| Impossible gibberish? Physicians aren't dumb. | | | | in that state. |
| Actually, they're smart enough not to bet on a | | | | Physicians then have 2 reasonable choices. Move |
| lame horse regardless of their intellectual prowess, | | | | to a different state to practice (like has been |
| their passion for relieving human suffering through | | | | happening in Mass., NV, and PA) or quit medical |
| medical care, and their instinctual driving force to | | | | practice completely. |
| make a difference in our sick world. | | | | Solution: Change the state malpractice laws and |
| Denial of the impending destruction of the once | | | | the catastrophic sequence of events above won't |
| highly regarded medical profession will not get you | | | | happen. Force state congressmen to comply using |
| into heaven. An empowering consciousness of the | | | | your voting power. |
| need to prevent any group, government, or | | | | E. You are responsible for increased healthcare |
| president from field stripping physicians of their | | | | costs relative to your personal medical care. |
| integrity and mission, will. And, don't try to | | | | Patients now demand special medications, second |
| rationalize your support for a new "controlled" | | | | opinions, special medical and surgical procedures, |
| healthcare system by disregarding your glaring | | | | among others, which if the doctor refuses to |
| responsibility for helping to cause the | | | | comply with because he/she feels it's |
| disappearance of medical doctors in this country. | | | | unnecessary, usually means the patient will go |
| A. You are responsible for undermining the medical | | | | elsewhere for medical care. The practice loses a |
| profession by not voting out of office any state | | | | patient. |
| legislature, senator or congressman, who has | | | | Another issue with a demand by a patient is; if |
| voted against a proposed law for capping the | | | | the doctor refuses to do what the patient |
| massive medical malpractice verdicts on "pain and | | | | requests, and the patient suffers as a |
| suffering" in the great majority of the States | | | | consequence of the doctor not agreeing to the |
| across the United States. This also includes those | | | | request(s), a malpractice suit might occur. So, |
| elected to government positions that intentionally | | | | what do they do? They usually agree to the |
| speak out for a national medical system or in any | | | | patient's demands. In addition, in doing so the |
| way interfere with the passage of a "cap" law. | | | | doctor violates medical ethics for doing something |
| Blame yourself. | | | | that isn't necessary for proper medical care and |
| Solution: Force your state legislature to pass a cap | | | | violates his or her professional duties and |
| law on medical malpractice. | | | | beliefs--knowingly! |
| B. You are responsible for utter exploitation of | | | | And, the cost of medical care goes up further. |
| medical malpractice laws which allow for bringing | | | | Solution: Don't corner your doctor with demands. |
| frivolous law-suits against physicians because of | | | | Try negotiating first and asking "why not" follow |
| your personal greed to bankroll your existence. | | | | your requests. If this is a problem for you, it |
| Even the ones that are thrown out of court | | | | means you don't trust your doctor in the first |
| aren't without cost. It costs a minimum of | | | | place-so find one you can trust. |
| $50,000 just to resolve the dispute out of court | | | | Why, soon, there won't be any doctors left: |
| in frivolous suits. | | | | Does it worry you that physicians are |
| For a bit of bribe money (like 50K) from the | | | | disappearing from medical care in droves these |
| malpractice insurers of physicians, many patients | | | | days? They are! Many are retiring 20 years |
| will drop their case against doctors when it is likely | | | | sooner than was usual only a few years ago. |
| the patient would lose the case in trial. But, it's | | | | Some quit the high risk specialties or limit their |
| worth it for malpractice insurers to pay the 50k | | | | practice to low-risk patients (like OB-GYN, and |
| to the patient to avoid paying over $200,000+ | | | | surgical specialties). Increasing numbers are hiding |
| cost of taking it through trial where the patient | | | | in managed care groups on a nine to five basis. |
| will lose anyway. | | | | Major reasons why doctors quit practice:o Medical |
| This money comes out of the pockets of | | | | malpractice premiums unaffordable.o Increasing |
| physicians who pay the outrageous insurance | | | | medical fee restrictions by the government to the |
| premiums. The outrageous premiums originate | | | | point where practice will fail.o Refusal to |
| because of insurance company risks of payouts | | | | participate in the socialized medicine way of |
| on uncontrollable jury awards (when no caps on | | | | practice.o Practice income less than the manager |
| Pain and suffering). | | | | of fast food restaurant without much education.o |
| If you are aware of the fact that this whole 40 | | | | Lifestyle they expected not happening in medical |
| year debate is about putting a legal cap on the | | | | practice.o Able to earn much more money at |
| one single part of the medical malpractice law | | | | much less risk in other professions.o Future of |
| concerning trial jury verdicts...not the rest of the | | | | medical practice insecure and increasingly |
| award given for the medical care of the patient's | | | | disappointing. |
| full recovery from that injury. The rest of the | | | | Major reasons why American students won't |
| award is specifically for the legitimate more than | | | | enter the medical profession from now on:o Cost |
| adequate recovery costs for the patient's injuries. | | | | of medical education at graduation from medical |
| This amount all physicians agree is fair and proper. | | | | school leaves an outstanding debt of $150,000+ |
| This revelation about the law might straighten out | | | | the day they start practice. Trouble recruiting |
| your misconceptions generated in the public | | | | medical students!o Medical Practice incomes |
| domain. | | | | dropping steadily across the nation-outlook poor.o |
