If Dr. Hsieh is so adamant in his beliefs then why in the world would he have been the Director of Radiology at Kaiser Permanente in San Diego, this country’s closest example to socialized medicine whose CEO is a leading proponent of universal healthcare? If I felt as strongly as he does about the issue, Kaiser would have been the last place I would have worked. Interesting how he leaves this background information off of his blog. Maybe because it makes him look like a hypocrite.

Second: I had a simple x-ray done at Radiology Imaging in which I received a bill for almost $600. After choking on the amount listed, I realized that they had not billed my insurance company, directly billing me. A phone call to their office and my insurance company cleared it up. My eye-opener was that my insurance company only had to pay $185 by contract. After my $18 copay, the final bill was $203. Excuse Me? If I had not had insurance, I would have had to pay triple. Penalizing those who cannot afford insurance, In my opinion, makes Dr. Hsieh part of the problem in this country.

And last, for all of his blathering on his blog and elsewhere, this doctor does not give any solutions to people like my son, an asthmatic who has had a recent exacerbation of symptoms. Terrified of running up an emergency room bill and no health insurance from his part time job, he turned blue during a recent attack as I scrambled to find his inhaler and do all the other things I could do to bring the attack under control. He has been turned down for any reasonable insurance policy and certainly cannot afford the state high risk insurance. My son needs regular doctor care, Dr. Hsieh, and cannot get it in our state. You sir, offer no solutions to my son, only opinions. Your opinions aren’t helping.

The concept of the doctors being “enslaved” never occurred to me, but universal care sounds like a short cut to “scarce resources” especially if it’s Hilary’s idea. Guess I’m still suffering from bioethics burn.

The right to health care is no longer a demand by do-gooders for the indigent. It’s a plea for help from Americans that have worked and paid into “the system” all of their lives. Considering the large amount of the average paycheck that goes to pay taxes, what rights should that buy people?

If, as you say, health care is not a right, then money for the National Institute of Health as well as any government funding of universities, clinics and hospitals should be used elsewhere.

As far as the Hippocratic oath and professional obligations, no one should be a doctor that doesn’t want to be. It’s no cakewalk. However, all medical professionals should remember that it wasn’t them that invented medicine. They are standing on tall shoulders. Do today’s physicians live up to the medical standard set forth by those that went before them? How would yesterday’s doctors rate today’s doctors? In skills? In ethics?

* Indulge yourself in being excellent*

The activity – or PRO-activity of the AMA is contingent upon its physician leadership.

The leadership is selected, often by default (i.e., the only doctors who will participate) at the county, state and then national level.

Large delegations of physicians from throughout the nation and from all specialties meet in Chicago once a year to determine the organization’s priorities and how to go about achieving them.

All of this is funded by membership dues, but even more importantly, by members’ contribution of their time and leadership.

Let me say this succinctly: “If you don’t like it, get involved and CHANGE it.”

Otherwise, stop whining about how the organization doesn’t represent YOUR interests.

Why the heck SHOULD it if you’re not a member?

In the meantime, you might drop a thank you note to Dr. Hill for averting the scheduled 5% medicare payment reduction this past January…and it wasn’t only AMA doctors who benefited….

Thanks for letting me post on your blog. It is your blog for you to set the rules and I appreciate you allowing contrary views. By the same basic justice that gives you the right to do what you want with your blog. I have the right to do what I want with my body and my money. That means that I have the right to buy or not buy medical care, to buy or not buy health insurance. That means that the Massachusets mandate is wrong and an intrusion of the state into personal business. I understand the problem with EMTALA. That also is wrong and mandates are a response to the unjust takings that EMTALA allows the indigent uninsured to impose on certain persons. Two wrongs, dont make a right.

While I have no doubt this court would find no problem with the 2 year opt out rule, I find absolutely nothing in the US constitution that gives congress any authority for that or most of the rest of Medicare. But the US constitution does not give sole authority for it’s enforcement or interpretation to the Supreme Court. That is the repsonsibility of all branches of the federal government, and every other level of government, and even every citizen.

There are many, for their own personal benefit, quite willing to enslave others. It is why slavery in some form or another, has existed throughout history. Modern socialism just gives it new form.

Thanks,
Kevin

Is this site just a vent or do you have some realistic, detailed solutions?

No abortions
No surgery
No teaching medicine to anyone but the children of physicians

Yeah, sounds relevant to me.