In response to the article I posted,one has to wonder,WHY is the AMA adamently opposed to Gov supported Healthcare?

See this article- http://www.democracynow.org/2009/6/16/dr_chris_mccoy_dear_ama_i

A friend of mine,a physician who heads up endocrinology at a major Mass hospital,says (simplified)it's because the current healthcare chaos benefits them finincially on various levels.She also has made very unflattering observation about the AMA,and feels they have a conflict of interest (not neccessarily intentionally)with the patient body they are supposed to care for.She is a very conscientious,talented Harvard trained Physician.

  And just to clarify,the Gov Healthcare option Obama is advocating for is not a plan forced on everyone,BUT IS AN OPTIONAL plan only.

It is a GOVERMENT SPONSERED HEALTHCARE OPTION only,people.For those who can't afford or need better insurence,ironically,like me and many other nurses I know because various nursing organizations REFUSE to offer group healthcare for nurses(did anyone ever wonder what is going on with that(?))

As I expected,I think the opposition is using some interesting and incorrect scare tactics,(sorta like Bush did inadvertently to get us to war with Iraq)(!)

There,enough said,for better or worse...

-Sarah

WBatley214 says ...

sarahndipity723 says ...

   In response to the article I posted,one has to wonder,WHY is the AMA adamently opposed to Gov supported Healthcare?

A friend of mine,a physician who heads up endocrinology at a major Mass hospital,says (simplified)it's because the current healthcare chaos benefits them finincially on various levels.She also has made very unflattering observation about the AMA,and feels they have a conflict of interest with the patient body they are supposed to care for.She is a very conscientious,talented Harvard trained Physician.

-Sarah

I would still far rather have a member  of the AMA making my medical decisions than an uneducated (medically), unelected, unacountable bureaucrat. 

And yes Doctors are intrested in things that benefit them financially -- it's called the profit motive, Do you seriously believe that they endure the time, effort and expense of medical school along with the living Hell most residency programs represent merely for the sheer joy of serving their fellow man? Smell the coffee.

I have to say you are right on that score. Why shouldn't doctors make money? As nurses we enjoy being paid for our work and expertise also. That's why we went to school. I do have compassion and care for my patients, but I have bills to pay. The press is demonizing the AMA and making them appear "greedy". How about we give their stories away for free? I mean how dare they expect to be paid for just telling us the news. You have to take what the media reports with a grain of salt, and unfortunately make your own conclusions.

Sarah,  The AMA is a group of  doctors who look out for the interest of their profession.How are they far removed? I worked in 2 different MD offices for 4 yeras, and it was unbelievable how on hands they were about cost decisions in their practice.

Part of the reason healthcare is so high , is doctors have to run unecessary labs and tests to make sure they don't get sued. This has helped run up the cost. The govt won't dare put caps on malpractice suits. Guess that's cause a majority of them are lawyers. Who's being greedy? I wager to guess lawyers have a sleazier reputation than doctors do when it comes to making a profit.

When Obama made his speech to the AMA they booed him b/c he said he would not put caps on malpractice. So, everyone will get healthcare, and they can still sue their doctors for millions? Who is going to want to practice medicine?

Its the lawyers that drive up the cost of healthcare. 

I took my Mom to the Dr's.  She has medicare, and medicare paid $78 for an office visit.

I went to a Lawyer with my parents to have 2 POA's, and a consultation for a family issue RE their care, and the bill was over $700.  When we take the Lawyer's out of medical issues, the cost of medical care will come down.  TOO many lawsuits, and most of the money doesn't even go to the victim.

ckruszka says ...

 

RNprogressive says ...

If not a public system as an alternative to what we have now, then what?  I hear a lot of naysaying but no concreate ideas unless they are pre-packaged by the insurance for -profit companies.  Having been AD in the military and as a spouse we have universal health care and it works.  The government manages it and it works.  We do need wellness programs and if you weigh 300lbs you should have your lab work monitored and you should be enrolled in a program where you have to show up and get in better shape.  You don't get to feed your kids chicken nuggets and fries 5 days a week, our children deserve better.  One-third of kids in the US are obese.  Are you kidding me?  Are you all nurses?  Wake up! we have to get this country back on track and no Obama is not a fascist look up the definition.  Quit watching Faux and take a walk.  By the way P.J. Rouke is not a noted health care expert.

Getting this country "on track" does not mean more govt spending. And yes, we are all nurses. I will again reiterate that the only univerasl healthcare I've seen, is fellow nurses from countries who have this system, and worked with me in New Orleans. Their reasoning for being in New Orleans was the deplorable conditions back home in England, Australia, and Canada.