| Pain and Suffering is only a part of the award and | | | | New generation doctors prefer free time to best |
| is the part that is given to a patient because of | | | | income-steer away from medicine.o Half of |
| what that jury considers appropriate for the | | | | medical school classes are women and 50% of |
| psychological trauma the patient had. It's a wild | | | | those go into part time medical practice leaving a |
| guessing game as to what value it should have | | | | large vacuum of full time doctors.o Difficult |
| and is usually based on strict emotional sympathy | | | | education to complete-coupled with incomes not |
| on the part of the jurors. That emotional | | | | appropriate for educational status afterward.o |
| sympathy varies from day to day and jury to | | | | Foreign students are willing and able to tolerate |
| jury. | | | | medical education and practice under any |
| One day it's worth one million dollars and on | | | | compromises or circumstances. So why would |
| another day it could be viewed as seven million | | | | Americans bother. |
| dollars or more. Depending on how many tears fall | | | | What does the future of medical care look like? |
| and how the plaintiff attorney describes the | | | | To sort out a clearer view of where health care |
| devastating effects on the patient, the jury will | | | | is going, it sometimes is easier to ask yourself |
| respond from the heart, not the reasonable mind. | | | | some questions like these: |
| Solution: Tell your legislature what you think, then, | | | | Why would any student choose the medical |
| take what you get. | | | | profession knowing that they have to look |
| C. You are responsible for the increasing costs of | | | | forward to living and practicing with:o State |
| healthcare to yourself and those who are paying | | | | governments who have no intention ever to |
| for your health insurance-without a doubt. Why do | | | | change the medical malpractice laws to benefit |
| you think doctors are "easy" to get to comply | | | | physicians-a continuous risk that will never change. |
| with your demands for extra tests, procedures, | | | | (most congressmen are attorneys that need their |
| and medical attention? Why do you think | | | | cash cow kept in the barn)o A long run (medical |
| physicians incessantly order medical tests and | | | | education) for a short slide (low middle class |
| medical procedures which increase health care | | | | income) unless family wealth is available.o |
| costs and might not be necessary? | | | | Increasing complexity of medical knowledge and |
| Wake up people! It's called practicing "defensive" | | | | medical practice where no physician knows |
| medicine. In case you can't quite understand what | | | | everything-yet patients expect them to.o No |
| that means, let me clue you in. If you suddenly | | | | education about running a medical practice (small |
| discover someone might file a lawsuit against you, | | | | business). Have to learn it all on their own time |
| big enough to guarantee you bankruptcy and loss | | | | and expense.o No education on the topic of |
| of everything you built in your life, would you do | | | | marketing a medical practice and business. Have |
| everything you could to prevent that disaster? | | | | to learn it all on their own---called on the job |
| That's exactly what doctors do in our present | | | | training. |
| environment every time they treat a patient. | | | | My personal prognosis for future health care: |
| Yes-it's because of survival mode, whether you | | | | 1. Socialized medicine will be initiated in our country |
| believe it or not. | | | | in spite of major public objections to a national |
| The extra tests and procedures are the only | | | | healthcare law simply because the power of our |
| means a physician has of covering all, or at least | | | | government is well beyond any public or voter |
| some of, the bases to avoid missing a hidden | | | | control any more. |
| medical problem that might result in a malpractice | | | | 2. Expect huge numbers of physicians to quit |
| suit. Knowing that patients are quick to bring | | | | practice across this country-maybe as much as |
| malpractice suits against them, any physician in | | | | 30 % as soon as the healthcare law is signed--or |
| their right mind will titrate the intensity of | | | | shortly after enforcement begins. |
| defensive measures they intend to use to the | | | | 3. Your health care will be managed primarily by |
| level of risk associated with their specialty as well | | | | mid-level providers, from nurses to nurse |
| as their personal views and beliefs about | | | | practitioners, which is already happening. |
| risk-taking. | | | | 4. Physicians will be available only for consultations |
| Solution: Demand medical malpractice laws be | | | | or procedures which cannot be performed by |
| changed to parallel that of California and a select | | | | lower level providers. Allowed practices by these |
| few other states who are already protecting | | | | non-physician providers will be expanded to a |
| doctors who practice there. Lenient malpractice | | | | great degree including surgical procedures. |
| laws favoring patients and high jury sympathetic | | | | 5. The numbers of foreign medical doctors will |
| verdicts with no "caps" should be legally stopped. | | | | increase to make up for the absence of |
| Call your state congressmen. | | | | American doctors in the profession. Does that |
| D. You are responsible for the physician shortage | | | | idea appeal to you? |
| and here's why. Patients are quick to file suits | | | | 6. Charitable medical care functions will disappear |
| against doctors. Juries are allowed to then award | | | | because government controlled healthcare will put |
| patients unbelievably high awards. As a result the | | | | them out of business--contrary to what is being |
| malpractice insurers pay out the awards and that | | | | spoken now by government officials. |
| necessitates huge increases in the premiums to | | | | 7. Private medical practice will survive to a minimal |
| physicians. In turn, physicians can't afford to pay | | | | degree. Thank God the spirit of that kind of |
| the exaggerated malpractice insurance premiums | | | | physician still exists. |