Doctors Say Congress Must Include Public Option In Health Care Reform

A new survey was released on Friday indicating overwhelming support among doctors that the public option must be included as a part health care reform. More than 80% of the America's largest doctors' union-- the Union of American Physicians & Dentists-- consider some form of public insurance to be essential. Full press release below.

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OAKLAND, CA -- At its Triennial Convention in San Francisco on Friday, October 2, the Union of American Physicians & Dentists (UAPD), an affiliate of the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and the AFL-CIO, will announce the results of an internal survey that shows that union doctors overwhelming support offering a public option as part of health care reform.

More than 80% of UAPD doctors consider some form of public health insurance to be the best plan for American health care.

In releasing the survey results, UAPD is calling on Congress to stand up to insurance industry opposition and include a robust public option in national health care reform legislation. Joining union leaders from UAPD and AFSCME on Friday will be Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi, a long-time advocate for health care reform.

From San Francisco, the first and only city to offer universal health care through its Healthy San Francisco program, UAPD doctors will speak from their own experiences treating patients in a variety of clinical settings -- from their private practices to clinics, hospitals, and public institutions.

The doctors will also discuss their plans for action in concert with a new, nationwide campaign by AFL-CIO labor unions beginning this week. They will detail how providers will work to maximize their voice in the national debate before and after the passage of reform legislation.

Comments

[JobJob]

11:44 PM on 10/04/2009

The world is watching and they know that if you can't win this fight you won't be able to lead America forward on any meaningful issue.
Watching my fathers last breaths reminded me that time lost can never be found and it is high time for you to pick up sword of truth and lead the charge in the battle that is set before us. Do you have your mothers courage? Remember you are her son. Do her proud! James Jr.

[JobJob]

11:44 PM on 10/04/2009

Mr. President:

I remember the adds that you ran about your mother and her battle with cancer. Friday my father James Sr. lost the same battle. He was a great dad and your mom must have been great too. In my fathers last days he didn't have to fight the insurance companies the way your mom did. He was old enough to be on Medicare and tri care. These are great programs that every American should have. It is doubtful that we will ever have such care because you seem afraid to fight the battle. The same courage that my dad and your mom showed in fighting cancer you refuse to show in fighting for health care for all Americans. You said you had a plan but you are letting Max Baucus and the Insurance companies write the bill. Are you a coward far from deserving of the accolades bestowed upon you or are you ready to fight the way our parents did? When my father and your mother were fighting cancer they knew that their fight was for life or death. You seem to have forgotten that your fight is for the same thing. You need to scrap or veto these bills written by the "health" care lobbyist and demand real health care reform.

[Lesperado]

11:43 AM on 10/06/2009

Thank you...

[Troyxx]

10:11 PM on 10/06/2009

Great stuff! Let's hope he stands up to the bastards.

[DimBulb2]

11:14 PM on 10/04/2009

without a public option
it's just a handout to the insurance lobby

[Chanrazig]

09:40 PM on 10/04/2009

This is happy news.

However, I wonder what percentage of the total number of physicians and dentists UAPD represents­.

I also wonder what percentage of the total number of physicians and dentists support the public option.

[ImissBush]

07:43 PM on 10/04/2009

what do doctors know about medical care??

[Alabama John]

03:09 PM on 10/04/2009

HEALTH OPTION ---- Bill 101

(1) As over 95% of illness is caused by a diet rich in fats, average American diet being 50% fats, foods high in fats shall be taxed sufficient to repay the government for the damage it causes to our national economy.

(2) Healthcare paid by taxes shall be given to the poor, and to all with a blood test showing a low fats diet.

(3) Those with a blood test showing high levels of fats, they shall pay the medical expenses required to repair the damage caused by eating such unhealthy food.

----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­----------­-----

Note: In 30 years raised a family of five on a diet with 10% of calories fats, and not one penny on doctor bills. As a lifestyle educator everyone I helped had the same results.

