Posted on 08/08/2018 12:47:50 PM PDT by MarchonDC09122009
https://khn.org/news/once-its-greatest-foes-doctors-are-embracing-single-payer/
By Shefali Luthra 08/07/2018
When the American Medical Association — one of the nation’s most powerful health care groups — met in Chicago this June, its medical student caucus seized an opportunity for change.
Though they had tried for years to advance a resolution calling on the organization to drop its decades-long opposition to single-payer health care, this was the first time it got a full hearing. The debate grew heated — older physicians warned their pay would decrease, calling younger advocates naïve to single-payer’s consequences. But this time, by the meeting’s end, the AMA’s older members had agreed to at least study the possibility of changing its stance.
“We believe health care is a human right, maybe more so than past generations,” said Dr. Brad Zehr, a 29-year-old pathology resident at Ohio State University, who was part of the debate. “There’s a generational shift happening, where we see universal health care as a requirement.”
The ins and outs of the AMA’s policymaking may sound like inside baseball. But this year’s youth uprising at the nexus of the medical establishment speaks to a cultural shift in the medical profession, and one with big political implications.
Amid Republican attacks on the Affordable Care Act, an increasing number of Democrats — ranging from candidates to established Congress members — are putting forth proposals that would vastly increase the government’s role in running the health system. These include single-payer, Medicare-for-all or an option for anyone to buy in to the Medicare program. At least 70 House Democrats have signed on to the new “Medicare-for-all” caucus.
Organized medicine, and previous generations of doctors, had for the most part staunchly opposed to any such plan. The AMA has thwarted public health insurance proposals since the 1930s and long been considered one of the policy’s most powerful opponents.
But the battle lines are shifting as younger doctors flip their views, a change that will likely assume greater significance as the next generation of physicians takes on leadership roles. The AMA did not make anyone available for comment.
Many younger physicians are “accepting of single-payer,” said Dr. Christian Pean, 30, a third-year orthopedic surgery resident at New York University.
In prior generations, “intelligent, motivated, quantitative” students pursued medicine, both for the income and because of the workplace independence — running practices with minimal government interference, said Dr. Steven Schroeder, 79, a longtime medical professor at the University of California-San Francisco.
In his 50 years of teaching, students’ attitudes have changed: “The ‘Oh, keep government out of my work’ feeling is not as strong as it was with maybe older cohorts,” said Schroeder. “Students come in saying, ‘We want to make a difference through social justice. That’s why we’re here.’”
Though “single-payer” health care was long dismissed as a left-wing pipe dream, polling suggests a slim majority of Americans now support the idea — though it is not clear people know what the term means.
A full single-payer system means everyone gets coverage from the same insurance plan, usually sponsored by the government. Medicare-for-all, a phrase that gained currency with the presidential campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), means everyone gets Medicare, but, depending on the proposal, it may or may not allow private insurers to offer Medicare as well. (Sanders’ plan, which eliminates deductibles and expands benefits, would get rid of private insurers.)
Meanwhile, lots of countries achieve universal health care — everyone is covered somehow — but the method can vary. For example, France requires all citizens purchase coverage, which is sold through nonprofits. In Germany, most people get insurance from a government-run “public option,” while others purchase private plans. In England, health care is provided through the tax-funded National Health System.
She got throat cancer. With aggressive treatment it was in remission. She found herself in a nursing home, with the full regimen of scheduling including group physical therapy classes. After one class, the PT asked her if she was glad that they had exciting group activities that would get her healthy, (like sitting in a circle in wheel chairs and bouncing a beach ball to each other). My mother's response was "Hell No", went to bed, and died soon after.
Mom was imperfect, for sure. But now that it's in the past, I have to say "way to go Mom". Nobody told her how to live, right up to when she moved on.
counts counts fewer than 25 percent of practicing 1.2M+ physicians as members, down from 75 percent in the 1950. The key here is the 25% of doctors are members. These young doctors need to go and spend a year working in Canada are England and the national health Services.
The hidden agenda behind advocates of single payer is the same as the hidden agenda behind any trade union advocacy of lisencing or accreditation - namely, government enforced monopoly.
This racket is as old as government itself, because big business created and financed big government largely to enforce regulatory monopoly to protect them from competition.
The way it works is the wealthiest in a given industry cook up a fake public “concern” narrative, usually some variation on public safety. In manufacturing, construction or food processing it can be environmental impact, highway/home safety or health. In healthcare industry or education it can be malpractice and quackery, access and affordability, or social justice.
For every industry there is an angle by which corporations can raise public awareness over safety and access concerns and lobby (bribe) the government to impose regulations to supposedly address these concerns. Invariably though, the true effect of the regulation is to apply entry restrictions and hurdles which only the wealthy corporations can afford to comply with, or which only the wealthy corporate lobbyists can exempt themselves from.
The AMA and big pharm are no different - in the name of safety, lisencing, accreditations, approvals and testing protect the wealthiest institutions from competition from smaller entrants who can’t afford compliance and have no lobby power to pass legislation in their favor.
The federal government has become nothing but a giant protection racket, bought and paid for by big corporations.
Not one doctor I know and I know many feels this way
My premiums went from 480-1271 with Magic Negro Care
Signed,
ret nurse
Before you vote for single payer or candidate that supports it, go spend a day at a V.A. hospital or clinic.
”Reliable payment” is not etched in stone.
That’s a good point.
In this case you have states involved.
But reliable payment ceases if Medicare decides to cut you from the program, and that’s where having a single customer is really really bad.
I am a doctor, working since 1976, never a government employee, and I am a (very reluctant) supporter of single payer with a private option (cash for what you want) that would eliminate the insurance companies.
They have become, in effect, a cartel which provides a service (payment) under heavy government regulation but not subject to political control. Together with the hospitals, which are in effect their partners in the enterprise, they restrict and limit care while demanding compliance with “protocols” not based on the best we can do.
At least with a single payer, the user of services has recourse to the political system.
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