[FairfieldLife] Re: Doctors Strongly Support Public Option

[WillyTex]

Bob Brigante wrote:
> Doctors support the public option now 
> because they have been promised a better 
> deal than they are getting from HMOs...
> 
Get real, Bob. 

The doctors aren't even getting what they 
think they should get from Medicare. They 
don't get full payment at all, and some 
have to cover expenses out of pocket in 
the case of illegal immigrants in the 
emergency room. 

But, what we want is a universal health 
care system, not some more insurance schemes. 

We don't want the federal government in the 
'insurance' business, taking money out our 
paychecks. 

We want free universal medical care, nothing 
less should be accepted. We are sick and 
tired of being bossed around by the HMOs
and the politicians in Washington. 

Medical 'insurance'? When have you heard 
anything good from your State Farm Agent? 

What a bunch of shysters!

[FairfieldLife] Re: Doctors Strongly Support Public Option

[bob_brigante]

--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "jpgillam"  wrote:
>
> The New Hampshire Medical Society found 
> that most of its members would prefer a 
> public option, too.
> 


***


Doctors support the public option now because they have been promised a better 
deal than they are getting from HMOs:


http://snipurl.com/rvuc8  [www_latimes_com] excerpt:

"The American Medical Assn., after 60 years of opposing any government overhaul 
of healthcare, is now lobbying and advertising to win public support for 
President Obama's sweeping plan -- a proposal that promises hundreds of 
billions of dollars for America's doctors.

Of all the interest groups that have won favorable terms in closed-door 
negotiations this year, the association representing the nation's physicians 
may have taken home the biggest prizes, including an agreement to stop planned 
cuts in Medicare payments that are worth $228 billion to doctors over 10 years.

In addition, the proposal that would require all individuals to obtain medical 
insurance includes premium subsidies to ensure that their doctor bills would be 
paid.

The AMA, which many still regard as the country's premier lobbying force, is 
providing money and grass-roots backing for these and other reforms.

Critics charge that, although doctors will be among those with the most to gain 
financially, the AMA -- unlike the pharmaceutical and insurance industries -- 
made relatively few concessions in return. The drug industry, for example, 
pledged $80 billion in cost reductions. Health insurers agreed to give up 
restrictions on preexisting conditions.

"To our knowledge, this deal is better than those negotiated so far by drug 
companies, hospitals or health insurers," said Dr. Henry Simmons, founder of 
the National Coalition on Health Care, which represents labor, business and 
medical provider interests. "The question is why."

Health industry analyst Robert Laszewski, a former insurance company executive 
who tracks health policy for industry clients in Washington, thinks that all of 
the major interests that once opposed reform, including insurance and drug 
companies, have received sweetheart deals in exchange for their support.

[FairfieldLife] Re: Doctors Strongly Support Public Option

[WillyTex]

jpgillam wrote:
> The New Hampshire Medical Society found 
> that most of its members would prefer a 
> public option, too...
> 
How in the world are we going to afford 
health care for all the people with a 
known risk factor or from a pre-existing 
condition? That's going to cost the U.S. 
taxpayer trillions of dollars. 

As a business model, that's a stretch. 

There's no way that the federal government 
is going to be able to reduce waste in order 
to fund such a system. I mean, if there's 
waste, then that's proof the system doesn't 
work very well in the first place. 

Obama said he wouldn't spend one dime on 
insuring Americans. But he's spending 
billions of the taxpayers money on three 
wars we can't win and billions of dollars 
to bail out Wall Street. WTF?

I smell a really big boondoggle coming.

[FairfieldLife] Re: Doctors Strongly Support Public Option

[WillyTex]

Raunchy wrote:
> When polled, "nearly three-quarters of 
> physicians supported some form of
> a public option, either alone or in 
> combination with private insurance
> options...
>
What options? Can I get health care
insurance plan that's less costly from an
insurance company in New Jersey?

Can I opt out of all insurance plans?

Why am I forced to accept a Ponzi scheme
called 'Medicare'?

What if I don't want any part of any
insurance plan?

Members of Congress get to choose from
several different insurance plans. Why
are they better than me? I could insure
myself with all the money I've put into
the Medicare. Have you seen the table
for compound interest on one dollar?

Calculating Compound Interest:
http://tinyurl.com/p2hm2b

And why am I paying for illegal aliens
to get emergency room care when I have
to pay cash? 

[FairfieldLife] Re: Doctors Strongly Support Public Option

[jpgillam]

The New Hampshire Medical Society found 
that most of its members would prefer a 
public option, too.

http://www.nhms.org/HealthcareReform/surveyReport.pdf

Here's a sample question:

"In the ideal healthcare system, basic 
healthcare would be available to all 
individuals as part of the social contract, 
a right similar to basic education, police 
and fire protection."

The percentage of physicians agreeing with the above statement:

All doctors 81%
Primary care physicians 93.6%
Specialists 72.7%

In general, specialists were more apt to 
say they're happy with the way things are. 
Primary care physicians - internists, general 
practitioners and their ilk - were very 
dissatisfied with the status quo.

--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "raunchydog" wrote:
>
> When polled, "nearly three-quarters of 
> physicians supported some form of
> a public option, either alone or in
> combination with private insurance
> options," says Dr. Salomeh Keyhani. 
> She and Dr. Alex Federman, both
> internists and researchers at Mount 
> Sinai School of Medicine in New
> York, conducted a random survey, by 
> mail and by phone, of 2,130 doctors.
> They surveyed them from June right up to early September.
> Most doctors — 63 percent — say they favor giving patients a
> choice that would include both public and 
> private insurance. That's the
> position of President Obama and of many congressional Democrats. In
> addition, another 10 percent of doctors 
> say they favor a public option
> only; they'd like to see a single-payer 
> health care system. Together,
> the two groups add up to 73 percent.
> 
> Doctor Poll On Public Option
> 
>
> http://snipurl.com/rufee
>

[FairfieldLife] Re: Doctors Strongly Support Public Option

[raunchydog]

Physicians for a National Health Program is a non-profit research and education 
organization of 17,000 physicians, medical students and health professionals 
who support single-payer national health insurance.
http://www.pnhp.org/