See how evil Gov't is? Forcing Doctors to take a 10% pay cut! Oh wait...it's NOT the Gov't????

[Roland99]

UofL physicians say Humana wants to cut compensation by 10 percent
http://www.wave3.com/Global/story.asp?S=12344982

Physicians at the University of Louisville are in a dispute with Humana over insurance payments, and thousands of patients are caught in the middle. The issues are similar to those that had Anthem and Norton Healthcare battling in 2009.

...

According to Rabalais, physicians at UofL received a letter from Humana in 2009 announcing its intent to end their contract effective in July 1, 2010. In February, Humana offered to extend the contract, but only if the doctors would accept a 10 percent reduction in payments.

Rabalais says that would cut the incomes of physicians practicing at UofL by $1.8 million a year.

"Humana reimbursements to UofL physicians are the lowest of all the commercial payers in the area," Rabalais said. "Humana is a full profit-driven business that had a 61 percent profit growth in 2008 through 2009."

Sure is a good thing we don't have Single Payer, though. Whew!

[OHdem10]

1. Can it be???? The Medical Profession are being made to face

the fact they are not exempt when it comes to Globalization Crisis.

As Americans have watched their incomes and standard of living
drop, Professionals, Teachers Lawyers Doctors etc were beginning
to act as if they were immune. Common Sense Folks. If Americans
cannot afford to pay high taxes and certainly cannot afford to
pay high Medical Bills, it stands to reason they( Professionals) must harmonize downward to fill the goals of globalization.

In 2006 40 Million job dislocations predicted including Professionals.

Does anyone really believe all the layoffs, downsizing can be
laid at the feet of the Bank Disasters??? No, it is better
not to discuss Free Trade Policies. I said Free Trade. No
one can accuse me of Protectionism. I maintain Trade Policy
was mismanaged. The Mantra: Let the Market work its will.
"The Invisible Hand" will solve all problems. We have seen the results
and landed in the ditch.

[elias7]

2. What's the basis for that statement?

I'm a physician, I took a pay cut; my wife is a teacher and saw her department at the university cut out... no department, no job. Please opine on what you know about, not on what you think you know.

[malaise]

4. Everyone is taking cuts except the

middlemen who do nothing but rob those who actually do the work. I find that very strange.

[supernova]

8. That's it in a nutshell

The middle guys who used to act as "go betweens" including insurance cos, are now thinking they are the ones who are the most important part of the economic equation. Time for them to take some major hits so the rest of us can use our talents and be justly compensated.

[OHdem10]

5. I do not understand which statement:you reference.

Here is a start. Shortly after the 2006 election, Pres.Bush
was giving a state of the economy speech. Not the formal
State of the Union.

Senator Schumer held a Banking Committee (specially called)
to give the Democratic View of the state of the economy.

Testifying before the committee were Robert Rubin, Larry Sommers
Alan Blinder and a Professor of Econonics (Nothwestern).

The picture painted was a very grim one. They admitted
Trade Policies(like Nafta) had not worked out as they hoped
and planned. To be fair Rubin said Technological Advances
had to be considered as contributing also.

These same witnesses also appeared on CharlieRose repeating
and going into more detail. Charlie Roses' Archives probably
still have the tapes and probably for a fee one could obtain
transcripts. The Congressional Record probably still holds
minutes of meeting. This meeting was never covered by MSM.
If you were not watching C-Span, you missed it.\

Anyway a very grim picture was painted of the changes that
had started and would continue to occur in our country.

We all know Globalization has as its goal--equalizing of standard
of living around the world. America has a living standard
that is so much higher than other countries it cannot be sustained.
Our workers are paid so much higher wages that an item
is so much more expensive the other countries cannot afford to
buy them. Besides that, Corporations have left American seeking
the cheapest labor and sell the items back here in the US.
This could only work so long. Americans losing jobs mean
they cannot buy the cheap stuff being sent here.
INSTEAD OF RAISING WAGES IN POORER COUNTRIES, American wages
are going down.

I do not want to prattle on forever, but this is a beginning,
I hope.

[elias7]

9. I'm referencing this one:

"As Americans have watched their incomes and standard of living
drop, Professionals, Teachers Lawyers Doctors etc were beginning
to act as if they were immune".

I apologize if I took it as derogatory. It's just that of the many doctors, professors and professionals I know, very few think or speak that way, i.e. that they are immune from globalization...

Do you know such people personally?

[safeinOhio]

3. One solution to health care cost

would be to allow more foreign doctors into the country and allow credit for previous experience go toward residency. Of course they would have to pass all test. The long term goal should be to get more doctors into the US system. In the short term we are lacking GPs across this country. The shortage of MDs drives up cost. Unlike IT workers, there are few unemployed doctors. This is about the only time I would agree to importing more workers. Also, to agree to come here they could be asked to take jobs in rural areas and other places that lack GPs.

[NNN0LHI]

6. 10% of what? What were they making before the 10% pay reduction?

Notice they don't mention that when it comes to "professional" workers? Like they don't want us to know or something?

Now if this were autoworkers or teachers they would take what they actually make and multiply that by five and say thats what they make.

Don

[Roland99]

7. Well, it's obvious as to why. Come on!

Those lazy-ass autoworkers just stand still all day and slap a wiper blade on a car and get paid $50/hr and the gov't has to bail them out and it makes cars so expensive to own and......


As for those socialist, liberal, gay-agenda-pushing teachers....oh....don't get me started!!!