The doctors are speaking out. Is anyone listening? I've asked several of my friends around the country and family members if they know how their doctor feels about government run health care and virtually every single one of them has said that their doctors are opposed to it and most are actively fighting it. I'm sorry to say my own doctor is one of the few who thinks government controlling America's health care would be great. I hear random shot statistics for doctors for and against it and I'm beginning to think some are just pulling a figure out of the air banking that nobody will ask where they got it from. Liberal sources say 77% of doctors are for government run health care. Conservative sources say only 45%. I wish I could hear the doctors who are for it explain why, without it being all Huffington Post talking points. I'd listen, I'd like to understand. There is no doubt that we need health care reform in this country. I don't know anybody who doesn't feel that way and understand the importance. I know there are excellent proposals out there coming from doctors -- but is anybody listening? There is no rational reason for the entire health care system to be thrown out and taken over by government.The liberals rant that the Republicans have their hands deep in the insurance company pockets. But the Democrats have theirs equally as deep in the pharmaceutical & trial lawyer pockets. How the Democrats can look American in the eye and say this has been a bipartisan effort on their part just floors me. To my knowledge not one Republican amendment has made it through. Not one. I know Senator Olympia Snowe (R) ME is their poster child for their gracious bipartisan spirit, but she's one of our finest RINO's who has one foot almost crossed over into Democrat devotion. Arlan Spector comes to mind. Anyway, we know the politicians aren't going to put down their games and my concern is who is going to listen to our doctors?
During the 9/12 March on Washington there were hundreds of doctors who took part. There wasn't any news coverage, of course, but I'd like to point them out here.
From Docs4PatientCare:
Practicing US physicians uniting to represent the interests and concerns of both patients and doctors in the healthcare reform debate. D4PC endorses the concept of needed healthcare reform, but we recognize it can only be accomplished by proceeding in a cautious and responsible manner. Our recommendations will enable us to reach this goal without requiring the nationalization of the entire American healthcare system.
Docs4PatientCare Proposed Alternatives for Effective Healthcare Reform:
- There is no logical reason to hastily pass this legislation by a predetermined deadline. We have one chance to get this right.
- Bring "all" stakeholders together to help assure a meaningful and sustainable reform by considering many recommendations and proposals.
- Adopt a patient-centered approach to healthcare reform that empowers patients and promotes freedom of choice.
- Use the power of government to assist the uninsured obtain health coverage through modification of the tax code, such as tax credits and vouchers.
- Reduce high insurance premiums by opening up patient risk pools across the entire nation, thereby diffusing risk.
- Allow the individual/family to be the "owner" of the policy making their health care coverage portable and available if they lose their job or move to a new place of employment. This will eliminate exclusion from the new employer's plan for a “pre-existing” health issue and also eliminate a waiting period to qualify for enrollment.
- Encourage and expand Health Savings Accounts. Tax-Free savings vehicle for planned and/or unexpected medical expenses.
- Tort Reform. The costs to our healthcare system secondary to the practice of defensive medicine are over $100 billion annually, or $2,000 per family.
- Insurance Reform. Guarantee insurability due to pre-existing illness. Eliminate Insurance company antitrust exemption.
They had their own Doctors Against Obamacare Rally in Washington.
The report from Looking at the Left by El Marco:
September 10, 2009, Washington, D.C.
Today doctors, nurses and other medical professionals came to Washington, D.C. from across the country to show their opposition to Obamacare. This rally exploded the government-created myth that there is unanimity amongst health care professionals for Democrat plans to take over health care. The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons came to D.C. to present a petition from doctors to lawmakers. The AAPS has been a voice for private physicians since 1943. Their motto is Omani pro aegroto, “all for the patient”. The doctors met with the representatives from their respective states and argued for a platform that avoids unnecessary bureaucratic intervention in health care.
Dr. Shannon Norris, a radiologist from Atlanta, holds a People's Cube poster describing Obamacare as offering “the efficiency of the Postal Service, the sustainability of Social Security and all the compassion of the IRS”.
Dr. Steven Ellison, a cardiologist from Georgia, displays graphically how doctors feel about being targeted by a party and president that slander and demonize them. On the podium, speaker after speaker talked about the slurs President Obama has made about doctors performing unnecessary amputations and tonsillectomies out of greed. Not only is it untrue that doctors profit from these procedures, but the premise that they would do such harm to their patients is an insult to doctors.
Dr. Hal Scherz, a pediatric urologist from Atlanta, founded Docs for Patient Care to voice doctors’ opposition to the “big rush” for a big government solution to health care reform. The organization of doctors suggests practical proposals such as tort reform, insurance reform, and opening up insurance pools between states.
Their petition to Congress can be found at TakeBackMedicine.com:
Physicians can no longer allow medical care in this country to be controlled by government and insurance companies
Current reform options purport to be “cure-alls” for every American. But we know that every patient is different, and just like patients, there is no single big-government solution to change health care in this country.
Instead, we need more diversity in solutions. Therefore, I support changes that address the following issues:
Petition point: 1. INDEPENDENCE: Doctors are professionals. They answer to their patients, not the government or an insurance company or any other third party. Treatments should be decided by doctor and patient exclusively.
Petition point: 2. VALUE OUR SERVICES: Physicians have a right to be paid a market-based fee for their services, and to be paid at the time of service or within a reasonable period.
Dr. Lovitt: “Patients, we will cover your backs if you do not tie our hands behind our backs.”
Petition point 3. DOCTORS ARE NOT INSURANCE BILLING CLERKS: Physicians should not be forced to act as billing or collection agents for third-parties, whether private insurance or the government.
Petition point 4. REGULATIONS GET BETWEEN PHYSICIANS & PATIENTS: Excessive regulatory burden on physicians is interfering with patient care. We must decrease regulations, not pass more.
Petition point 5. LIABILITY COSTS MUST BE REDUCED: Costly defensive treatment and tests, and predatory litigation result in excessive liability costs for physicians and patients alike.
Petition point 6. AUTONOMY: Neither physicians nor patients should be forced to participate in government nor private health care plans or programs.
Petition point 8. PRIVACY: Physicians must not be forced to disclose patient records without the express consent of patients.
Dr. Phil Gingery, U.S. Congressman from Georgia addresses the Rally.
Howard Long, from Pleasanton, California is “a country doctor.”
The basic question comes down to who do you want making your health care decisions. Do you want them made in a doctor’s office with men like these? Or do you want them made by bureaucrats and congressional ”staffers.”
Hello? Is anybody listening??Please don't stop writing, calling, faxing, tweeting Congress.
The battle is still going on..
The battle is still going on..
You can hear all of the speeches from the rally here:
http://event.playonsports.com/widget.html?eventId=6843
