Philadelphia-based doctors group weigh in on Obama health plan
The American College of Physicians, a Philadelphia-based organization representing 129,000 doctors and medical students across the nation, said President Obama’s proposed health care bill “has many of the key policies needed to make health insurance coverage available to all Americans, to ensure that patients have access to a primary care physician of their choice, and to reform payment and delivery systems to achieve better value.”
Philadelphia-based doctors group weigh in on Obama health plan
Josh Goldstein
The American College of Physicians, a Philadelphia-based organization representing 129,000 doctors and medical students across the nation, said President Obama’s proposed health care bill “has many of the key policies needed to make health insurance coverage available to all Americans, to ensure that patients have access to a primary care physician of their choice, and to reform payment and delivery systems to achieve better value.”
Specifically, the group said it supports the elements of the proposal that seek to make affordable health coverage available to most people and to boost payments for primary care doctors.
But the group wanted more changes to limit and change the way medical malpractice suits are handled. The college said the legislation should provide states with incentives to try alternatives to the current civil lawsuit system, including health courts and safe harbors for the practice of based on best methods – so-called evidence-based medicine.
The group also said the legislation should “include proven liability reforms like those enacted in California and Texas.” In other words, the legislation should put caps on malpractice awards for pain and suffering and other “non-economic” damages. That is an approach that is sure to draw strong opposition from trail lawyers, traditionally strong supporters of Democrats.
Here are the details of the college's response to the President's proposal that was posted on the White House website on Monday.
My Doctor is against it and so am I.— ALJ- I think Congress should let the "Doc Fix" go away and the Medicare cuts that should have gone into effect should be allowed to do so and then tell me how much this doctor group likes ObamaCare. Because ObamaCare is being paid for with new taxes and supposedly Medicare cuts which likely will never happen. So to make sure ObamaCare doesn't add even more to the deficit the Medicare cuts should happen. If not then we can't afford ObamaCare. By the way you should look at the premiums for insurance in New York and Mass and you'll see states that have much of what ObamaCare will inflict on us will lead to premiums 2 to 3 times what we pay now in PA.— ResponsibleAmerican
- Funny, my doctors are against it also. Sounds like it was mostly young medical students rather than seasoned doctors.— Centrist
- My doctor also doesn't agree with Obama's plan. Maybe the Inquirer should do a story about the dissenters. Then again, that would give both sides of the story and the liberal media wouldn't want that.— Informed Reader
Comment removed.- Comment removed.
- Is that pronouncement based on a survey of the membership? A professional association speaking about an issue affecting it so deeply should present figures to support its assertions. I suspect that not all 129,000 members agree with that pronouncement. Don't they also deserve to be heard?— DonQ
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