I also can recall detoxing pt's from Canada in New Orleans at midnight. When I asked why they were there, I was told that the hospitals in Canada were full, so yhey were sent to NO to detox off heroin.Another fine example of universal healthcare.

“



A fascist is someone who subscribes to an authoritarian (or totalitarian) political structure and a corporatist economic structure. Examples include Mussolini, Franco, Pinochet and Hitler.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080515121............... compare them, and I feel he mostly resembles Hitler.  They had so much in common! 

I did a quickie search for your convenience as well.  I didnt write it, I just did the old cut and paste thingie.  I have gotten other things in my emails a

“He alone, who owns the youth, gains the future.”

— Adolf Hitler

Its no big secret that Obama bases most of his appeal with youth voters. This is a common occurrence in the history of the rise of tyrants. Most are supported fervently by the young. Hitler famously used this technique to gain power. The tyrant-to-be must hide his true ambitions behind a mask of emotional appeal in order to seduce the gullible and unwary. The youth most often falls into this category, not yet “broken in” to the number one rule in electing a ruler: watch their actions, not their lips.

“The leader of genius must have the ability to make different opponents appear as if they belonged to one category.”

— Adolf Hitler

bout Obama being like Hitler..........Im glad I remembered which evil tyrant was in that email because I dont feel like lookin up Musolini and those other idiots.

Did anybody else see Helen Thomas <she's the reporter who was probably doing the White House circuit since Nixon?  not sure, she's been around.................well Helen and Chip Reid were running circles around nobamas press secretary, Gibbs...................well, it started with Major Garrett who asked Obama why he waited so long to respond to Iran's election.........and the protesters getting shot and beaten , but nobama likes the Iranians..........and when Major asked that difficult question, it was like JOURNALISTS GONE WILD, lol.    Im proud of Helen, and she is not a 'faux' regualar...............I dont think Fox like her at all, to tell you the truth.  Helen accused the president of staging what was suppose to be a town hall thingie and it was suppose to be 'open forum'...........but obama had invites, so he's still planting who he wanted to speak.   I bet Gibbs gets fired next. 

Back to the topic of universal health............in yesterday's forum with the president, when he was asked 'how much is it going to cost in taxes'............he didnt know.................when somebody asked how much will the government save by using his plan............'he didnt know'.  Why am I not surprised??

Nurse_John says ...

"Don't you think that when you propose something as huge as universal health care, you should know the cost?"

 

 

 

Nurse John, I agree with you.  Something tells me that they aren't that stupid, but just don't want to tell us.  If it is so good, why not give us all the facts?  Why do we have to keep getting the info, little by little, after it has been voted on?!  

 

I read the articles regarding the discussion with Obama and the AMA...................geez.   We just lost a brilliant md with the Mayo Clinic.  He wont be the first to go, Im sure.   Obama was doing his best to convince those md's..........who are our medical providers that they are greedy and they are going to have to go HIS way.   He flat out said what the public think is irrelevant.   Well, not in those words but that was the gist of it.   People come to our country from Canada because we have better healthcare.   I guess we wont have to worry about the canadians much longer.   Our docs will be doing career changes.,....................it'll be like the "Exodust" except chariots with warriors wont be chasing them into the red sea.  We are going to be our own healthcare provider.............might not be a bad thing.    My only concern is how will I be able to get my asthma meds and allergy crap.   Those are the only things I have to have on hand at all time, and breathing is sort of important to a gal in these parts!

Maggy, I understand where you are coming from. Health care for all Americans is perfect and should be available. The problem is that it is a fantasy. For one thing, the cost is prohibited, in fact the obama administration will not even tell us what their plan costs. Another thing, do you really think that the people in any of the professions that earn a lot of money will want to dig into their pockets to pay the taxes it would take to run a universal health care?  The reason that everyone brings up Canada, Great Briton, and France is because they are the ones that worked. No one ever brings up the big one that didn't work....the USSR.  Canada's taxes are a lot higher than ours, the french pay about 70% in taxes and the British pay between 75 and 85% of their income in taxes.  Do you really want to work your tail off in any job and just get 25% of your income? I know you said you lost your job, but could you have lived on 25% of your take home pay when you were working?  The tax burden on everyone is too high already, and adding more for universal healthcare will make it worse.

