Nearly 8,000 doctors call for national health insurance

Associated Press ^ | Tuesday, August 12, 2003 | AP

[SandRat]

Since the number accounts for less than 1% of the doctors in the US in 2000(doesn't say if they were practicing or retired) any statistician or person that must calculate metrics for any business will tell you that the whole premise is statistically faulty, unreliable, and inaccurate.

I did software metrics for four years and must statistical analysis calculations now for the four years on my current job.

Let me say this more clearly; the AP is as delusional as Baghdad-Bob for publishing the article and the JAMA authors are even worse.

[nutmeg]

read later bump

[Bonaparte]

"Thiety-five or forty years ago you couldn't find one physician in one hundred who would be for such a program."

7,782 is < 1% of 813,770 -- which is the total number of doctors currently practicing in the US. This tiny fraction of MDs represents the lunatic left in that profession. They are the same ones who populate organizations like Physicians for Social Responsibility.

[LasVegasMac]

No, we are not in trouble.

Yes, anyone interested should go to Canada to see how a gov provided health service works - or, actually, does not work.

Lots of Canadian's cross the border to get health care. Seems that it takes too long in their home country. Hmmm.

I have relatives, here in town, that migrated from England. Older couple - 70's. They maintain dual citezenship. They fly back to England for any major operations - latest was a hip replacement.

They had to "schedule" this two years in advance. Obviously, they could have had the surgery done here much sooner. But it was cheaper, for them, to "schedule" and fly back to England to have it done.

I guess that makes sense to me, save money, etc.

As long as you have the luxury of "scheduling" your surgery.

And that is why we see a butt load of Kanucks coming south for medical care - they can't wait.

But I'm sure the Demo'Rats have this all worked out.

LVM

[FreeLibertarian]

As I read the article this wasn't a poll. This was a survey that was signed by all of the Doctors and published as an article in the American Medical Journal. The AP is just reporting on the article in the AMJ.

[Centurion2000]

Put an annual deductable on the insurance of , say $10,000 to $15,000. That should do the trick.

And make the threshold tax deductible for medical about 500.00 ... and you have a good deal.

[Bonaparte]

"(doesn't say if they were practicing or retired)"

Glad you brought that up. I think it's the total, not the number practicing as I erroneously stated in my previous post. There are roughly 700,000 currently practicing.

[Bonaparte]

There are also lots of Canadian health workers who emigrate down here to work. They can't make any money up there.

[Classicaliberalconservative]

How about this plan. Currently companies who provide health insurance for their workers are given tax breaks. Therefore most workers get insurance from institutions. End this tax break and instead provide tax incentives through the income tax so that individuals purchase their own insurance instead of having their workplaces pay for it. Instead of Medicaid, provide an EITC type thing for the very poorest while allowing middle and upper class tax payers to deduct the cost of their health insurance. Focus the marketing of health insurance on an individual level and provide incentives for people to buy insurance, but also allow an exit option to keep costs low.

[liberallarry]

The only hope for reducing health care costs is to teach people how to care for their health...and to be very tough with those who don't.

[Libertarianize the GOP]

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/bump-list

[FreepOnTheBorderlands]

I heard bits of some doctor on the local radio trying to explain the system.. The wonderful part, as he saw it, was that the hospitals and doctors would remain private. They would just submit a yearly bill to the government for everything. Hmmm.. of course that would be wonderful to HIM. Apparently the doctors/hospitals are upset about insurance, because they have to put some work into getting the money from the insurance companies and don't allways get what they think they are owed. Oh boo hoo. What about all the people in the health insurance industry who will in effect have thier line of work eliminated?



The doctor also seemed to think that every employer who allready pays for their employees would automagicly pay your health care tax instead. Yeah right. This is a fantasy of every liberal money grabbing scheme.

I can see what would really happen if this utopian (for the doctors) plan was put into place. Hospitals would consistantly submit yearly bills that would be, in effect, their budget. Said budgets would increase yearly at a rate equal to or outgrowing even the most out of control government spending. Any attempt to get it under control would immediately lead to the same charges we hear now about "cutting" medicaide/medicare/ss/school lunches.

{sarcasm}
But all that is fine apparently, as long as the doctors aren't effected by it {/sarcasm}

[Stew Padasso]

It wasn't a cynical repsonse or a raving endorsement. He felt that it was just the course of action that was necessary for the good of society. By nature he is not very excitable person, more like a serious intellectual.

Its no surprise though, that part of my family are all democrats.

[xrp]

Here's the problem. I exercise virtually every day for an hour and I eat fairly well, steering clear from fast food joints and I visit the doctor less than once a year and spend less than $200 a year on medicine and vitamins.

$1.6 trillion divided by 285,000,000 Americans comes out to $5600 per American per year. I'm suddenly in the hole over $5000. Now, I could take that $5000/year, instead of being TAXED TO DEATH TO PAY FOR PEOPLE WHO DONT TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES, and invest that in funds so that when the time comes when I will need more health care, I will have a gold mine on which to draw. $5000/year X 20 years of investing at 0% itself is $100,000. Now if the $5000/year investment gains a conservative 8% a year over 20 years...I'll have over $250,000.

Yeah...we definitely need to be stealing money from young Americans to pay for the old geezers(who have outlived their usefulness and should have prepared for their own old age).

[Paul C. Jesup]

Why wouldn't 8,000 doctors like the idea of guranteed payment through a national health plan?

Because then, like every other government funded service, it will because a dead end job with no chance of getting rich from it.

[ditto h]

Let me say this one time...You people are IDIOTS!!!

[rolling_stone]

Ah yes whatever healthcare costs now when the government gets into it, costs will go up, and when everyone has medical insurance, they will go to the doctor more often...bunch of idiots...

[irishtenor]

Why should I have to pay for someone who doesn't want to? As far as I am concerned, insurance is a pyramid scam where those who pay still pay for the rest. Put in free clinics, have the doctors and nurses man them as a requirement for licensure (one day a month, whatever). This could be limited health care. No major surgery or long term care. Most people would pay for more personal treatment, at a doctor's office. Have state hospitals that operate the same way, with some payed staff. Still have the private hospitals for those who want to pay for more personal treatment.

[inchworm]

Your right about that. I work with an obese 29 y/o woman who developed adult onset diabetes at 23 and is already on insulin. Each morning she has a snack at work which consists of 2 Slim Jims, and a bag of potato chips. Who's gonna pay for her piss poor health habits and lack of
'SELF RESPONSIBILITY'. The Libs hate that term.
Why do we have to pay for people like that?

[Reagan is King]

Thirty-five or forty years ago you couldn't find one physician in one hundred who would be for such a program.

Fortunately, one out of 100 didn't sign this petition either as they mentioned here:

The physicians signing onto the article account for less than 1 percent of the 813,770 physicians in the United States as of 2000, according to the AMA.

************

"8,000" doctors sounds like a big deal until you realize how few that really is. Nice misleading headline by the AP as usual.