PA State Govt Threatens Doctors

Commonwealth of PA, Department of State

[quebecois]

Here is the text of a letter recently sent to all licensed physicians in the great Commonwealth of PA:

Dear Physician:

As you are aware, there have been many recent reports suggesting that some physicians are planning to cease practice on the first of the year in reaction to rising malpractice insurance costs and shrinking reimbursement rates. Governor Schweiker and the General Assembly have been working diligently to help lessen the financial impact of these issues on health care providers. Likewise, I understand that Governor-elect Rendell has made these concerns a top priority as well.

[These folks have had a decade to solve these problems...and haven't. Why should we believe that they will do anything now? Where has the state been and what have they been doing all of this time? Furthermore, the goverment of PA is not an innocent bystander in this crisis, but rather it is the underlying cause. The reimbursement rates and the tort system were created by this same govt--a govt which is on the take from the trial lawyers to the tune of tens of millions of dollars]

While I know that an overwhelming majority of physicians intend to honor their commitment to their patients, as Secy of the Commonwealath, I feel a strong sense of duty and obligation to caution you who are considering withdrawing services. First, I ask you to consider the impact that any actions may have on those you have dedicated your lives to service. Such a decision may directly compromise the welfare of your patients.

[Government is an agent of force. It does not "caution" anyone to do anything. This is a veiled threat. As for "the impact" that withdrawl may have...isn't that the fault of the state government? The underlying problem is that reimbursements have been slashed while premiums are skyrocketing. If docs can't afford to stay in business, whose fault is that? The docs...or the state govt whose policies have created the crisis to begin with?]

Second, please be reminded that all physicians licensed by the Commonwealth have a lawful obligation not to abandon their patients. IN accordance with the regulations issued by your licensing board, abandonment occurs when you withdraw services from your patients without providing sufficient notice to the patients in order for them to obtain substitute care. Abandonment occurs when a physician leaves a group practice, hospital, clinic, or other health care facility without the physician giving reasonable notice and under circumstances which seriously impair the delivery of medical care to patients.

[Physicians are well aware of their obligations...and generally care more for them than some faceless paperpusher in the state govt, thank you very much. And, incidentally, has this guy ever heard of the 13th ammendment?]

I respectfully request that you carefully consider your plans in light of these obligations. A stoppage of practice may be detrmental not only to your patients, but also to your practice, your standing amongst collegues, as well as your licesne should your conduct be found to constitute abandonment.

[Is it me, or does the tone of this letter take on that which you would expect from a party official in Communist Poland? Furthermore, if a doc has decided to stop practicing medicine in PA, presumably to go to another state or retire, why should he care if the state yanks his license? He's quitting the practice of medicine, bozo]

To the vast majority of doctors providing quality care to their patients, I thank you. We appreciate your dedication and continued allegiance to the Hippocratic Oath.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

C Michael Weaver

Secretary of the Commonwealth

[shrinkermd]

Won't work. Try something else.

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

This stuff is right out of "Atlas Shrugged". As a physician who left practice 5 years ago, I can say that this is most likely an empty threat by the governor. If you let your patients know you are leaving and provide for continuity of care, you have fulfilled your obligations. Furthermore, a certain number of docs retire every year for all sorts of reasons, how is the government to single out ones that are leaving for reasons the government would deem acceptable? Or does this mean that docs have to continue to practice until they die?

On the one hand this is like a page from Atlas Shrugged. On the other hand, I don't think there is a thing Schweiker could do to someone who decided to leave the practice of medicine and followed the well-known procedures.

[nothingnew]

Rendell is a commie prick.

Thank you. There is nothing like a short and succinct reply.

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

FMCDH

[pabianice]

"...and no doctor will be permitted to take a vacation until morale improves!"

[pabianice]

Just more evidence of the thesis that several large big city states are becoming the remaining strongholds of the Dem Party and its thug tactics. If trends continue, 2004 will see the decimation of the Dem Party nationally, with just the big cesspoll cities remaining Dem; islands of insanity and poverty surrounded by an ever more prosperous country.

[Voltage]

Let the lawyers do surgery!

[wideawake]

Hahahahaha!

What are they going to do? Fire all the doctors?

[rellimpank]

--first step-stop giving any care to lawyers and elected officials--

[wideawake]

Are you familiar with Hans-Hermann Hoppe and his notion of economic secession?

[freeper12]

we have a similar problem here in western, massachusetts were OB docs, in particular, are calling it quits...I talked to a few doctors around the US who pay close to $100,000 per year just for there malpractice insurance...makes you wonder how any of them stay in business...they need to bill on average, $2000 per week, just to pay the insurance company.

Not that I think docs are going broke, but the health care system in this country is completly out of control...as I said a few weeks ago on another thread, I have a baby due(my wife actually) next spring, assuming everthing goes a-ok with the birth and we have a healthy baby, I am going to enter the realms of the un/self-insured...I just can't afford my $900/month premiums anymore.

Assuming no dreadful health suprises, I am going to gamble that for about $10K per year I can buy all the health care I need.

[rellimpank]

--no to Hans--Nevada has the same problem in the obstetric field--

[wideawake]

Hoppe argues that people who love freedom should do as little business with governments and government employees as possible. He argues that they are parasites who live off other people's income through taxes and should therefore be ostracized.

For example, if you're a doctor and a state regulator who forces you to pay exorbitant malpractice insurance as a condition of practice comes in for treatment, you would just quietly inform him that your schedule is full or that you have too many patients already, etc.

A lot of people don't want to have bums coming into their stores to buy liquor, even if they have enough nickels in their dirty hands, because they're willing to forgo the business in order not to associate with such people. Same principle.

[JusPasenThru]

I admire a man who is so expressive. Brevity is the soul of wit.
Reading this makes my blood boil. My premiums went up 300% over the past year. I would LOVE to get out of medicine if I could pull it off financially. Nothing is going to change until the public sees a direct correlation between the increasing number of lawyers and the decreasing availability of health care.
F&%$#*g b%^"$%^s!

[thetruckster]

Really. Fact is that less than one-tenth of one percent of all med mal cases ever came to those exorbitant judgments in Texas (unless you were in South Texas, maybe). Since tort reform, it is probably even less here. This is a major scam by the insurers. They are trying to pay for all the fake mold claims filed by my neighbors. Freaking health care is out of control. I picked up four doses of medicine for my husband. Price? $2,125.00.

[Voltage]

Let the lawyers do drug research and production!

[SAJ]

Doc -- Do you consider that this newish idea of doctors charging an annual fee to patients in return for highly-personalized medical care (and thus being able, to a greater or lesser extent, to lower med-mal premiums and dodge some/most/all of the Medicare/Medicaid twaddle) will catch on among physicians in a broad fashion? I'm just a private citizen, not working in any area of medicine, but this makes a h*lluva lot of sense to me; were I a physician, I'd (try to) do this in a heartbeat.

Your views would be very welcome, and TIA!

[MinuteGal]

The entire purpose and goal of socialist government legislators, regulators and strong-arm enforcers can be elicited in a nutshell from the article above......spiral the health care industry and costs out of control and create havoc.

Enter Hillary as President with her socialized medicine program, voted in by a populace desperate for relief from the chaos deliberately manufactured by these commie fascists.

Leni

[RLK]

Abandonment... We own your lives and will press you into enforced servitude.