As the Republican convention gets underway today in Tampa, we can expect to hear the politicians and delegates gathered there -- including GOP nominee Mitt Romney -- rail against "ObamaCare," insisting that what we need instead of a "government takeover of health care" is "patient-centered" care, although what that would look like hasn't been disclosed.
If recent statements by Romney and his VP pick Paul Ryan are an indication of the rhetoric we'll likely hear, get ready for speech after speech telling us that ObamaCare will "cut" $716 billion from Medicare and cost small businesses a bundle.
In anticipation of these sorts of misrepresentations, doctors from all over the country -- all members of a four-year-old organization called Doctors for America -- have traveled to Florida to serve as a truth squad. And while they're dispensing facts, they'll also be providing more than a little free care. When the GOPers leave the Sunshine State, the doctors will hop on a bus and head to Charlotte to try to persuade the politicians and delegates who will gather there that they need to start aggressively defending the reform law.
Doctors for America is a bipartisan grassroots organization of 15,000 physicians and medical students from all 50 states. The organization's executive director, Dr. Alice Chen, said the doctors decided on the road trip because "politics, not patients, has been driving the health care debate and is threatening to roll back the promise of a better health care system."
Chen says the mission of the group is to build a health care system that works for everybody, not just the wealthy and fully insured. The group's message: "Stop messing with health care reform because people's lives are at stake." Its "Patients Over Politics Bus Tour" -- which will make stops in Atlanta and Columbia, S.C. and several other cities between Tampa and Charlotte -- will feature press events, town hall-type forums and preventive health screenings.
In both convention cities, the docs will talk about how they and other health care providers are already seeing the Affordable Care Act improve the lives of their patients.
One of the physicians who can attest to that is Evan Saulino of Oregon. "I got involved in health advocacy when I lost two of my patients in 2006," he said. "They died because they did not have coverage or affordable access to the care they needed, despite both working full time." He said he already has seen numerous benefits for his patients as a result of the reform law. He cited as an example seniors who come in for preventive care, now covered for the first time by Medicare, and young people who are able to stay on their parents' policies until age 26.
Kenya Wheeler of California, a patient and supporter of Doctors for America, says he is among many who might not be alive today if not for the Affordable Care Act. He'll be on the trip this week.
"Little did I know that a year after health reform passed, I would need health care to save my own life," Wheeler says on the organization's website.
A year ago, Wheeler suffered three serious seizures as a result of a previously undiagnosed mass in his brain. It turned out to be Lymphoma.
"Over the next six months, I was in and out the hospital getting rounds of high dose chemo that made it almost impossible to maintain my previous activities," he wrote. "To make matters worse, my graduate student insurance had a $400,000 lifetime cap -- a cap that seemed like a lot of money when I was healthy. But with cancer, my health care bills skyrocketed. My friends and family organized fundraising events so I wouldn't run out of coverage in the middle of my treatment. My medical treatments have cost over $600,000 (mostly covered by insurance), but they saved my life."
"I'm more determined than ever to make sure everyone can have the health care they need, that nobody will be told that they have no options because they don't have insurance or they can't afford $600,000 to save their own life."
Earlier this month, the Affordable Care Act made lifetime and annual limits on health insurance policies, including student policies, a thing of the past.
One of the goals of Doctors for America is to collect 5,000 signatures on a Declaration of Support for the reform law during their bus tour. You can follow the group's travels on the Doctors for America Facebook Page.
Follow Wendell Potter on Twitter: www.twitter.com/wendellpotter
David Katz, M.D.: The Basic Care and Feeding of a Social Animal
Vivek Murthy, MD MBA - President and Co-Founder (email)
Internal Medicine Hospitalist
Boston, MA
Alice Chen, MD (email)
Internal Medicine Hospitalist
Los Angeles, CA
Scott Dudgeon (email)
Toronto, Canada
Carol Duh (email)
Medical Student
Nashville, TN
Chris Lillis, MD (email)
Private Practice Internist
Fredericksburg, VA
Mona Mangat, MD (email)
Solo Practice Allergist-Immunologist
St. Petersburg, FL
Evan Saulino, MD PhD (email)
Family Physician
Portland, OR
I have been struggling with this personal responsibility argument - which I agree with, and was easily obtainable when I had a job - and, every time, I'm left without an answer. All the personal responsibility in the world (much of which is unattainable without a job and the financial means necessary to pay for the most basic of needs, nevermind the costs of even basic health care) doesn't change the fact that in many ways, I don't know 'how' to make and argument about being 'personally responsible' when it comes to accessing healthcare without the employer-based health insurance I've always 'enjoyed' prior to 2008.
Efforts are underway here in Colorado to establish a statewide healthcare cooperative.
Conservatives want to contain costs and have freedom of choice, while liberals want to cover everyone. The Cooperative would do both.
The Cooperative is based on legislation introduced by CO State Senator, Irene Aguilar, MD – a well-respected doctor.
The Co-op would create a single risk pool where all residents would be owner-members of the Co-op. We would ask for waivers and pool all Medicare, Medicaid, VA benefits and other programs.
Instead of paying premiums to an insurance company, individuals and business would pay smaller premiums based on payroll/income – it will bring down healthcare costs for everyone, including business owners who would no longer have to worry about the time and expense of administering insurance plans for their employees – and their HC costs would be predictable.
If individuals still want to purchase additional ‘cadillac’ plans from the insurance companies for benefits not covered by the Cooperative, they are free to do so.
It’s a win-win for business owners, patients and providers!
Information about the Co-op can be found on the website.
email: info@healthcareforallforless.org
http://www.healthcareforallforless.org/
Such perversity must be undone if our nation is to return to its greatness. The doctors group is a great antidote to that selfishness. I hope that it gets much attention in the press.
"liberally bias media" my butt
COuld you please make sure this line of thinking about the ROLE of GOV to help create a workforce that is both well Educated and Healthy is spread amog the people so they can see the Choice between a GOP that want to REPEAL OBAMACARE and PRIVATIZE MEDICARE and the DEMOCRATS who have beieved in and CREATED the programs that HELP ALL people.
Thank you.
The GOPers/Libertarians DO NOT BELIEVE in GOV and they should not even be in GOV because they will just go there to have their own TAX CUTS .
WE MUST MAKE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND the connection.
Thank you as always for what you have and are doing.
Doctors for America must go to the Networks to be interviewed, so they can Debunk the LIES R & R have said about Obama stealing Raiding Medicare....and welfare .
As an employer I would like to be able to choose employees from a WORKFORCE that is both Well EDUCATED and HEALTHY . I am also sure that ALL Employers would like that.
AND so this brings me to the ROLE of THE GOVERNMENT.
IF the GOV would make sure that PEOPLE are WELL educated and are Healthy
that is the BEST HELP for BUSINESS small or BIG .
SInce this 2012 EWlection is a CHOICE between GOP which hates GOV and the Democratic party which has always wanted to help people be educated and healthy.....THE CHOICE is CRYSTAL CLEAR
VOTE for Obama /Biden + Dem majoirty to DEFEAT the DISGRACEFUL GOPTEABaggers !!!
LET US BREAK the STALEMATE............and allow the GOV to move FORWARD with those who believe in GOV's ROLE on the 2 most important issues in HUMAN LIFE.
Time some more of the real public's National Conversations 'came out'.
Now, to get on with the others.