I need help convincing young medical doctors they should vote

[jocapo]

for John Kerry. I know a couple of brand new doctors who are just starting their practice. They're worried about their future earning power and are particularly concerned about the cost of malpractice insurance and litigation: bitterly so. My wife is an RN with 30yrs of intensive care experience and an active union member. I'm somewhat familiar with the issues but I tend to think the problems with the health care system are structural and will take a long time to fix. My doctor friends want to vote for the candidate (or party)that will take care of them sooner rather than later.

Any ideas on where I might find information that would speak to their concerns? I've searched for a candidate "scorecard" on the AMA site but didn't find anything. Any ideas? Talking points?

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. Insurance reform is the ONLY thing that will bring rates down for docs and

keep them down. My ex is an OBGYN and we had this conversation this week. She believes Edwards made himself wealthy off the backs of physicians. I finally provided her with all the facts. When caps were placed on malpractice awards in California, rates for mp rose astronomically. The only time rates went down and stayed down was when insurance reform was passed.

Here's a graph:



and here is a site for your friend to read:

http://www.consumerwatchdog.org

[jocapo]

2. Thanks, that's exactly what I'm looking for.....

.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

14. Here is the article I was looking for

MICRA did not lower insurance premiums in California
During the insurance crisis of the 1980s, California's 1975 law restricting the right of injured patients to sue doctors, hospitals and HMOs for medical mistakes and negligence was touted by the insurance industry and medical industry as a model "tort reform" for the nation. Doctors were told that the skyrocketing premiums they must pay to purchase malpractice insurance coverage would be reduced if MICRA-type laws were enacted.

Studies conducted during and after the 1980s "crisis" told a different story. The U.S. General Accounting Office, published a study of six states that had enacted many different forms of tort law restrictions during the "crisis" of the mid-1970s, including caps on compensation. The GAO report showed that the price of medical malpractice liability insurance in California had increased dramatically since the passage of MICRA. In fact, "premiums for physicians increased from 16 to 337 percent in southern California ... between 1980 and 1986."1 The GAO study concluded:

While it is not possible to assess the extent to which the act has had an impact on the state's malpractice situation, our analysis of key indicators indicated that the problem is continuing to worsen in California.2

According to the GAO, four states (Arkansas, Florida, New York and North Carolina) reported that the restrictions had had "little effect" on insurance premiums.3

A later, comprehensive review of insurance industry data spanning the period from 1976, when MICRA took effect, through 1991, demonstrated that its restrictions did nothing to ease the cost of malpractice insurance premiums. The average malpractice premium per California physician was higher than the national average in most years after MICRA's passage. The total cost of malpractice liability insurance premiums paid as a percentage of total health care costs was higher in California than in the nation. Moreover, the price of malpractice coverage increased in California after the passage of the law. Premiums grew 191 percent through 1988, when they began to fall, dropping 20 percent by 1991. The same pattern emerged in the nation: premiums grew 331 percent through 1989, then fell 5 percent by 1991.4

http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/insurance/fs/fs002695.php3

[Kanary]

3. It would be nice if they were concerned about their PATIENTS

and voted for actual health care programs.

That would also help them, too, :shrug:

Kanary

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

4. Actually most physicians realize the need for single payer

and the ones fresh out of med school as this person's friend are usually the most concerned. I always prefer teaching new docs rather than the old money grubbers in my business.

[dr.strangelove]

5. He shouldn't vote for Kerry

if he is only looking for personal protection. Kerry and Edwards are opposed to any tort reform, and I agree. Bush plans to pass a federal tort reform package, Kerry will never allow Frist to get away with it.

I think you'll have beeter luck if you try to convince him to vote for the man who will restore th eUS's international respect, roll back the tax cuts to increase jobs (jobs that provide employees with medical coverage and thus more potential paying patients to the doc) and who will be the overall better president. That man is clearly Kerry.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

7. Not accurate. There is a shortage of doctors and surgeons in America right

now. Young docs get out of med school with astronomical debt and must work obscene hours to pay their student loans and malpractice insurance. They end up working for HMO's where they are forced to see an unrealistic number of patients which PUTS THEM, THEIR LICENSE and THEIR malpractice at risk. If they are an OBGYN, they can be sued up to 7 or 8 years after the live birth. They are overworked so mistakes are MORE possible not less. Medical decision making is being taken out of their hands and given to bean counters at hmo's and insurance companies and drug companies bribe them and hide necessary info on drug trials thereby putting them more at risk.
Doctors are NOT allowed to unionize due to anti-trust laws but the AMA as a lobbying org has led them sadly astray and a small percentage of really BAD doctors raise all their rates.

Clinton had the right idea...DEFINE what the baseline of care SHOULD be for conditions and use that definition to define whether the doctor acted within the standard of care where malpractice is concerned.

[jocapo]

9. I'd like to answer their question

I'm trying to familiarize myself with Kerry's position so we can have an informed discussion. I'd like to think I could come up with a more convincing reply than "you shouldn't vote for Kerry if all you care about is yourself"

We've talked about the big picture reasons and it may be enough to convince them but I want to answer their concerns.

