View Full Version : AMA Resolution
Roguish Lawyer
06-14-2004, 21:39
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040614/ap_on_he_me/ama_resolution
Doctor Proposes Not Treating Some Lawyers
Mon Jun 14, 7:38 AM ET Add Health - AP to My Yahoo!
By TARA BURGHART, Associated Press Writer
CHICAGO - A doctor's proposal asking the American Medical Association to endorse refusing care to attorneys involved in medical malpractice cases drew an angry response from colleagues Sunday at the annual meeting of the nation's largest physicians group.
Many doctors stood up to denounce the resolution in passionate speeches — even after its sponsor, Dr. J. Chris Hawk, asked that it be withdrawn.
Hawk, a South Carolina surgeon, said he made the proposal to draw attention to rising medical malpractice costs. The resolution asks that the AMA tell doctors that — except in emergencies — it is not unethical to refuse care to plaintiffs' attorneys and their spouses.
"It expresses the frustration I have with a broken system," said Hawk. He said doctors are leaving his state or retiring early because of insurance premiums — making it harder for patients to receive care.
Neurologist Michael Williams said although he understood Hawk's frustration, the resolution never should have been introduced because it seeks to discriminate against a group of people.
The resolution left the AMA "a really big mess to clean up," Williams said.
For years, the AMA's top legislative lobbying priority has been the medical malpractice system, and some delegates said the resolution could hurt those efforts by giving trial lawyers ammunition.
AMA committees considered more than 250 reports and resolutions Sunday. The committees will make recommendations to the group's delegates, who will begin voting Monday afternoon on policies to adopt.
Last week, the daughter of a Mississippi legislator said she was denied treatment by a plastic surgeon because her father opposes limits in damage suits against doctors.
Dr. Michael Kanosky said he referred Kimberly Banks to other plastic surgeons to have her burn scars removed because he had lobbied on the other side of the issue and saw an ethical conflict.
Jack Moroney (RIP)
06-15-2004, 07:07
Welcome to the fold barrister. There are Doctors that also refuse to take on we retired military scum because TRICARE doesn't meet some of their exorbitant fees.
Jack Moroney
Mr. Moroney, that's exactly why I stopped using Delta Dental Care (the military retiree dental insurance). In a city of 100s of dentists, only a handful accepted the insurance because of its low payout.
Jack Moroney (RIP)
06-15-2004, 09:55
Originally posted by Razor
In a city of 100s of dentists,
Razor you probably have more dentists in Colorado Springs than we have in the entire state of Vermont and dental care among adults up here falls towards the bottom of the list right below getting the car serviced, replacing the muffler ,taking down the outside Christmas decorations and painting the back of the house. Consequently their charges are not too bad and the retiree delta dental program, while not great, is better than anything else that is accepted up here. But I totally agree, payout is low and there is no greater pleasure than trying to talk to some sweet young thing on the phone about what they will and will not accept when English is not even her second language and the constant clicking sounds coming thru my ear piece kinda makes me think her idea of oral hygiene seems to be how often she has to change the stud she has pierced thru her tongue. :D
Jack Moroney
The Reaper
06-15-2004, 10:02
Retiree Delta Dental for a family of four is $88 per month.
That seems a bit high for the services and coverage they provide.
Does anyone have an informed opinion on this or a better plan that they use?
TR
Jack Moroney (RIP)
06-15-2004, 11:54
Originally posted by The Reaper
Retiree Delta Dental for a family of four is $88 per month.
That seems a bit high for the services and coverage they provide.
Does anyone have an informed opinion on this or a better plan that they use?
TR
Check this out. http://www.cbca.com/naus/insurance.html
Jack Moroney
Originally posted by Jack Moroney
Welcome to the fold barrister. There are Doctors that also refuse to take on we retired military scum because TRICARE doesn't meet some of their exorbitant fees.
Jack Moroney
My family is all covered under my insurance despite the fact that we have TRICARE...we rarely use it for anything since it is pretty LOUSY insurance. It reimburses poorly and therefore physicians often do not accept it and I cannot blame them.
The people you should be complaining to is TRICARE not the physicians. When your insurance pays out less than Medicaid there is a problem.
doc t.
