In many states (Massachusetts is a prime example) hospitals are considered “charitable organizations” and cannot be sued. They bear no responsibility when a patient sues. So all the responsibility goes to the physician. Tha’s why so many of us are defensive. It’s truly “us against them”.

Traditionalists may believe may strongly believe in the sanctity of isolated medical practice: I argue that the modern Physicians role in the lives of it’s patients extends beyond direct clinical care. Their is a direct relationship between the care my patient’s recive and the healthcare system that is the framework for delivering this care. Therefore, certain ballot issues ARE in the PATIENT’s direct interests. Take for exmaple, the OB/GYN and malpractice (my wife got a letter from her OB at the start of her prenatal care that they may drop OB before she deliver’s). Medicare cuts and senior citizens. There is a relationship b/t time spent per patient and reimbursement.
I argue that as good moral ethical patient’s advocates, we can make recomendations to our patients. In fact, a better step than to say support a politicl party, is to offer a letter of why support one cadndiate and not another.

Anyway, just an opinion of one MD.
DR.A

Doctors are partly responsible for high malpractice rates because they do not police their own and many times turn a blind eye to poorly performing physicians. This allows unscrupulous attorneys to take advantage of everyone else.

There are other ways to get the message out. Write letters to the editor. Buy ad time or ad space with your local TV, radio and newspaper. Get politically involved. Contribute money to the candidate of your choice. Hell, run for political office yourself. But trying to influence how people vote does not belong in the doctor-patient relationship.

If this were a nonprofit organization, this kind of campaigning would be a violation of the tax law, and there could be penalties to pay. Although I presume these docs have a for-profit practice and don’t have the same restrictions as those placed on 501(c)3 organizations, they are still dog-paddling in some very muddy waters here.

This is a line that should not be crossed, period.

While they are passing laws destroying the American health care system, docs are just supposed to stand by and take it?

Patients need another point of view other than all those personal injury commercials put out by attorneys and the media who love to publicise malpractice cases.

Patients need to know why specialists in my small town are moving out of state because of high malpractice premiums. Patients need to know why more than one OB physician in our small town is closing his practice to new OB patients because of malpractice premiums. Patients need to know the reality and not the spin.