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Should doctors be more politically active in healthcare debates? Discuss today's Blowback.
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1.
It is high time we took our profession back, once again regain the very high ground with our patients and show these special interests the door.
We can only win this battle by enlisting the American people. I am afraid that leadership is sorely lacking in the AMA at this time. It has been for some time.
2. What we have allowed to happen, and by we I mean doctors and the public as well, is to let various special interests ranginf from the Insurers, the Pharmaceutical industry, Fat Cat Hospital administrators and, other big economic corporate interests, PBMs, Pharmacy chains, Medical supplies companies etc, the list is rather long. We have allowed all of these special interests to screw us while screwing the patients. They have managed to quite adeptly drive a wedge between natural allies in the health care system to the detriment of both.
3. Dr Kuy makes a good point. Medicine is a social contract. The doctor is obligated to take good medical care of the members of the community, and likewise the society should take good care of its doctors. Part of that role is advocating for positive changes in the health care industry. Sometimes that involves changes beneficial to us and sometimes it might involve changes that don't necessarily help us directly. We ignore the latter at our own peril and to the detriment of our entire health care system.
4. This doctor, when first "putting on his white coat" pledged his loyalty to some Declaration of Geneva? What the heck is that? I know the Hippocratic Oath has gone by the wayside, but now they are pledging to a branch of the UN? No wonder medicine is so messed up. You pledge your loyalty to care for humanity and as soon as you begin you decide that you and your needs are more important than the even the first patient's health needs?
5. I agree that physicians should refocus their efforts and attention on issues that affect their patients' health and well-being and again become advocates for their patients. If they do so they will quickly regain their status and their morale and likely earn much more than they do beggin for scraps from the insurance industry's table.
6. They have become insurance industry functionaries whose primary role is to generate profits for insurers as the Blue Cross letter to physicians proves. If the insurance industry was not convinced that physicians are their point people in the health care industry, Blue Cross would never had the temerity to make such a request.
7. Congratulations to Dr. Kuy for having the courage and moral strength to remind other physicians what their profession and calling is supposed to be all about. It only became the "health care industry" when doctors abdicated their obligations to their patients in favor of insurers and in doing so, lost control of their own profession.
8. It's about time a doctor spoke out about protecting patients. Kudos for Dr. Kuy pointing out that doctors spend too much time lobbying for tort reform, which is bad for patients. Monetary caps on malpractice lawsuits are not the answer. They only hurt the most catastrophic cases and do nothing for frivolous lawsuits (which are already taken care of by the system). Texas, which has had monetary caps since 2003, ranks 49th in overall health system performance. If I were a bad doctor, I would rush to practice in Texas because malpractice lawsuits are almost nonexistent these days because of tort reform.
9. Hats off to Dr. Kuy. Most doctors are working harder and under less favorable conditions than they did 20 years ago. As a result, patient care often suffers. Physicians don't have the time to listen to their patients, causing a deterioration of the physician-patient relationship and the quality of care. Malpractice lawsuits have been capped in California for more than three decades. To argue that doctors are under seige by lawyers is nothing more than an urban legend used by insurance companies and medical professional organizations to promote tort reform.
10. I agree 100%. Our current health care crisis can be more effectively and efficiently fixed if physicians behavior was more supportive of zeitgeist leadership. Rather than be pulled down with the lack individual and collective physician market down turns, we should focus on positive collective greater good- social justice, fairness and equality- in health care. We physicians will gain more public support and ultimately more benefit. Robert A. Beltran, M.D., M.B.A. President, Latino Med Policy Institute lmpi_3@msn.com
Submitted by: Gene
2. What we have allowed to happen, and by we I mean doctors and the public as well, is to let various special interests ranginf from the Insurers, the Pharmaceutical industry, Fat Cat Hospital administrators and, other big economic corporate interests, PBMs, Pharmacy chains, Medical supplies companies etc, the list is rather long. We have allowed all of these special interests to screw us while screwing the patients. They have managed to quite adeptly drive a wedge between natural allies in the health care system to the detriment of both.
Submitted by: Gene
3. Dr Kuy makes a good point. Medicine is a social contract. The doctor is obligated to take good medical care of the members of the community, and likewise the society should take good care of its doctors. Part of that role is advocating for positive changes in the health care industry. Sometimes that involves changes beneficial to us and sometimes it might involve changes that don't necessarily help us directly. We ignore the latter at our own peril and to the detriment of our entire health care system.
Submitted by: Gene
4. This doctor, when first "putting on his white coat" pledged his loyalty to some Declaration of Geneva? What the heck is that? I know the Hippocratic Oath has gone by the wayside, but now they are pledging to a branch of the UN? No wonder medicine is so messed up. You pledge your loyalty to care for humanity and as soon as you begin you decide that you and your needs are more important than the even the first patient's health needs?
Submitted by: Camille
5. I agree that physicians should refocus their efforts and attention on issues that affect their patients' health and well-being and again become advocates for their patients. If they do so they will quickly regain their status and their morale and likely earn much more than they do beggin for scraps from the insurance industry's table.
Submitted by: Linda Ross
6. They have become insurance industry functionaries whose primary role is to generate profits for insurers as the Blue Cross letter to physicians proves. If the insurance industry was not convinced that physicians are their point people in the health care industry, Blue Cross would never had the temerity to make such a request.
Submitted by: Linda Ross
7. Congratulations to Dr. Kuy for having the courage and moral strength to remind other physicians what their profession and calling is supposed to be all about. It only became the "health care industry" when doctors abdicated their obligations to their patients in favor of insurers and in doing so, lost control of their own profession.
Submitted by: Linda Ross
8. It's about time a doctor spoke out about protecting patients. Kudos for Dr. Kuy pointing out that doctors spend too much time lobbying for tort reform, which is bad for patients. Monetary caps on malpractice lawsuits are not the answer. They only hurt the most catastrophic cases and do nothing for frivolous lawsuits (which are already taken care of by the system). Texas, which has had monetary caps since 2003, ranks 49th in overall health system performance. If I were a bad doctor, I would rush to practice in Texas because malpractice lawsuits are almost nonexistent these days because of tort reform.
Submitted by: Wade in Texas
9. Hats off to Dr. Kuy. Most doctors are working harder and under less favorable conditions than they did 20 years ago. As a result, patient care often suffers. Physicians don't have the time to listen to their patients, causing a deterioration of the physician-patient relationship and the quality of care. Malpractice lawsuits have been capped in California for more than three decades. To argue that doctors are under seige by lawyers is nothing more than an urban legend used by insurance companies and medical professional organizations to promote tort reform.
Submitted by: Linda Fermoyle Rice
10. I agree 100%. Our current health care crisis can be more effectively and efficiently fixed if physicians behavior was more supportive of zeitgeist leadership. Rather than be pulled down with the lack individual and collective physician market down turns, we should focus on positive collective greater good- social justice, fairness and equality- in health care. We physicians will gain more public support and ultimately more benefit. Robert A. Beltran, M.D., M.B.A. President, Latino Med Policy Institute lmpi_3@msn.com
Submitted by: Latno MD
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