San Antonio Doctors Take On ObamaCare, Urge Patients to Vote Out Local Dems

[Geee]

Pajamas Media:

San Antonio Doctors Take On ObamaCare, Urge Patients to Vote Out Local Dems
Politicians ought to take a version of the Hippocratic oath to do no harm. If they had, Obamacare wouldn't exist and doctors wouldn't feel compelled to take political stands.
September 21, 2010 - by Bryan Preston

Politicians ought to have to take a version of the Hippocratic oath to do no harm. If they had, ObamaCare wouldn’t exist and doctors like a group in San Antonio, Texas, wouldn’t feel compelled to take political stands that might annoy or even enrage their patients — even if the stand being taken is the right one, and for the right reasons.

To paraphrase soon to be former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, now that the Democrats have passed ObamaCare, the nation is finding out what’s in it. That knowledge is what’s driving 61% to favor repeal, and it has also driven doctors to speak out. Some, like Dr. Donna Campbell, Dr. Robert Steele, and Dr. Scott DesJarlais, ran or are running for Congress against entrenched Democrat incumbents. Doctors at a health care network in the San Antonio area — HealthTexas Medical Group — have gone on the offensive with an open letter to their patients. The letter is signed by 16 of the group’s physicians, and it lays out a strong case for why ObamaCare is a disaster in the making. The letter begins:

As physicians it is our fundamental responsibility and our solemn duty to be our patients’ advocates. For this reason we believe we must share with you our serious concerns regarding the Healthcare Reform Bill passed by Congress in March 2010. We strongly believe that this Healthcare Reform Bill will have negative effects for the great majority of our patients, particularly for seniors, and that it is bad medicine for our country in general.

I spoke with a HealthTexas media rep on Monday afternoon to verify that the letter is real and to ask how patients have reacted to it. The letter is real, has been around for a couple of months now, and patients have understandably had mixed reactions to it. They’re visiting the doctor for health care, not politics. The thing is, though, ObamaCare has politicized health care to a degree Americans have never seen. And the spokeswoman said that once staff have explained the letter to patients, they understand the doctors’ intent and seem to be fine with the letter. The spokeswoman didn’t indicate any lasting negative effects of loss of business. That, in my and most Americans’ opinion, awaits the full implementation of ObamaCare.

[Stella]

It will be interesting to see what happens with this letter. There is a huge crisis brewing thanks to the coming doctor shortage prompted by Obamacare. Medical students are being taught how to do group appointments. Rationing will have to happen. There aren't enough resources available. Making appointments a year in advance is already happening in Massachusetts thanks to Romney Care. Already, we have been hearing of doctors refusing to take new Medicare patients. It will be a new world.

[Geee]

Stella. First of all welcome!!!! I had to find a new doctor recently because my old one decided to retire after the new health care bill passed.

[Stella]

Stella. First of all welcome!!!! I had to find a new doctor recently because my old one decided to retire after the new health care bill passed.

 

Thanks, Geee. There will be many more doctors retiring in the near future. Baby Boomer doctors are not going to put up with all these changes. They won't put up with not being able to pay their office overhead because of the cut in payment for Medicare patients. The US does not have enough hospital beds to increase the number of medical students or residents and it takes years to train them. Obama is doing all of this on the backs of seniors. They have no idea of the rationing coming their way and how difficult it will be to find a doctor. If Obama wanted, he could make it part of being licensed that a doctor has to take all Medicaid and Medicare patients that call for an appointment. That will only hasten the retirement of doctors on the fence about leaving medicine.

 

Also, because of the lack of tort reform in the HCR bill, doctors malpractice rates will still be outrageous contributing to overhead costs.

 

It makes me wonder if Obama got rejected from medical school. He is all about payback and he is definitely showing doctors what he thinks of them.