AMA: "We Do Not Support the Public Option," "We Oppose Any New Government Plan."

1) Dr. William Dolan, an AMA official, addressed a meeting of the Southeastern Pennsylvania County Medical Societies tonight. He reported that the White House had misrepresented the support of the AMA. He did not feel Obama Care existed, but only a set of bills that would have to be hashed out, and reconciled. The AMA's top priority and number one item on its wish list is to end the uninsured. Its second priority is tort reform. President Obama conceded the necessity of tort reform by funding further study by the Department of HHS.

2) As a patient I felt physically threatened by the AMA President's public endorsement of Obama Care if it included the Public Option. That is a Trojan Horse for single payer system, that would end all expensive care for babies and and the elderly. Dr. Dolan pointed out that the end of life counseling payment in HR 3200 meant to leave decision making to doctor and patient, and that bureaucrats would not intrude.

3) Since Dr. Dolan had experience working as a doctor in Canada, I took the opportunity to verify some urban legends. Yes. There are provincial caps on health costs. Once reached, doctors get paid 10 cents on the dollar. The cap was reached, and 6000 patients did not get their surgery that year.

Yes. There are personal caps on individual doctor incomes. Say, the doctor is a fast, hard worker and reaches his salary cap in September. What happens the rest of the year? He works for 10 cents on the dollar. Most doctors go on vacation or get really hard to reach the rest of the fiscal year. Only a neurologist may order a brain MRI, which takes place six months after it is ordered. Waiting time to see the neurologist in the first place? Six months. Senator Specter demanded an MRI at the Naval Hospital, finding his own brain tumor, and having it treated. In Canada, he would have died first. In the case of hypocrites like Specter, that system is not all bad.

Dr. Dolan confirmed that people over 55 are cut off from renal dialysis in the Mother Country, England. They have to come up with their own money to pay for more dialysis and to live another week, past their birthday. If President Obama is allowed to prevail on health reform, look for the same in the US. Dr. Dolan believed a second Revolution would happen before that denial of access to care would come here, to the USA.