Taking Health Care Reform In Hand

As the solidarity of Congress continues to deteriorate, it becomes increasingly apparent that there will be no meaningful Health Care Reform coming forth in the near future. That being the case, what are We The People going to do about it? Bemoan our fates, email our representatives, tighten the belt? Probably all of the above. And when we’ve vented frustration that way, the task will still be there before us, to take Health Care Reform into our own hands.

Though this post is most likely going to be read by physicians, it’s important to realize that we are all responsible for taking hold of the situation. Physician, patient, R.N., P.A., LPN, DC, dentist, midwife, professional and layman alike, we must all take steps to reduce the costs. This includes doctors fighting back, of course. It also includes patients being painfully honest about who is actually responsible for less than desirable outcomes.

Did the doctor cause you damage, or did you do that to yourself? If you came in to the ER as victim of a car accident and the doctor was unable to restore you to perfect health, did the doctor do that, or was it the accident? If you end up undergoing a quadruple bypass surgery, was it the doctor who made you eat greasy junk and shoved toxic foods down your throat for decades? If your loved one did not survive, was that the fault of the doctor who tried to save that person’s life? The person came to that doctor with conditions. If people want to continue to have doctors to turn to for help, they’d best stop trying to make small fortunes off of them at every turn. Though people are understandably upset about the high cost of medical treatment, the simple fact is that the lawsuits are what cause an enormous part of that cost. Some doctors net less than $25k a year, after all of those expenses are paid… and that’s just not right.

We must all do what we can to take heath care reform in hand. Where costs can be cut without compromising patient safety, we must do so. If a bad outcome is the cause of our loss and grieving, we must stop trying to place blame on those who tried to prevent that loss. If someone is aware of an insurance scam and certain that it is a scam, then turn that scammer in! Same thing with defamation of character. Doctors have gone through seven hells to be able to help people, stood by patients, done everything in their power to alleviate suffering. Stand alongside them. Let them know you appreciate the difference they’ve made in your life, and speak out in their defense, both individually and as a whole. It’s time we came together to resolve the health care situation. It is up to us to take Health Care Reform in hand.

Medical Justice provides services of incalculable value to its members. The assistance gained by those services has staved off frivolous medical malpractice lawsuits time and time again. The facts and statistics are there, easy to see: Medical Justice members are markedly less likely to be victims of frivolous lawsuits than health care providers without the benefits of membership.