Comments on: New York: state-controlled hospitals, possible $50,000 malpractice surcharge on doctors http://www.aapsonline.org/newsoftheday/0014 from the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons Sat, 17 May 2008 08:27:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: Gale Oleson http://www.aapsonline.org/newsoftheday/0014#comment-134 Gale Oleson Tue, 22 Jan 2008 01:59:33 +0000 http://www.aapsonline.org/newsoftheday/0014#comment-134 I have always wondered why, when there is a crisis in a medically related industry and things go to pot, only the doctors are asked to bear the brunt of costs. In this case if the insurance industry is falling on it's face, why aren't heads rolling and pay cuts taking place for what is obviously an acctuarial (sp?) failure on the part of the insurance executives. If my office begins to fail due to lack of adequate revenue I am just a poor business man...no body seems to blame "the system" and have others structure a surcharge on other parts of the healthcare system to bail ME out. I doubt that if Doctors formed corporations and paid themselves a million dollars a year (cheap by insurance company CEO standards) and then declared that all of our corporations are going bankrupt, that we would be able to put a surcharge on insurance companies to bring our corporations back into profitability. Most businesses, especially insurance companies, would scream at being expected to bail out another industries inadequecies!!! Years ago I was a member of a PHO arrangment. When the CEO announced that the doctors would need to take a 10% cut in payments I called and asked if he was intending to match our cut. "Of course not" was the reply. Needless to say I did not take the cut either...I dropped out immediately extending and backing up my "vote" of discontent. Until doctors start holding the business men accountable to an "I'll take my cut if you'll take yours" standard they will continue to see us as the naive worker bees to their leadership class, deserving nothing more than they decide to give us. On the other hand if we allow them to make claims that their business is failing due to someone else making to much money, we suggest that capitalism is failing them. Actually in this case the lawyers extracting too much money would seem to be the problem...where are they in the formula for surcharges? Or are politicians, like bullies in the school yard, just looking to pick on the nearest weakest for stealing the lunch money? I have always wondered why, when there is a crisis in a medically related industry and things go to pot, only the doctors are asked to bear the brunt of costs. In this case if the insurance industry is falling on it’s face, why aren’t heads rolling and pay cuts taking place for what is obviously an acctuarial (sp?) failure on the part of the insurance executives.
If my office begins to fail due to lack of adequate revenue I am just a poor business man…no body seems to blame “the system” and have others structure a surcharge on other parts of the healthcare system to bail ME out.
I doubt that if Doctors formed corporations and paid themselves a million dollars a year (cheap by insurance company CEO standards) and then declared that all of our corporations are going bankrupt, that we would be able to put a surcharge on insurance companies to bring our corporations back into profitability. Most businesses, especially insurance companies, would scream at being expected to bail out another industries inadequecies!!!
Years ago I was a member of a PHO arrangment. When the CEO announced that the doctors would need to take a 10% cut in payments I called and asked if he was intending to match our cut. “Of course not” was the reply. Needless to say I did not take the cut either…I dropped out immediately extending and backing up my “vote” of discontent. Until doctors start holding the business men accountable to an “I’ll take my cut if you’ll take yours” standard they will continue to see us as the naive worker bees to their leadership class, deserving nothing more than they decide to give us. On the other hand if we allow them to make claims that their business is failing due to someone else making to much money, we suggest that capitalism is failing them. Actually in this case the lawyers extracting too much money would seem to be the problem…where are they in the formula for surcharges? Or are politicians, like bullies in the school yard, just looking to pick on the nearest weakest for stealing the lunch money?

]]> By: Howard Long http://www.aapsonline.org/newsoftheday/0014#comment-129 Howard Long Mon, 21 Jan 2008 05:00:51 +0000 http://www.aapsonline.org/newsoftheday/0014#comment-129 I go bare and have unreachable assets. I've given no hospital care for many years, referring those patients I can't keep well enough to avoid that source of infections, neglect and penury. Of course I can accept no third party payment, partly to liberate me in from the problems described for NY, but more to escape dictates not best for patients. How can I support specialists who cannot do likewise? I go bare and have unreachable assets. I’ve given
no hospital care for many years, referring those patients I can’t keep well enough to avoid that source of infections, neglect and penury.

Of course I can accept no third party payment,
partly to liberate me in from the problems described for NY, but more to escape dictates not best for patients.

How can I support specialists who cannot do likewise?

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