Doctors Back Obama-Biden

[Hope And Change]

Doctors Back Obama-Biden

By http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/person/gGNnYR">Amanda Scott - Oct 4th, 2008 at 6:10 pm EDT


More than 5,000 practicing and academic physicians across the United States sign on to support the Obama-Biden http://www.barackobama.com/issues/healthcare/">health care plan.

Physicians from all across the nation, from practice and from academic medicine, have come together in support of the Obama – Biden ticket, convinced that electing these leaders will be the first step in ensuring that all Americans have access to a quality, affordable and secure health care.

The contrast between the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates with respect to America's health crisis could not be starker. 45 million uninsured, rising costs of coverage and erosion of benefits for those with coverage are some of the issues that many Americans face every day. Furthermore, the on-going fiscal crisis gripping the nation makes the need for reforming the health care system even more compelling. At $2 trillion and climbing, the cost of care in America is itself in crisis and needs meaningful reform as a first order priority for a new administration.

At the same time, physicians and hospitals see the practice of medicine and the delivery of quality health care becoming increasingly difficult. Deteriorating conditions of medical practice are discouraging doctors from going into primary care specialties like family medicine and pediatrics. Hospital emergency rooms are jam packed with patients desperate for care that has become unaffordable or unavailable. Furthermore, doctors from many of the nation's most prestigious medical centers have also grown increasingly concerned that support for research that can lead to cures of cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's Disease and other deadly conditions is simply inadequate.

"Now more than ever we must cut health care costs for families and businesses facing this financial crisis, and provide affordable, accessible health insurance for every single American. I am heartened to see so many doctors speaking out about this issue and honored to have them join me and Joe Biden in this fight," said Senator Barack Obama. "At a time when rising costs have put too many families and businesses on a collision course with financial ruin and left too many without coverage at all, our doctors know that band aids and half-measures just won't do. People all across the spectrum – Democrats and Republicans, doctors, nurses and patients – we are joining together to solve this problem now. We cannot afford to wait."

And according to co-chairman of Doctors for Obama-Biden 2008, Dr. David Blumenthal, "Many aspects of the health care system are broken. We need to be training more primary care physicians – and make sure that they have the incentives to stay in practice where they are most needed. And we must bring the medical research budgets supported by the NIH up to levels that will allow medical science to find the cures to many of our most serious health care challenges. Senators Obama and Biden understand these challenges and are prepared to do what it takes to address these basic concerns. Senator McCain simply doesn't seem to understand what's at stake." Dr. Blumenthal is director, Institute for Health Policy, Massachusetts General Hospital and the Samuel O. Thier Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

According to Dr. Irwin Redlener, co-chairman of Doctors for Obama-Biden, "The fact is that Senators Obama and Biden clearly understand the growing health care crisis. They are offering a series of proposals that will bring affordability, stability and quality to every aspect of the health care system". Furthermore, Dr. Redlener underscores the point to that "Americans who like their current coverage and their own physicians will see no change, other than a lower annual out of pocket cost of care. It's only those that are dissatisfied with the cost or quality of the care they're getting, or those who have no coverage at all, who will have new, affordable options – including access to similar health care plans to those enjoyed by members of Congress. Senator McCain's plan will do nothing to control the costs of care for the average American or do anything to improve the quality or accessibility of medical care in the U.S." Dr. Redlener, a pediatrician, is professor of Population and Family Health at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.

In the Obama-Biden plan doctors can see a clear path to solving problems that have become epidemic throughout the country. Dr. Chris Barley, an internal medicine physician at New York-Cornell Medical Center, said, "The health care crisis has wide-ranging consequences for families, as well as the economy in general. Too many families are forced to choose between paying high rates of health insurance or paying the rent or heating bills. In addition, more and more employers are dropping coverage and benefits for their employees because of sky-rocketing costs." The doctors' group noted that the national cost of health care had risen from approximately $1 trillion in 2000 to $2 trillion in 2005. For families, between 2000 and 2007, wages have risen about 24% compared health insurance costs which have soared more than 95%.

