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Fri 27 Dec, 2002 10:39 am
Surgeons threaten walkout over insurance costs
Friday, December 27, 2002 Posted: 8:59 AM EST (1359 GMT)
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (AP) -- Dozens of surgeons in northeastern Pennsylvania have threatened to effectively go on strike in January if the state doesn't do something about the high cost of medical malpractice insurance.
It is time for the congress to wake up to the medical crisis in this country. Between the inadequate payments for Medicare causing doctors to refuse taking Medicare patients, high cost of drugs, 41 million Americans without medical coverage, and the outrages medical malpractice settlements reflected by insurance costs adequate medical care will soon be out of reach for many citizens.
Congress and the Bush administration should wake up to the realization that the war on terror is not the only danger the Americans face. What are your thoughs?
http://www.cnn.com/2002/HEALTH/12/27/fewer.surgeons.ap/index.html
It may take action like this by MDs to get something done about our health-care system. Because right now it's a mess. The malpractice issue is just one problem. Lack of universal coverage is another...
The AMA voted to affliate with the AFL-CIO some years ago and many of the docs who are contracted by HMOs and PPOs are already unionized.
This will get worse before it gets better. In Texas most docs won't participate in Blue Cross/Blue Shield anymore because of price caps.
Gosh, it IS hard to imagine how health care
issues like these COULD get any worse - we are truly in
a mess with respect to health care. WHY can't we get into a
federal medical socialized system like the UK?? I just can't
understand - what is it?? Greed on the part of the doctors, or
a desire to avoid budgeting for it by the federal government
or what? MD's are suffering financially, patients are suffering
both physically AND financially. And I just heard from a friend
yesterday that a federal program called "share of costs" for
low income persons on Social Security, who have no health
insurance but Medicare - has just been cut off altogether,
no advance warning, nothing. This must have just happened
in the last few months. At this point, it seems to be a lose - lose
situation all around. Although, I fear the patients are those who
are losing the most.
I have heard from three women friends, that after finding a
lump in their breast - their physician suggested that they wait
6 months, and then have another mammogram then!!
THIS IS THE RESULT OF MANAGED HEALTH CARE! What really
shocked me is that they all agreed to wait, instead of going
elsewhere for a second opinion, or arguing the point & demanding
on a breast tissue biopsy, they waited for the 6 months and
WHAT DO YOU KNOW, THEY ALL HAVE BREAST CANCER!!
What has that 6 months done?? It has VASTLY decreased their
chances of survival. I am so spitting mad about THIS topic that
I can barely stand it. The same thing happened to my younger
sister. She is a nurse, you would think that she should know, but
she does not know how to fight@! How many other doctors
are getting big kickbacks($$$$$) from HMO organizations if they
manage to successfully restrict their patient's access for more
expensive care, by NOT giving them the referral they need to
get an appointment with a specialist. Without the referral, the
patient has to pay for it themselves.
The surgeons are doing the right thing.
Joan:
I think BC/BS is right to cap payments.
Total nonsense to have a wart on your finger removed with liquid nitrogen in an "office visit" to an HMO and then be charge $180.
If you wait a while, the wart dries up and falls off
free!
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