DIET: For breakfast fresh fruit over oatmeal. For dinner a stew of beans, brown rice, vegetables­, and salad

If you eat meat go low fats. No dairy products please.

[Lesperado]

12:19 PM on 10/06/2009

blah....

[Alabama John]

02:36 PM on 10/04/2009

Democrats think it’s time for government and Obama to change, while us liberals think its time for our make believe government to be replaced. A world of difference­.

[jcorrington]

12:55 PM on 10/04/2009

Here's the thing about public option: if its not Gov run and managed, its useless.

As a retired Fed employee, I do get the same plan as Congress. All it is, is a list of Gov approved private ins companies - some very high end and mostly medium priced ones, which only vary a dollar or two. So there really is no competitiv­e edge there. The Gov does pay a portion of the costs, so I am very fortunate to have this plan. But again, what happens is the Gov subsidizin­g private ins.

If this is what a public option entails, same ol, same ol....

[jcorrington]

01:01 PM on 10/04/2009

Further clarity: if the public option is not run like Medicare, its useless.

[Harmony1812]

01:23 PM on 10/04/2009

Medicaid in my state has assigned coverage to HMOs. Since it is now managed by insurance companies it no longer provides adaquate care for my mentally ill friend. The best care he gets is with the VA. Medicaire part D is insurance run and now my meds are too expensive and it is breaking me. I get some samples from my doctor to get by but not enough to get back to a productive level.

[jcorrington]

03:30 PM on 10/04/2009

I did know that about medicaid. I guess there are horror stories on all sides.

My heart aches for you and your friend and your trials, Harmony. All I can say is that I hope and pray all gets better.

[Alabama John]

10:06 AM on 10/04/2009

What if 95% of illness caused by a diet high in fats?

Thousands of those working in healthcare think so, and average American diet being 50% of calories fats would lead one to believe so.

Well, it would mean that all this effort to reform the medical industry would affect only 5% of the problem, what with 95% of the problem being outside of medicine and square in the processed food industry.

[Kode]

11:25 AM on 10/04/2009

Bingo

[Harmony1812]

01:23 PM on 10/04/2009

Or by the poor quality of our overproces­sed food.

[human2008]

07:58 AM on 10/04/2009

Insurance companies squeeze every dollars out of doctors pay from every claim, doctors have to go through so much hassle to get paid. Doctors becomes impatient over time and customers suffer more. In the current healthcare climate doctors, patients are not well served - insurance companies and their advocates (right wing noise machines) are the main benefactor­s.

Healthcare reform is not the only one, US education system also need reform - I wonder why on earth a college degree be so expensive ? School level education ranks 37th in the world, below every industrial­ized nation in the world. No wonder foreigners are doing better than Americans even in America. Look at the science, technology­, R&D - non Americans are majorities in those knowledge-­based areas.

[Alabama John]

10:22 AM on 10/04/2009

(1) We have the largest laboring class of any industrial­ized nation. My slow and careful thinking class, us without college level intelligen­ce, being 50% of society.

(2) Forcing our kids to compete against intelligen­t middleclas­s kids, and force-feed­ing them knowledge they cannot comprehend­, this is at the heart of all the problems in public school.

(3) Most doctors retire millionair­es and favor reform only because they know our capitalist will not in anyway regulate their excessive profit.

[ouroborous]

03:41 AM on 10/04/2009

Best part of this article: "The doctors will also discuss their plans for action in concert with a new, nationwide campaign by AFL-CIO labor unions beginning this week. They will detail how providers will work to maximize their voice in the national debate before and after the passage of reform legislatio­n."

These two groups working together will be formidable indeed.

Despite the incessant whining of the teabagger crowd, and the relentless attempts of Rahm, Baucus, and the gang to kill the public option, there is hope that we might still win this thing.

[lockewasright]

05:50 PM on 10/04/2009

It's gonna happen. We are going to have a public option.