Expressing concerns about the state of the nation's public health system and safety net for vulnerable populations, H. Jack Geiger, MD, said, "Disparities in health care and great gaps in the availability of quality health care for all Americans is a major problem. Few if any health care plans cover the full range of preventive services that would help doctors and their patients control the ravages of chronic illness. Many of us in the public health community greatly appreciate Senator Obama's commitment to addressing these fundamental challenges in his first term as president." Dr. Geiger is founder of the nation's community health care network and Logan professor emeritus at the City of New York Medical School.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/amandascott/gGxGHt">http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/amandascott/gGxGHt

[WheelWalker]

1. Kick!

:kick:

[Tarheel_Dem]

2. k&r..........nt

[Rosa Luxemburg]

3. This is really important!

[Cha]

4. Excellent..this should get some

people thinking and thinking twice.

[Duppers]

5. that's a significant number to SIGN on to support Obama

but, for a perspective, there are 633,000+ physicians in the US.

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos074.htm



I'm sorry, but I have a very negative attitude toward physicians, based on my personal observation of their greed.

[TZ]

6. This is still good news

And can I say that from my personal observations (I have chronic illness and recently went to Mayo for treatment) I have yet to encounter the stereotypic "greedy" physician. All the doctors I have been to have had my welfare foremost in mind..to the point of doing things to help with my sometimes questionable insurance standings (giving me free meds ect).
If you look at multiple surveys of physicians most of them WANT a fix for health care..They HATE being overrruled by bean counting insurance idiots...

[Duppers]

7. I agree. It's great news.

Yes, and in fact, it is more than just 5,000. I found, after doing a bit of research:
"14,000 physicians, medical students and health professionals supports universal health care"
http://www.pnhp.org/facts/single_payer_resources.php

However, Jody pointed out:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4337067&mesg_id=4337191

T-Sue, my observations does not apply to the BEST physicians in this country. Not at all.
My husband was recently treated for cancer at Johns Hopkins Hospital where he got not only the most outstanding care but the most personal, respectful treatment at a reasonable cost.

However, have you visited a dermatologist lately? I take issue with every dermatologist's bill I have received in the past 10 yrs. My hubby, who has had to have several moles removed over that course of time, was charged $600 for one mole removed in-office, plus an additional $600+ for the biopsy and analysis. He changed dermatologist, of course, but they seem to have a monopoly going for their speciality.

They, like some others I know, are indeed greedy; they soils the noble heritage of their profession.

More history:
My hubby and I are/were PERSONAL friends with 5 physicians, 4 of whom admit they are/were motivated by money and prestige.
One, Lisa P., graduated fr Duke Medical School and practices in outside of Atlanta.
Larry W., graduated from UT Medical School, practices in Greeneville, TN.
Dr. Stephen V., our current physician whom we've become friends with, practices in Virginia and openly brags that he'll soon be able to retire before the age of 50 with over 5M+ in assets.
Then there is our dear friend, Ron Goans (who will not mind my using his name) who regularly volunteers his time and services to Planned Parenthood, who volunteers with Stan Brock's organization, RAM (60 Minutes did a special of their service in the Knoxville area last year). His motivation is compassion and service.

Then there's my husband high school friend, who within one semester of graduating with his MD from UT Med School was killed in a motorcycle accident. We started the John W. Lott Memorial Scholarship in his name many yrs ago. Johnny was an amazing person, but he admitted one of his main motivations in choosing medicine over music (he was an award winning pianist) was money.

When my hubby had surgery for his cancer, his anesthesiologist was having the usually pre-op conversation and, being friendly, I said that my son's fiance was planning to go to med school (another one in it for the money and prestige, believe me). She said "tell her to go into either radiology or dermatology. Anesthesiologists don't make the big bucks." I thought that the strangest statement, since she automatically assume a medical career was about money!

You questioned my personal observations, you got details.

I wonder if you did a poll of DUers, how many would think that the physicians they know put compassion and services above their greater financial interests.

However, I do agree with you that insurance companies are the larger bad guys in this issue.

[TZ]

8. Thank you for that.

I have had no experience with Dermatologists..I think it might be one of the fields like Cosmetic Surgery which tends to attract the more profit minded people thats possible.
My experience is with hematologists and oncologists..a real rough field with a lot of painful nasty diseases..I think those fields tend to attract the type that wan't to help sick and suffering.
I don't doubt that for many the money is something they consider, but the ones I've known have been the more science minded types--who want to help...Same as my profession..the money is decent and yes me and my coworkers do look at potential jobs with salary in mind but we also are looking for interesting science/cutting edge technology/wanting to contribute.
I could say that wanting to make money is not NECESSARILY exclusive to wanting to help people but thats not a popular opinion here on DU, where many do frown on Western Medicine as being overly profit driven (not entirely without cause either)