There's a bill on the House floor...

[ramseycat]

I don't see why a doctor needs to know I own a gun. How is that relevant to my exam? Unless I come in with a GSW, it's not important.

[Duchess]

I don't see why a doctor needs to know I own a gun.

He/she doesn't need to know. They are in the business of providing health care, nothing more, nothing less.

[Cynical Ninja]

Doctors take care of peoples health and leaving loaded guns lying around willy nilly and accessible to children can be detrimental to peoples health. A doctor is as justified in asking if you keep your guns locked up as they are in asking if you keep your pills locked up.

Both can cause physical harm and a doctors job is to treat and/or prevent physical harm.

[Duchess]

Don't apply other peoples irresponsible behavior to me. I'm not compelled to tell anyone what is in my home and that's the response anyone will get if I'm asked

*yawn*.

[sally]

The bill says that doctors wouldn't be prohibited from asking patients about guns in their homes, it didn't say patients are required by law to tell them. They ask if you do recreational drugs on the paperwork, but you certainly don't have to tell them that either if you don't want to. So again I don't see what that the big deal is since it would be aimed more towards mental health and pediatrics.

[Maggot]

I hate giving out my ssn. and always ask what they need it for and the privacy policy. Sometimes they cannot produce the policy and then say "well we can skip that for now" Always question people always.

[HairOfTheDog]

The bill says that doctors wouldn't be prohibited from asking patients about guns in their homes, it didn't say patients are required by law to tell them. They ask if you do recreational drugs on the paperwork, but you certainly don't have to tell them that either if you don't want to. So again I don't see what that the big deal is since it would be aimed more towards mental health and pediatrics.

You're right.

It's not a big deal. It was part of the Executive Action enacted by Obama. It wasn't included in the gun safety bill and wasn't subject to vote. It's a done deal. It was just a clarification that Obama-care doesn't prohibit doctors from asking and patients don't have to answer. Same as before Obama-care.

I'll post the background in the Gun thread.

[Duchess]

So basically they ask just for the hell of it.

[HairOfTheDog]

So basically they ask just for the hell of it.

I don't think so.

As sally said, these are primarily physicians who deal with pediatrics and the mentally ill. They ask the same things about medications/drugs in the house, helmets and such as part of "wellness" awareness for their patients.

If someone has something to hide or just fears revealing the truth, they'll just lie or not answer. The end.

Some guardians might not be aware of the dangers to kids or mentally ill in their environment though. If they answer honestly and there's a safety issue in the home, the doctor can then provide them with guidance. That's it.

P.s. Yeah, you'd think that everybody would know what's safe and what's not in their home. But, we see news stories almost daily that make it pretty damn clear that's not the case.

[Duchess]

P.s. Yeah, you'd think that everybody would know what's safe and what's not in their home. But, we see news stories almost daily that make it pretty damn clear that's not the case.

It all leads back to the people, not the gun.

I can't explain why I'm so goddamn argumentative about this. I'm not normally like a dog with a bone when it comes to issues, I understand that people have differing opinions and I usually leave it at that. It's probably just one more way that I suck.

[HairOfTheDog]

P.s. Yeah, you'd think that everybody would know what's safe and what's not in their home. But, we see news stories almost daily that make it pretty damn clear that's not the case.

It all leads back to the people, not the gun.

I can't explain why I'm so goddamn argumentative about this. I'm not normally like a dog with a bone when it comes to issues, I understand that people have differing opinions and I usually leave it at that. It's probably just one more way that I suck.

My view has always been that it's about the people too - probably stated that more than 100 times in the Gun thread. That's why I don't support gun bans against all citizens, but support universal background checks to help keep them out of the hands of the wrong people.

In this case, if doctors can keep some kids or mentally-ill from dying because their guardians don't have enough common sense to realize how to safely store medications, cleaners, guns and such in the home, that's a good thing.

[HairOfTheDog]

Bullshit!! I bet the vast majority of women would support this bill. Another case of the extremists ruling the roost.

Yeah, I think she was reaching with the "vast majority of women" statement too.

I don't object to a ban on abortions after 22 weeks.

I don't think this bill will pass the Senate. I think it will die and be taken up again when another Dr. Gossell-type case or something equally tragic related to late term abortions hits the news.