NousDefionsDoc
06-20-2004, 09:35
While I cannot in good conscience support this resolution, due primarily to the impact on children family members it would have (children do not choose their parents), I can understand the thought process that led to it's proposal. :D
Jack Moroney (RIP)
06-20-2004, 12:07
Originally posted by Doc T
The people you should be complaining to is TRICARE not the physicians.
doc t.
I am not complaining, just stating the facts about TRICARE. What I meant to say, now that I re-read my post, was that TRICARE considered the fees exhorbitant , so I understand your ire. I have talked to TRICARE, Congress critters, and folks in the medical profession. My point is only that we were promised health care when we entered the service as part of our compensation package. With the exception of TMCs run by SF folks, most of our dependents have dealt with what essentially was socialized medicine. I have no problem with medical professionals charging what they are due nor do I have any problem with them making a buck. The problem lies with DOD as they consider most of us as irritants to their budgeting process once we retire. I hope you didn't take my observation personally, even some of my best friends are physicians :D
Jack Moroney
Originally posted by Jack Moroney
My point is only that we were promised health care when we entered the service as part of our compensation package. Jack Moroney
I agree that this is a huge problem.... the military compensation is not what it used to be....
part of the problem is that no insurance is what it used to be without huge copays or huge premiums... most people now go with less choices, less coverage and higher copays due to the premium costs than they used to.
I myself no longer use a PPO but have switched to a pseudo type HMO for cost reasons. The PPO on my plan was almost $1000 monthly out of my pocket with higher copays for a family of 4 while the HMO is half that ( this is with my employer picking up the majority of the costs in either case). Dental is the same as what you are describing... about $100 a month.
It is amazing the number of patients I see with no insurance because they just cannot afford it.
doc t.
Originally posted by Doc T
It is amazing the number of patients I see with no insurance because they just cannot afford it.
I don't think it's amazing, just understandable. In my example, say... I'm a new father, so I've got my little family of three (me, wife, baby girl), and a student. GI Bill does a lot, as does my working, but still... if it weren't for insurance through the school (UC requires all of their students be insured, BTW), it'd be a tough decision. I'd make it work... the girls being the reason, but if it were just me? No way.
It's just insane. People can't afford this stuff. Double-digit percentage price increases every year? Why? So that some bastard can get his free Viagra or someone can get their counseling? The whole thing's a racket. :(
NousDefionsDoc
06-20-2004, 16:35
I don't have to do insurance down here. The Kid fell a couple of weeks ago. Trip to ER, surgeon looked at it, so did orthopod. Cosmetic surgeon sewed it up. tetnus booster, antibiotics, the whole 9 yards. Took less than 2 hours and cost around $150. Follow ups visits are less than $10 each to change the dressing, re-evaluate, etc.And they take AMEX. I just pay in cash.
that's because they don't have to worry about malpractice....both at a physician and hospital level.
NousDefionsDoc
06-20-2004, 20:01
Right. No malpractice that I know of. Costs a lot less to become a doc as well. Probably about $1k a semester.
Roguish Lawyer
06-21-2004, 00:12
Originally posted by Doc T
that's because they don't have to worry about malpractice....both at a physician and hospital level.
Is that the only reason? ;)
Originally posted by Roguish Lawyer
Is that the only reason? ;)
I think it is a part of it.... as I said before, costs for surgery and procedures are typically based off of medicare so it makes no difference outside costs... medicare doesn't think about malpractice.
but... part of the workup of problems certainly has the issue of defensive medicine in mind.... check for everything because if you miss something you can be sued. This drives up costs.
Likewise, cost of medical malpractice premiums have to be paid somehow and so costs that can be controlled, like the price of an office visit, goes up to offset those costs. I think I had posted in an earlier discussion friends paying in excess of $100,000 a year in malpractice for what is considered "minimal coverage".... malpractice has been going up at a higher rate than anything else...often jumping 50% a year lately with no new claims....
how would you offset a $50,000 increase in office expenses??
doc t.
Roguish Lawyer
06-21-2004, 11:41
Originally posted by Doc T
how would you offset a $50,000 increase in office expenses??
Raise prices.