I am glad you are working now Maggie. I understand that you are not trying to sound selfish, and i do not think you sound selfish at all. Everyone has personal needs and worries about themselfs and their families. That is not selfish. I agree that something needs to be done. I am just not sure what. I am sure, that I do not want the government running my health system.  I just think that we need to get everyone that now has an interest in our healthcare system to get on the same page somehow.  The government, the insurance companies, the pharmaceutical companies, the doctors the medical manufacturers they all need to stop being so greedy and come to a solution that works. I am not saying they should stop making a profit, after all that is what free enterprise in America is all about. Just that if they all worked together maybe it could happen. I do not think it will, because I think it will be just too expensive.

Angie, although we do not agree on the MD's greed, I do agree with you on people getting on medicade and such when their illness is self inflicted.  Everyone knows the hazards of smoking, drinking and drug use.  If you smoke for 30 years knowing the health risks and get COPD, or if you drink for 30 years and have liver damage, or take any illegal drugs for 30 years and have hep C or anything else, why should the tax payers pay for your medical bills?

What does nobama mean?  I agree that people who abuse themselves then expect handouts are a problem, but who would monitor who's abusing themselves?  I mean, if a Hep C patient comes in, how would it be decided how that person contracted it?  and who would say, well, you can't get medicaid, food stamps etc because you had unprotected sex too many times. When I worked at the USPS as a contracted employee, not eligible for benefits, I saw a few employees come in who had advanced Hep C and were waiting for transplants.  It did run across my mind that these guys were Vietnam vets who had probably done their fair share of drinking, drugging and you know what else AND WHY COULDN'T I GET HEALTHCARE BENEFITS WHEN I HADN'T ABUSED MYSELF LIKE THAT?  But they were regular employees with regular benefits.  Does everyone agree that something has to change?  And yes, there is greed.  A doctor does spend a lot of time in school and a lot of money setting up a practice, but does he have to expect to make it all back withn the first year?  When I lived in Washington State, we had a Kaiser HMO.  Some people hated it.  we never had one minute's problem with it for the 11 years we lived there.  My PCP worked for Kaiser.  He was paid a salary by Kaiser and it wasn't enough to be driving BMW's of Jags.  He said, he liked not having to worry about the expenses and other hassles of private practice.  I'm sure there are many other docs like that who love their work and aren't totally interested in becoming millionaires.

Captain Eric, I thought the same thing when I read that.  I wondered why would someone assume that Vietnam Veterans are all alcoholics, drug users, etc.  I also thought that was a slam.  My brother also fought in the Vietnam war and he is not an alcoholic, drug user, etc.  And if some people came back and had a hard time, maybe we should have some compassion on them for all that they went through.  War is never an easy thing.  I can't even imagine what it must have been like.  

Thank you Tina and Kitty, for cheering me up - Happy 4th to you!

YIKES!! Didn't mean to offend.  These 2 employees whom I worked with  just happened to be.  I also had a girlfriend (non-military) who, in the course of our friendship, told me some of the things she used to do as well--drink too much, ex-heroin and had indiscriminate encounters.  She too developed Hep C and was taking Interferon injections at that time.   A patient of mine in LTC was scheduled to have surgery and banked a unit of her own blood for an an autologous transfusion.  In the course of the prcedure, they gave her a unit that was not her own and she contracted Hep C and died.  I know not all vets are drug users> I was simply stating my experience with 2people  who, by their own accounts, had brought on their own difficulties with certain behaviors.

MaggyC says ...

 "It did run across my mind that these guys were Vietnam vets who had probably done their fair share of drinking, drugging and you know what else AND WHY COULDN'T I GET HEALTHCARE BENEFITS WHEN I HADN'T ABUSED MYSELF LIKE THAT?"

 

Maggy, in your first post, you said that "they were Vietnam Veterans, who had probably done their fair share of drinking, drugging, and you know what else."   In your next post, you said that it was "by their own accounts, had brought on their own difficulties."  There is a big difference.  You also said that it ran across your mind about them being Vietnam Veterans.  In my opinion the fact that they were Vietnam Veterans should not have had anything to do with the story.  You made it sound like you think Vietnam Veterans are alcoholics and druggies.  That is something that is sure to offend a lot of people.   The name calling didn't start until you gave the Vietnam Veterans a "name or a title, however you want to look at it."   

I try to be objective when reading posts, but I have to be honest, I couldn't believe what I had read and had to go back and read it again, to  make sure I had read it correctly.  That may not have been what you meant, but that is how it came out.   

Anyway, I hope everyone is have an awesome 4th of July!  :)