Doctors don't want National Health Care?

[LiberalFighter]

Who are these doctors and other health care professionals?

I'm betting that most of them are:

1) Hospital administrators. (Looking to maximize profits.)

2) Doctors that have formed laboratories for the purpose of performing tests on blood, urine and other specimens. (Looking to pad their bank accounts.)

[Wapsie B]

1. Or those working for Big Pharma,

or who've found a way to have an ownership stake in a large DME (home care company)without violating the Stark Law.

[stray cat]

2. doctors get payed for numbers of procedures - medicare reimburses horribly

Medicare pays less than 50% what most insurance companies pay for the same procedure. Some doctors won't treat medicare patients or even insurance patients because the re-imbursement is not sufficiently lucrative. Private payers only.

[LiberalFighter]

3. Those are the type of doctors that everyone should stay away from.

Considering that they are only interested in how much they are paid.

[uponit7771]

8. +1!

[a la izquierda]

4. At a townhall mtg yesterday..

a young woman got up and said something to the effect of: "my husband is in his last year of med school and he'll finish more than $200000 in debt. what about us? who's going to pay us?" I was shocked. I'm going to finish my PhD nearly $100000 in debt. Does that mean I should demand people pay through the nose for their education, so that I can pay off my loans? I knew darn well what I was getting into when I started grad school in CA and then moved to OK to finish it...debt. It'll get paid, because I'll have a job that will help me pay it. Would I love the government to wipe away all of the federal loans I have? certainly, but I knew what I was doing when I took out the loans.

My friend commented that it was too bad her husband didn't get into medicine to actually help people.

[slipslidingaway]

7. This person must be afraid that the government will limit their future

salary, which might not be the case in your field. I would think that most medical students enter the field because they really want to help people, if they were just interested in money then they could work on Wall Street.


Medical student debt and specialty selection

http://pnhp.org/blog/2009/05/04/medical-student-debt-and-specialty-selection/

"....This statement from a highly respected executive of a not-for-profit managed care organization, and this new GAO report, both further confirm what we already knew. Medical students are graduating with excessive debt, and this is likely contributing to the decline in the numbers choosing the primary care specialties..."

[Critters2]

12. I've served on two committees to get physicians to come to small, rural communities.

Those experiences have left me with no respect for doctors. Selfish bastards.

[debbierlus]

5. 14,000 US Physician want Single Payer - here is the link

http://www.pnhp.org/news/2009/march/singlepayer_health_.php

[LiberalFighter]

17. It's a lot more than that.

My post was to identify the reason(s) that doctors don't support it. My belief is that many of them have investment in laboratories and other medical related facilities.

[slipslidingaway]

6. Poll - 59% of physicians favor national health insurance

http://www.pnhp.org/news/2008/march/most_doctors_support.php

http://www.pnhp.org/docsurvey/annals_physician_support.pdf

"...A study published in today’s Annals of Internal Medicine, a leading medical journal, reports that a survey conducted last year of 2,193 physicians across the United States showed 59 percent of them “support government legislation to establish national health insurance,” while 32 percent oppose it and 9 percent are neutral.

The findings reflect a leap of 10 percentage points in physician support for national health insurance (NHI) since 2002, when a similar survey was conducted. At that time, 49 percent of all physician respondents said they supported NHI and 40 percent opposed it.

...In addition to measuring attitudes toward NHI, the survey also asked doctors about their views about “more incremental reform,” often interpreted as state- or federal-based programs requiring or “mandating” that consumers buy health insurance from private insurance companies, legislative measures providing tax incentives to businesses to provide coverage for their employees, or similar steps.

Fewer physicians (55%) were in support of “incremental” reform. Moreover, virtually all those opposed to national health insurance also opposed incremental reform to improve access to care. In fact, only 14% of physicians overall oppose national health insurance but support more incremental reforms. Ironically, many medical organizations and most politicians have endorsed only incremental changes..."

[uponit7771]

9. nice

[slipslidingaway]

10. Good for doctors, shame on the elected officials who silence this opinion...

over 50% of Americans are in favor of a SP system according to this July poll.

http://www.kff.org/kaiserpolls/upload/7945.pdf


The widely cited poll that 72% want a public option never asked the question about SP, maybe I missed the question, but I do not think so. Also the question states "something like Medicare coverage" which as pointed out by Kip Sullivan and Dr. Himmelstein this public option is not like Medicare.

"q68 Would you favor or oppose the government offering everyone a government administered
health insurance plan -- something like the Medicare coverage that people 65 and older
get -- that would compete with private health insurance plans?"

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/06/19/opinion/polls/main5098517.shtml

http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/CBSPOLL_June09a_health_care.pdf

[Craftsman]

11. My Daughters' pediatrician told my wife this week

when she mentioned the health care debate, she the practice she works at will not take any of the new government insurance. They are quitting medicare and medicade, they claim to many hoops to jump thru, takes to long to pay, and does not pay enough.

[Critters2]

13. And you trust your daughter's care to someone who won't treat the poor?

No reason to think she really cares about your child, either.

I ask my providers whether they accept medicaid, even though I've never been on Medicaid. But I won't support any provider who doesn't care for the poor.

Oh, and you should hear the responses when I ask if they accept medicaid, because they assume I'm a recipient.

Selfish bastards.

[Craftsman]

14. A lot of doctors are dropping Medicare and medicaid

It is very hard for a new patient to find a doctor who will treat them on those these days.

[Critters2]

15. Right. And those of us who have choices should choose NOT to

do business with those who won't. I won't.

[Craftsman]

16. That is your choice.