Well I already knew the AMA supports it as well as the nurses association.
Quote:
Among all the players in the health care debate, doctors may be the least understood about where they stand on some of the key issues around changing the health care system. Now, a new survey finds some surprising results: A large majority of doctors say there should be a public option.
When polled, "nearly three-quarters of physicians supported some form of a public option, either alone or in combination with private insurance options," says Dr. Salomeh Keyhani. She and Dr. Alex Federman, both internists and researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, conducted a random survey, by mail and by phone, of 2,130 doctors. They surveyed them from June right up to early September.
Most doctors — 63 percent — say they favor giving patients a choice that would include both public and private insurance. That's the position of President Obama and of many congressional Democrats. In addition, another 10 percent of doctors say they favor a public option only; they'd like to see a single-payer health care system. Together, the two groups add up to 73 percent.
When the American public is polled, anywhere from 50 to 70 percent favor a public option. So that means that when compared to their patients, doctors are bigger supporters of a public option.
Doctors' Support For Public Option 'Broad And Widespread'
The researchers say they found strong support for a public option among all categories of doctors. "We even saw that support being the same whether physicians lived in rural areas or metropolitan areas," says Federman.
"Whether they lived in southern regions of the United States or traditionally liberal parts of the country," says Keyhani, "we found that physicians, regardless — whether they were salaried or they were practice owners, regardless of whether they were specialists or primary care providers, regardless of where they lived — the support for the public option was broad and widespread."
Doctors and other supporters of health care overhaul attend a vigil.
Enlarge Mario Tama/Getty Images
Doctors and other supporters of health care overhaul attend a candlelight vigil in New York City in September 2009. The gathering was one of hundreds nationwide honoring those suffering under the current health care system.
Doctors and other supporters of health care overhaul attend a vigil.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
Doctors and other supporters of health care overhaul attend a candlelight vigil in New York City in September 2009. The gathering was one of hundreds nationwide honoring those suffering under the current health care system.
Keyhani says doctors already have experience with government-run health care, with Medicare. And she says the survey shows that, overall, they like it. "We've heard a lot about how the government is standing in between patients and their physician," Keyhani says. "And what we can see is that physicians support Medicare. So I think physicians have sort of signaled that a public option that's similar in design to Medicare would be a good way of ensuring patients get the care that they need."
The survey was published online Monday by the New England Journal of Medicine. It was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a health care research organization that favors health reform.
AMA Doctors Also Support Public Option
The survey even found widespread support for a public option among doctors who are members of the American Medical Association, a group that's opposed to it. The AMA fears a public option eventually could lead to government putting more limits on doctors' fees.
"The American Medical Association has traditionally been probably the loudest voice for physicians across the United States," says Federman. "And part of our reason for doing this research was really to get at the real voice of physicians as opposed to the voice of one physician organization."
Keyhani and Federman belong to another, smaller group, the National Physicians Alliance. It supports a public option, and Keyhani has spoken publicly about her own support for a public option.
What Would A Public Option Look Like?
It's hard to know for sure what doctors mean when they speak about a public option, says Dr. James Rohack, president of the AMA.
"Because when I say public option, or you say public option, it means different things to different people, kind of like the Rorschach ink blot test — when you look at it, to some people it means one thing, to other people it means the other thing."
Politicians in Washington turn to the AMA for support and guidance, even though fewer than a third of practicing doctors belong to the lobbying group.
The AMA's own position on a health overhaul has, at times, been hard to pinpoint. In July, it praised the bill that came out of the House of Representatives. That bill included a public option. But the AMA made it clear that what it really liked was that it eliminated cuts in doctors' fees from Medicare.
"And so I think that's why we need to be very clear about what does the AMA articulate for," says Rohack. "It's to make sure that everyone has coverage that's affordable, that's portable and that is quality — that is, it covers the things you need to cover because you've got a medical condition or developed a medical illness."
When polled, "nearly three-quarters of physicians supported some form of a public option, either alone or in combination with private insurance options," says Dr. Salomeh Keyhani. She and Dr. Alex Federman, both internists and researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, conducted a random survey, by mail and by phone, of 2,130 doctors. They surveyed them from June right up to early September.
Most doctors — 63 percent — say they favor giving patients a choice that would include both public and private insurance. That's the position of President Obama and of many congressional Democrats. In addition, another 10 percent of doctors say they favor a public option only; they'd like to see a single-payer health care system. Together, the two groups add up to 73 percent.
This doesn't mean they support the Obama plan. It just means they support some kind of public option and reform.
Joined: 07 Feb 2007 {Posts: 1829 } Location: Lookin DC Metro, Feelin Geneva
Posted: Tue 15 Sep 2009 21:34 Post subject:
G-Man wrote:
Quote:
When polled, "nearly three-quarters of physicians supported some form of a public option, either alone or in combination with private insurance options," says Dr. Salomeh Keyhani. She and Dr. Alex Federman, both internists and researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, conducted a random survey, by mail and by phone, of 2,130 doctors. They surveyed them from June right up to early September.
