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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by Phillipa on February 16, 2009, at 12:06:41
Seriously was surprised to read this. Phillipa
Physicians Increasingly Support a Single-Payer National Health Insurance System
Laurie Barclay, MD
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February 13, 2009 US physicians increasingly support a single-payer national health insurance system, according to the results of a survey reported online January 29 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.Many politicians may mistakenly believe that single-payer national health insurance lacks support among key stakeholders such as doctors, lead author Danny McCormick, from Harvard Medical School and Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA), said in a news release. Our finding that support for single-payer national health insurance now approaches that of tax-based incremental reforms suggests that a Medicare-for-all-type plan may be more politically viable than conventional wisdom suggests.
The goal of this US nationally representative mail survey was to evaluate physician opinion regarding financing options for expanding coverage for and access to healthcare.
Between March 2007 and October 2007, US physicians involved in direct patient care were asked to rate their support for reform options such as financial incentives to encourage people to buy health insurance and single-payer national health insurance, as well as to rate their views of several aspects of access to healthcare.
Of 3300 physicians sent the survey, 1675 (50.8%) responded; 49% prefer either tax incentives or penalties to promote the purchase of health insurance; 42% prefer a government-run, taxpayer-financed single-payer national health insurance program, which increased from 26% in a study 5 years previously; and only 9% prefer the current, employer-based financing system.
Regarding access to healthcare, 89% of physicians surveyed believe that all Americans should receive needed medical care regardless of ability to pay; 33% believe that the uninsured currently have access to needed care; and 19.3% believe that even the insured lack access to needed care. Opinions regarding access were independently associated with support for single-payer national health insurance.
"Surveys show that a majority of Americans support a single-payer system. It's not surprising that increasing numbers of doctors do, said coauthor David Bor, MD, also from Harvard Medical School and Cambridge Health Alliance. Single payer is the only proposal that can cover all Americans, for all needed care, without driving up healthcare costs. National health insurance would eliminate the massive administrative costs and hassles imposed by our current multiplicity of private insurers.
Limitations of this study include modest response rate; the possibility that physicians strongly interested in health policy issues may have been more likely to respond; lack of generalizability to all physicians views; and possible misinterpretation of question meaning or bias related to question wording and response option content.
Although a plurality of physicians favored incremental health care reform proposals based on the use of tax credits and penalties, a substantial proportion of physicians preferred an entirely different health care financing system a government-run, taxpayer-financed single-payer [national health insurance] program, the study authors write. Physicians play a central role in the health care system and these views could be influential in reforming the financing of the American health care system.
The Department of Medicine at the Cambridge Hospital funded this study. The authors have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
J Gen Intern Med. Published online January 29, 2009.
Posted by Neal on February 16, 2009, at 22:09:28
In reply to MD's Support National Health Care, posted by Phillipa on February 16, 2009, at 12:06:41
As the only major industrialized country in the world without a health care system, I can say that without insurance you're up the proverbial creek. The cost of meds in US is above what any other country pays. I'm not a fan, but I did see the Michael Moore doc "Sicko" and its "sickening", the true parts that is.
So is Obama gonna put in a health care plan or wuss out? I don't follow the news so
Posted by garnet71 on February 17, 2009, at 17:13:19
In reply to MD's Support National Health Care, posted by Phillipa on February 16, 2009, at 12:06:41
Yeah, that's being going around the news for quite some time. It's understandable doctors would want to support national health care.
Aside from the merits of a single-payer system; looking at the uninsured alone--It makes NO sense not to provide it, except that people who HAVE good insurance may feel threatened they may not get such good care (long waits to see doctors, for example, when an additional 50 million people suddenly have access to all the doctors).
Even putting the morality aside, from a policy/economic perspective--the costs of the 50 million uninsured are transferred over to society as a whole via both direct and indirect costs (lost work productivity, many intangible social costs, burden on school systems, hospitals-ER rooms, crime, bankruptcies, and personal costs (like being a victim of crime).
The costs of letting people be uninsured, imo, are HIGHER than providing the insurance to them (us-I am now uninsured again).
Just look at one cost bankruptcy (stats show medical costs top reason for bk)--who pays when a person files bankruptcy? Everyone in the country who has a credit card or loan! Actually, even more than those who hold or seek credit. Inlcude all the people who invest or have derivatives in the finance industry...Bankruptcies add to the cost of doing business.
Everyone already pays for the unisured. Power/politics screws up everything.
Posted by garnet71 on February 17, 2009, at 17:25:30
In reply to Re: MD's Support National Health Care, posted by Neal on February 16, 2009, at 22:09:28
I think Michael Moore left a lot out of that documentary that should have been included. He did make a powerful point with the Sept. 11th workers who did not have health care; I'll give him that.
One of the problems I see with government aside from politics-as in the big picture-is that its foundation is based upon utilitarianism/ consequentialism rather than virtue. Our policy/laws are made for the "greater good" whether they are right or wrong in virtue, while they are enforced via deontology ideals.
For example, the consequentialism/utilitarian philosphy is one reason we risk murdering--and have murdered--innocent people by allowing our govt. to keep the death penalty on the lawbooks.
Posted by Phillipa on February 17, 2009, at 19:38:10
In reply to Re: MD's Support National Health Care » Neal, posted by garnet71 on February 17, 2009, at 17:25:30
What bothers me about it is that only certain ages will be allowed certain treatments. Phillipa ps once over a certain age that's it from other things I've read.
This is the end of the thread.
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