[aflyinyoursoup]

12:23 AM on 10/04/2009

Hard to believe that this issue is considered DEBATABLE.­...
I cringe when I hear the typical vapid conservati­ve arguments that are sopping with sickening platitudes and of course always beside the point.
Health Insurance Corporatio­ns provide absolutely NOTHING, ZERO, ZILCH, NADA!
We give them vast amounts of money.
First thing they do is skim off the top to pay for the following:
1) A considerab­le profit for their shareholde­rs.
2) Astronomic­al compensati­on for their CEOs
3) Exorbitant compensati­on for an army of other high level executives

Now they're ready to pay our providers for health care.
Ah, but there's a fly in the ointment..­..after spending all that dough preserving and nourishing their fabulous for-profit empire there's nary enough left to fiscally represent us to the extent of our contributi­ons.
Oh, what to do, what to do?
Easy solution: Severely control and limit the services that they pay for.
If that means denying 20% of all claims, so be it....
If that means dropping a client who's medical condition becomes such that it threatens the bottom line, so be it....
Isn't it wonderful to have a profit driven, bean counting geek sitting in a remote cubical deciding the quality and extant of our medical care?
To add Insult to injury, we pay that parasitic geek's salary..
Good night, nurse.

[TheBender]

11:36 PM on 10/03/2009

This is a way Left group of docs affiliated with AFSCME, another Socialist group. Here is another newsflash for you - 90% of prison inmates favor accelerate­d parole schedules.

[careygranite]

11:51 PM on 10/03/2009

Incorrect. They are not a "left" or a "right" group anymore than the AMA is.

Here's a couple of news flashes for you. As has been previously reported the majority of AMA docs also want a public option. What difference does it make what the political affiliatio­n of a physicain is. They are in favor or not based on profession­alism not politics.

Considerin­g that it is a pre-existi­ng condition I hope for your sake your insurance policy will fund extricatin­g your head from your rear end.

[Weirdwriter]

12:25 AM on 10/04/2009

ROFLMAO!

Superb.Fan­ned and fav'd.

[aflyinyoursoup]

12:48 AM on 10/04/2009

Aaaw Jeeeze, here we go with the "socialist­" this and the "communist­" that and the planet will explode if we all band together and eschew a for profit enterprise­...Blah blah blah, blah blah blah, ad-infinit­um and ad-nauseum .
Do us a favor; Go into the garage. Find a # 10 rasp. Keep it on your night stand.
We'll send you detailed instructio­ns complete with drawings..­....

[Lesperado]

12:24 PM on 10/06/2009

Most Americans could can give an educated definition of Socalism or Communism.

[Poorsarah]

10:34 PM on 10/03/2009

The doctors are correct that a public option is essential in the healthcare bill. This will allow an increase in clients/pa­tients for healthcare profession­als which, in turn, will create more jobs in healthcare­.
Without the public option, private insurance would continue to jack costs beyond most of our financial means; this would create a severe decrease in client/pat­ient business for healthcare facilities which, in turn, would force healthcare facilities to inflict mass layoffs or close their facilities which would create a dangerous shortage of healthcare profession­als in our nation. Private insurance companies would not get enough business to financiall­y stay afloat.
So, YES, the public option is imperative for the survival of our healthcare system.

[alice09]

01:47 PM on 10/03/2009

Poll shows majority want public option more than bipartisan­ship.
Majority of doctors want public option and they know the problems from the inside out.
Are we really going to let people in Congress who represent a tiny population or have only the commitment to thwart whatever good can be accomplish­ed by this President, block what the majority is pleading for and sometimes dying without??

[rukiddingmerightnow]

03:42 PM on 10/03/2009

Nope

[Gayitri Ramesh]

09:55 PM on 10/03/2009

One of the benefits of having a majority in the house senate, and having the white house is the ability to set or stretch the agenda.

Let the loonies finish with their tantrums,
Then have the marches by doctors, unions etc and then seal the deal for the public option.

Without it it is just mandating an extra 20 million customers for the corrupt insurance industry that you are trying to reign in.