Most doctors — 63 percent — say they favor giving patients a choice that would include both public and private insurance. That's the position of President Obama and of many congressional Democrats. In addition, another 10 percent of doctors say they favor a public option only; they'd like to see a single-payer health care system. Together, the two groups add up to 73 percent.
This doesn't mean they support the Obama plan. It just means they support some kind of public option and reform.
True...
"Some kind of public option"...okay, so they aren't getting that from the Republicans and since Health Care will no doubt pass in some form, it seems to me they will side with Obama over Republicans. Basically you don't always get exactly what you want so you compromise.
Obama does support a Public Option...10% of doctors want to go further than Obama, wanting a single payer.
It is interesting that the majority of doctors (and nurses from what I read previously) side with Democrats and they are the people who do the work, but most insurance companies do, only if there is no public option.
If the issue is about care and not about insurance company profits, I think the docs know what they are talking about over executives at some corporation trying to maximize the bottomline.
I believe HC Reform is long overdue.
Public option, from what I understand , is that if your HC provider from your job is one you do not want to go with, you can CHOOSE public option.
Pay for the public option. It might be cheaper.
Okay, problem there is that many, many people will CHOOSE that option.
That will raise the cost of private HC Providers (Blue CrossBS,United HC,etc.).
The point of buying from HC Provider on your job is that is a low fee rather than if you bought it own your own.
I don't believe public option is the way to go. This is a waste and won't solve the problem of those who have no HC because of being laid off, in college, post college, dropped from a private HC, part-time workers, small business staff,etc.
There is nothing for this group of people.
They can buy HC on their own which is costly at least $500.00 per month.
www.bluecrossblueshield.com www.unitedhealthcare.com
Check out other HC websites for rates.
There is Medicare for seniors, aged 65, and over. I know that my parents have private HC along with Medicare. The private HC is taken from the pension. All the seniors I know have a private HC along with Medicare. There is no other way.
Single payer-if you have HC, I really assume people don't care who and how the paperwork is shuffled.
Joined: 07 Feb 2007 {Posts: 1829 } Location: Lookin DC Metro, Feelin Geneva
Posted: Wed 16 Sep 2009 01:38 Post subject:
Creole GAL wrote:
I believe HC Reform is long overdue.
Public option, from what I understand , is that if your HC provider from your job is one you do not want to go with, you can CHOOSE public option.
Pay for the public option. It might be cheaper.
Okay, problem there is that many, many people will CHOOSE that option.
That will raise the cost of private HC Providers (Blue CrossBS,United HC,etc.).
The point of buying from HC Provider on your job is that is a low fee rather than if you bought it own your own.
I don't believe public option is the way to go. This is a waste and won't solve the problem of those who have no HC because of being laid off, in college, post college, dropped from a private HC, part-time workers, small business staff,etc.
There is nothing for this group of people.
They can buy HC on their own which is costly at least $500.00 per month.
www.bluecrossblueshield.com www.unitedhealthcare.com
Check out other HC websites for rates.
There is Medicare for seniors, aged 65, and over. I know that my parents have private HC along with Medicare. The private HC is taken from the pension. All the seniors I know have a private HC along with Medicare. There is no other way.
Single payer-if you have HC, I really assume people don't care who and how the paperwork is shuffled.
actually they the idea is a cheaper option for employeed people and free health care (basically an extension of medicaid) for people who are caught in between...by expanding the minimum income to get public health care assistance.
They will also give serious consideration to small businesses that employee under a certain number of people, who right now have to pay high premium or not provide health care.
$500 a month is not cheap for a working class individual, then add family on to that - more expense - then if they really get sick I'm certain that there is a cap on coverage per year, especially for certain conditions that may be chronic or things like cancer. So it is really like an expensive health "coupon".
I don't agree with a public option either, I prefer highly regulated health insurance companies and cost controls similar to Switzerland, which spends less than us, has less cost increase than us per year, and whose people are healthier than us. No one talk about Switzerland though (Lou Dobbs did, he has been reviewing the Health Care of many nations including Cuba, China, India, Netherlands, Japan) no one else is doing this they are just fear mongering with horror stories from rural Canada or the UK as if that is the only option or representative of all national health care plans, hardly. Health Care plans are as diverse as political systems and national culture. There is no standard.
Joined: 07 Feb 2007 {Posts: 1829 } Location: Lookin DC Metro, Feelin Geneva
Posted: Thu 17 Sep 2009 00:08 Post subject:
Quote:
* Sixty-three percent said the claim that “death panels of government officials would decide how much medical care ailing individuals will receive” is a scare tactic, versus 30% who said it’s legit.
* Fifty-nine percent said the claim that “health care would be rationed” is a scare tactic, versus 35% who said it’s legit.
* Fifty-two percent said the claim that “health care would become socialized medicine” is a scare tactic, versus 43% who said it’s legit.
* Sixty-one percent said the claim that “government money would be used to pay for abortions” is a scare tactic, versus 33% who said it’s legit.
* Fifty-eight percent said the claim that “government money would pay for health care for illegal immigrants” is a scare tactic, versus 37% who said it’s legit.
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