Comments on: My COAT!

By: Matt

Matt — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 02:21:00 +0000

I’m pretty sure that’s not what I said. In reality, physicians did not offer anything besides complaints. Show me the proposal from physicians to reform healthcare to revamp the payment system, which is the root of all this. Hell, show me any proposal for alternate “reform” from physicians that wasn’t drafted by their liability carriers.

Perception DOES matter though – in politics. In the case of physicians against health reform, though, the perception and reality match up. At best, the reality is that you were whiny but unwilling to expend any real effort.

By: JustADoc

JustADoc — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 02:04:39 +0000

I am fairly sure that Matt just admitted that the public’s perception that the AMA represents what physicians think is all that matters. But in numerous posts, the perception of what physicians think about medical mal and defensive medicine is all foolishness and irrelevant.
So when does perception matter?
JustADoc

By: Matt

Matt — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 01:41:41 +0000

You may not like the fact that the AMA is your largest lobbying organization and in the public’s eye is your chief lobbying organization, but those are the facts. Maybe it will change, I don’t know. But that’s the situation as it exists today.

By: Fyrdoc

Fyrdoc — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 21:12:55 +0000

Matt,

The AMA does not represent even a third of practicing physicians in the US. If you remove the medical students from their rolls, the number is less than one quarter. The reality is that the AMA exists to sell the CPT code definitions. There is no overarching association that represents all physicians. Individual groups, such as the ACS, AAFP, ACP, ACEP, ASA, ACOG etc. are our lobbying groups. Most were against the plan – actively.

By: Matt

Matt — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 21:08:06 +0000

I wrote to every national politician in my district and other national ones I donated to at least twice. But as I’m just a patient I don’t have the pull that a provider or providers lobbying group does. Although the largest physicians lobbying group signed on so maybe they are getting what they want after all.

By: Steve

Steve — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 20:15:15 +0000

Matt, what did you do to influence the healthcare debate? Or were you just powerless as well?

By: Matt

Matt — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 16:38:19 +0000

” I don’t see how this is any different than any other humorous story about somebody who is too stupid for words.”

You’re probably right – probably an overreaction. Healthcare reform has just got me down I think and I’m really annoyed at seeing the political firepower physicians brought to bear against injured patients while they sat back on this.

As an employer, it’s depressing to think about yet another tax to pay. It’s got me thinking of downsizing to just a very small firm with no payroll taxes but my own.

I’ll try and lighten up.

By: Matt

Matt — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 16:36:16 +0000

“I find it hard to believe that after all your time on this site you think the only motivation from our standpoint to limit liability is to make a few extra bucks.”

When one looks at the results of 30 years of your “reform”, one can see no other reason. It doesn’t lower costs, it doesn’t increase access, it doesn’t do virtually any of the things you promise it will do. Those are the facts. So what else could it be?

By: Matt

Matt — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 16:34:52 +0000

Actually, most lawsuits, in fact the vast majority, are business disputes.

By: Finn Haddie

Finn Haddie — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 17:49:44 +0000

Is this lawyer related to the DC judge who sued the dry cleaner for $54 million for losing his pants? Or are they just brothers in ridiculous litigiousness?