After last night's ON THE RECORD at 10pm, and the discussion about the doctors participation or lack there of in the discussion as to how best to fix our system, I received the email below from a doctor. Check it out and post your comment:
----------
From: ******** M.D.
Sent: Tuesday, September 22, 2009 10:47 PM
To: Show -OnTheRecord
Subject: Health Care
Greta,
A good discussion tonight about involving the doctors in the discussion of health care. Unfortunately, we have been left out of the discussion for at least 15-20 years now. Ironical, isn't it? We provide and deliver the care of everyone's health, but it isn't important enough to talk to us about it. You are also correct regarding doctors retiring early. This has actually been happening to some degree since the late 1990's, but has been increasing lately. In fact, I have had enough of dealing with the insurance companies controlling my profession and dictating to me how to treat my patients. Most of the time, we have to talk to someone at a desk w/ a high school education looking at a "cookbook" of medicine telling us what we can and cannot do with a particular patient. And, of course, if something happens to the patient because the insurance company would not allow me to order a certain test or medicine, if there is a law suit, I get sued, not them. There is going to be a tremendous shortage of physicians in just a few years and then the Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants will be treating the patients.
The entire system does not need changing, but a lot does need to change. For example, I cannot get insurance myself because of pre-existing conditions of 3 neck surgeries. We do not need to redo the whole thing, however, and we do not need Socialized medicine, unless we want to end excellent health care as we know it and settle for a poor quality of care in it's place.
I can assure you that the majority of the doctors do not favor Mr.
Obama's or Congresses health care plans. Most of us no longer are even members of the AMA...they are a liberal group who no longer represent most physicians' beliefs any more.
Sorry this is so long, but I had to say all of this. There is a lot more I would like to say, but thank you for discussing it tonight. We need more discussion about involving the doctors.