[username]

P.s. Yeah, you'd think that everybody would know what's safe and what's not in their home. But, we see news stories almost daily that make it pretty damn clear that's not the case.

It all leads back to the people, not the gun.

I can't explain why I'm so goddamn argumentative about this. I'm not normally like a dog with a bone when it comes to issues, I understand that people have differing opinions and I usually leave it at that. It's probably just one more way that I suck.

My view has always been that it's about the people too - probably stated that more than 100 times in the Gun thread. That's why I don't support gun bans against all citizens, but support universal background checks to help keep them out of the hands of the wrong people.

In this case, if doctors can keep some kids or mentally-ill from dying because their guardians don't have enough common sense to realize how to safely store medications, cleaners, guns and such in the home, that's a good thing.

I've gone round and round on this but I've come to the conclusion that I don't think people have a "right" to own tanks, RPG's or semi automatic assault weapons with high capacity magazines for shits and giggles. With regards to other guns, I don't care but every effort should be made to keep them out of the hands of the crazies.

[Maggot]

Maybe I will say "I don't know"

[Jimbone]

If there is a mental health concern the question makes sense, but otherwise this is nonsense. Imagine how many questions they would have to ask to ascertain if your home is 'safe' for children or the mentally infirm.

Do you have a knife block? Are your knives kept in an unprotected drawer? Are your cleaning chemicals stored in a locked cabinet or out of reach? Do you have adequate railings around your deck? Do you have stairs? Do you have a safety gate for those stairs? Do you have electricity in the house? Are your outlets protected? Are your stove knobs accessible to children? Do you own gardening shears? Are they kept in a locked case or out of reach? Do you shave your legs or face with a razor? Is that razor accessible to children in bathroom? Do you have a swimming pool? Is it locked and gated as required by law? Are there plastic bags in the house? Is there easy access to them?

And on and on and on.

It all comes back to personal responsibility.

[sally]

They already do ask most of those questions, every time I take the baby for a checkup they give me a safety questionnaire to fill out. Who really fucking cares, it doesn't affect you in anyway and if it prevents one parent from doing something stupid then it at least did something.

[Cynical Ninja]

Do you have a knife block? Are your knives kept in an unprotected drawer? Are your cleaning chemicals stored in a locked cabinet or out of reach? Do you have adequate railings around your deck? Do you have stairs? Do you have a safety gate for those stairs? Do you have electricity in the house? Are your outlets protected? Are your stove knobs accessible to children? Do you own gardening shears? Are they kept in a locked case or out of reach? Do you shave your legs or face with a razor? Is that razor accessible to children in bathroom? Do you have a swimming pool? Is it locked and gated as required by law? Are there plastic bags in the house? Is there easy access to them?

None of those things were invented or designed with primary purpose of killing people as efficiently as possible. An assault weapons primary purpose is to put as many people as possible in bodybags as quickly and efficiently as possible.

[Jimbone]

Well guess what?

They might not be designed to kill, but most of those things in my questionnaire are FAR deadlier to children than firearms.

But keep flailing around chanting 'guns guns guns guns guns'. It's like watching a monkey fling shit at the zoo.

[Jimbone]

They already do ask most of those questions, every time I take the baby for a checkup they give me a safety questionnaire to fill out. Who really fucking cares, it doesn't affect you in anyway and if it prevents one parent from doing something stupid then it at least did something.

Questionnaire or pamphlet is fine to raise awareness... but making it a healthcare providers responsibility detracts from their primary role.

[sally]

They already do ask most of those questions, every time I take the baby for a checkup they give me a safety questionnaire to fill out. Who really fucking cares, it doesn't affect you in anyway and if it prevents one parent from doing something stupid then it at least did something.

Questionnaire or pamphlet is fine to raise awareness... but making it a healthcare providers responsibility detracts from their primary role.

It doesn't say that it's their responsibility to ask, it just says they're not prohibited from it.

It doesn't matter because as HotD said it wasn't part of the back ground check bill anyway, it was just a clarification and physicians already have the right to ask under the affordable care act. But the fact that people would be against something so miniscule that wouldn't affect them at all is just further proof that the "gun nuts" will find any excuse to shoot down any bill that comes along.