Boy, just when you think the medical profession might want to revolt against the status quo, the fat-cats that Gawande described here are signing up for feeding off the weakened corpse of the American healthcare industry. There must be a lot of doctors ashamed of being associated with such a corrupt and selfish organization today.
Posted by Mary at June 11, 2009 12:45 AMI'm happy my primary care physician is on the list. Too bad he's on campus and I soon won't be.... Where the hell is my choice in that?
Posted by Sharon at June 11, 2009 05:25 AMLet's see, "the restriction of a new public plan threatens to restrict patient choice...." MORE insurance options mean LESS choice, got it.
Competition always COULD drive out poor competitors, that's its point. The competing companies must react to market changes and new market entrants, that's the idea of the Holy Free Market. But Repubs can't manage understanding intellectual principles, even when they are supposedly the ones they trumpet!
So it all boils down to the fact its a gub'mint plan. Conservatism 101 states that the Idiot Gub'mint can't accomplish anything, anywhere---it's too incompetent and inefficient. Except in the health care insurance game, apparently, where it'll drive dozens of giant, decades old corporate providers into liquidation before you can say "for profit".
GM is now (according to wingnuts) "gub'mint controlled", so it must be poised on the brink of another gub'mint monoply over autos, too! Who thinks that, again? Oh yeah, no one.
The nation's doctors care more about protecting their (absurdly large) wallets than the health of the nation's citizens. Gee, wonder what the ABA thinks about single payer? The doctors will fight tooth and nail the most modest reform possible. Thanks, Doc!
That's not a surprise, especially in this failed nation. Every privileged person only looks at the direct monetary impact on themselves. American Exceptionalism.
Posted by euzoius at June 11, 2009 07:42 AMSeems like I want my primary care Doctors to be more interested in my health than the bottom line.
Posted by Seven of Six at June 11, 2009 08:01 AMWhen discussing, or condemning, the AMA, we should keep in mind that they represent less than 19% of practicing physicians. Just like AARP has ALWAYS been an insurance industry scam, with a few sweeteners to draw in the suckers, the AMA has ALWAYS resisted progressive health care reforms.
According to some of the criticisms in the Wikipedia article, they've been accused of actually suppressing the total number of physicians in order to keep fees high. There are several current diaries at the big Orange by MDs who excoriate the AMA and swear they've never been members. I believe them. I suspect that the "leadership" of this august organization has always been the 8-figure specialists and businessmen who like health care the way it is, thank you very much.
This creepy crew has explained that the current scam er, system can't be jeapordized by competition! HORRORS! Don't you know almost 70% of Americans are well served by health care of the wealthy, by the wealthy and FOR the wealthy now. The other 30% (90 MILLION Americans) Eh! Physician, first, do no harm?
They are HUGE political contributors who usually favor Republics heavily, until Dems win. Overall, I'd say they are a pretty despicable group. When Obama "talks" to them on Monday(?), he should tell them, no doubt politely, that they're dead wrong and to get the Hell out of the way. Anybody think he will?
Posted by DeminNewJ at June 11, 2009 11:29 AM...MDs who excoriate the AMA and swear they've never been members. I believe them. I suspect that the "leadership" of this august organization has always been the 8-figure specialists and businessmen who like health care the way it is, thank you very much.
My wife has never joined the AMA. She supports major healthcare reform but is doubtful it will ever occur on anything greater than a piecemeal level because of the resistance that will be put up by the entrenched interests.
Not all physicians have "absurdly large wallets". Median income for doctors in the US with 20+ years of experience is less than $200,000. Given the amount of professional training required and the often terrible hours that many doctors work this is not out of line in my opinion. There are plenty of doctors who take the job because they want to help people. Believe me, there are many less rigorous ways to develop an oversized wallet than by becoming a physician.
Posted by snark at June 11, 2009 12:15 PMThere's a private joke there between Snark and I, but I'm not going to pop it.
Most physicians, when asked broadly, ultimately support whatever system that will make patient choice as broad as possible. When in combination with other moderate or conservative views in regards to governmental efficiency or bureaucracy, you can see why they become resistant to Single-Payer or even simple Medicare expansion. They are,like most of the population, simply too busy or uninterested in listening to the political debate until polemicist or rhetorician hits them in the ass with something they can't ignore. We have a lot of work to do in educating the doctors and nurses in supporting progressive ideas.