report to follow us around for life. What a country.
I only wear my “Hillary is my President” shirt and my Bernie bracelet, question will never be asked

One question though. What if during the prostate exam you state you identify as a woman, would he need to run out and get a gynecologist?
 
Very interesting actually.

Right now there is a law that if a doctor prescribes a controlled substance, they have to check the state database of controlled substance prescriptions which lists every controlled substance you've been prescribed.
This is easy to check - did the doctor precribe something and if they did, is there a record of them accessing the database the day prescription was written. So, if the state thinks some doctors are not doing their due diligence, all they need is to run a database check.

Now how are they going to enforce the gun law?

Obviously this will be yet another checkbox in the electronic medical record system, very likely it will be asked even before you see the doctor by the medical assistant or the nurse, the usual million questions they type and click before each visit now (do you drink, do you smoke crack, are you being abused, etc).

Most doctors are employed by large organizations like Partners, UMass, etc, etc.
So, state passes the law.
Partners CEO says, ok, eh, new law, we got to put in one more checkbox for you guys to click on.
End of the year they run reports on all doctors.
After that, who knows.
The organization will probably deal with it the way they deal with other "quality metrics" - punish doctors who fail them. You failed the gun violence metric - get fined $5000.

Of course if they are really hardcore they could do whatever they want - they could pull a few medical licenses just to scare everyone else.

You'd be surprised how difficult it is to get a doctor to do something he doesn't want to do.
 
What if during the prostate exam you state you identify as a woman, would he need to run out and get a gynecologist?
No, they only need to run out and get a speculum,
in order to widen the search.

Or in other words,
if you like pelvic exam,
identify as a woman -
because that's how you get more pelvic exam.
 
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