[wildeyed]

6. My children's pediatrician

wrote a LTTE stating that he wouldn't vote for Kerry/Edwards 'cause Edwards was a trial lawyer. So I guess, to him, it is ok for Bush to blow up little kids for no reason in Iraq, just don't sue me. I actually haven't decided what to do yet. He has always been decent doctor for us, but now I question his judgment.

I have little patience for people like the ones you describe. They sound greedy and shortsighted.

[jocapo]

10. See Nothingshocksme's reply #7

This sounds exactly like the folks I'm talking about. They're good people who have a lot invested in their careers, they're REALLY young and just starting to feel their way into their future.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

11. And they will BE WAY LIMITED if HMO's gain any more power

Again...it took me MONTHS to convince my ex that she was operating AGAINST her own self interests by going along with this party line and for tort reform since there will be NO mandate to reduce her MP costs beyond a temporary bone thrown at her.

One of the BIGGEST problems is that even to STOP practicing if one is a surgeon they must purchase TAIL COVERAGE since some lawsuits have years before they must be filed.

One BIG problem is states are usually in charge of issuing their medical licenses and their WATCHDOG committees are underfunded due to budget cuts and our current economy. There are some VERY bad doctors and the BOARDS that also allow docs to be fellows are slow to pull their fellowships as they don't follow them well.

Add to this the fact that often the DOC is sued for the FOR PROFIT CORPORATE hospital's poor care.

Believe me...FRIVOLOUS suits don't make it to court as there are several steps before a case gets to trial. Insurance companies will TWIST doctors arms to settle with a case that goes against them simply because they don't want to pay for their defense when they are NOT in the wrong...and that will STILL happen even WITH caps.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

8. Have your friend register on DU and then PM me...

I will be glad to help you with this as it is clear most people on this thread don't understand his very valid concerns.

[sadiesworld]

12. Indo-US FTA.

It is SURE to go through in a second * term. It will mean opening the floodgates to Indian accountants, programmers, and DOCTORS. Lots of docs willing to work for lower wages WILL NOT help your friends.

[welshTerrier2]

13. malpractice suits - many are legitimate

the simplistic argument put forth by the republicans is that we should cap lawsuits to "reasonable amounts" of compensation ... they love to cite the numerous frivolous lawsuits to support their position ...

talking to these young physicians and appealing only to their personal needs (as opposed to what is best for society), i would tell them the following things about the issue of malpractice:

1. i agree that there are too many frivolous lawsuits ... they not only add to the cost of malpractice insurance but to the cost of healthcare for everyone. i believe (would need to do some research) i've heard democrats talk about some type of pre-trial review process to weed out inappropriate lawsuits ... sorry, no details on this ...
the point though, is that i see no reason to not agree that some lawsuits are frivolous and they hurt everyone ...

2. the fact that some, or even many, lawsuits are frivolous, does not mean that we shouldn't give people who have suffered real harm their day in court ... it's important for physicians to understand that the reason malpractice rates are so high is that there are many legitimate cases of malpractice ... this seems like a pretty good way of policing bad doctors ... they may not like it, but the truth is that many professional review boards are reluctant to "weed out their own" ... good doctors should not have to incur higher costs because of the actions of a small minority of bad doctors ...

3. finally, there's this business about capping the amount that can be recovered ... doctors, especially surgeons, are playing in the major leagues ... when they do something negligent, it could render a person unable to work ... capping damage amounts and removing the rights of juries to use judgment fails to reflect the circumstances of any individual case ... what is a proper settlement if a 25 year old will never again be able to support himself ??

the republican party is making it much harder for everyone in the healthcare field ... their endless catering to the pharmaceutical industry (the recent medicare bill was written by pharmaceutical industry lobbyists) is causing the entire system to break down ... this will not only affect those needing healthcare, it will have a horrible effect on all those working in the healthcare field ...

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

15. BTW... here is Kerry's answer to the smal number of abusive lawyer

This is from Kerry's site:

Help Reduce Medical Malpractice Premiums. As president, John Kerry will require that a qualified specialist certifies a medical malpractice case's merit before it is allowed to move forward. He will also work with states to ensure the availability of non-binding mediation in all malpractice claims before cases proceed to trial. John Kerry will make the system fairer for doctors and patients alike by preventing and punishing frivolous lawsuits. Lawyers who file frivolous cases would face tough, mandatory sanctions, including a "three strikes and you're out" provision that forbids lawyers who file three frivolous cases from bringing another suit for the next 10 years. John Kerry also opposes punitive damages - unless intentional misconduct, gross negligence, or reckless indifference to life can be established. Finally, John Kerry will work to eliminate the special privileges that allow insurance companies to fix prices and collude in ways that increase medical malpractice premiums.

This system allows lawyers with valid cases to proceed and distinguishes between catastrophic accidents and negligence. It ALSO works to DEFINE malpractice in advance thereby raising the bar for the medical community to practice safely, and consciensciously.

[jocapo]

16. Thanks to all of you for the great info!!

I'll study up and try to steer them left!!

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

17. sorry if I got carried away, but these young kids just starting out are

getting screwed. They need to realize that by consistently voting for a party that tries to seduce them into going along with what insurance companies want only ties their hands.