Yes, there’s doctor retiring in Kentucky. No, I don’t care.

Yes, I’ve seen this:

https://twitter.com/amandacarpenter/status/410419385849749504

Where to start? First, it turns out this doctor is retiring because he doesn’t want to get an electronic health record. Fine. That’s his choice. But EHR incentives and/or penalties aren’t part of the ACA. They’re part of the HITECH Act (which was part of ARRA). Those are not the same thing.

That doesn’t stop the doctor from blaming Obamacare. That doesn’t stop many ACA opponents from tweeting this ad (and it’s an ad, not a story) over and over again. But none of that makes any of this true.

Moreover, it’s an anecdote. An older doctor doesn’t want to update his practice to join the electronic age. So he’s quitting. So be it; that’s his right. Just don’t expect me to shift the policy of the entire United States because of that.

@aaronecarroll

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