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Who do you trust more when it comes to Health Care, Doctors or Insurance companies?

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/07/american-medical-association-endorses-house-health-care-bill.php American Medical Association Endorses House Health Care Bill By Brian Beutler - July 16, 2009, 1:50PM Just a couple weeks ago, the AMA was trying to have it both ways with the public option. The group had long opposed the provision, but in an appearance on CNN, its President J. James Rohack was unable to come right out and say so. Now it seems as if they've gotten over, or at least managed to suppress, their concerns. "On behalf of the Board of Trustees of the American Medical Association, I am writing to express our appreciation and support for H.R. 3200, the 'America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009,'" wrote AMA Vice President Michael Maves in a letter to House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charlie Rangel. This legislation includes a broad range of provisions that are key to effective, comprehensive health system reform. We urge members of the House Education and Labor, Energy and Commerce, and Ways and Means Committees to favorably report H.R. 3200 for consideration by the full House. You can read the full letter here. Note, this caveat. "The AMA looks forward to further constructive dialogue during the committee mark-up process. We pledge to work with the House committees and leadership to build support for passage of health reform legislation to expand access to high quality, affordable health care for all Americans." 'Building support' would likely entail weakening the bill in some ways, and it seems likely that with respect to certain provisions, the AMA would be just fine with that. But this is nonetheless a pretty major development.

Public Comments

1. I trust my doctor. Keep in mind, that the insurance companies are not paying doctors what they should. Its all about the bottom line....profit.
2. In this case, it's pretty much insurance lobbyists vs. medical professionals. Remember a few decades ago when most people thought smoking wasn't bad for you just because tobacco lobbyists got a few crooked scientists to say so?
3. DOCTORS! THAT IS WHY WE NEED THE REFORM! INSURANCE COMPANY BEAN COUNTERS HAVE BEEN TAKING THE MONEY & DENYING CARE, CANCELING POLICIES, EVEN REFUSING TO COVER SOME PEOPLE AT ALL. Want to know WHO DOESN’T want ANY CHANGE? THE INSURANCE COMPANIES! THEY EAT 40% OF EVERY HEALTH CARE DOLLAR. For what we are already paying, WE COULD INSURE EVERY MAN, WOMAN & CHILD IN AMERICA WITH ZERO DEDUCTIBLE, ZERO COPAY COVERAGE!
4. personally, i would trust actual healthcare professionals the most. they are in the trenches, so to speak, and have to deal with the insurance companies every day. they also have the first-hand experience in just what providing healthcare entails. and i work with some great healthcare professionals every day. despite what people may think, not all doctors are heartless mercenaries.
5. doctors get kickbacks from medical companies for prescribing new drugs, even though old drugs work just fine or even better with fewer side effects.
6. You need to hear it from both sides. The doctors know about the medicine and the insurance companies know about the BUSINESS of medicine.
7. Physicians have NEVER wanted changes in Health Care. Neither do insurance companies who actually stand between you and your physician because they made $500 Billion in profit last year and pay most of their higher ranking executives over $1 million a year and their CEO's over $14 million a year, like Anthem, with salary and bonus! Not a penny went to health care! In response to several reports that the American Medical Association is not in favor of giving patients the choice of a public health insurance plan, groups representing more than 200,000 physicians and physicians-in-training and the 2.9 million nurses affiliated with Health Care for America Now (HCAN) – the nation’s largest health care campaign – have reiterated their strong support for a robust public health insurance option: "In this instance we must disagree with the AMA as we did at Medicare’s inception in 1965. The public option, properly designed, will better serve the needs of our people. Reforming the nation’s health care infrastructure will always need to focus on what is best for the people and not what is always good for doctors, hospitals or the insurance industry,” said Mohammad N. Akhter, M.D., MPH, executive director of the National Medical Association. “A strong public health insurance option will increase transparency and force private health insurers to compete on a level playing field. Physicians currently waste enormous amounts of time and resources hassling with private insurance company denials. At the same time, our patients are losing jobs and losing access to health care. I have a colleague, an oncologist, who is struggling to manage his many patients who have lost health insurance in the middle of their chemotherapy schedules. It is heartbreaking to work in a broken health care system,” said Dr. Valerie Arkoosh, an anesthesiologist and President-Elect of the National Physicians Alliance. “A key element to meaningful health system reform is offering a choice of health plans and the information patients and employers require to select the option that best meets their needs and their budgets. A carefully crafted public plan option promises to increase access to health care coverage while preserving the strength of the marketplace,” said Ted Epperly, M.D., President of the American Academy of Family Physicians." "Dear American Medical Association, I recently had the opportunity to read your response to the Senate Finance Committee proposal [pdf] for health care reform, and it is clear to me that I cannot remain a member in your organization. Please remove my name from your membership rolls, effective immediately. In reading the response, I was frustrated and disheartened by the fact that you couldn't get through the second paragraph before bringing up the issue of physician reimbursement. This merely highlights how the AMA represents a physician-centered and self-interested perspective rather than honoring the altruistic nature of my profession. As a physician, I advocate first for what is best for my patients and believe that as a physician, as long as I continue to maintain the trust and integrity of the profession, I will earn the respect of my community. The appropriate financial compensation for my endeavors will follow in kind.
8. The AMA does not represent all Dr's. just like AARP doesn't represent all seniors. Just because AMA and AARP come out in favor of the health care plan does not mean the DR's and seniors do. The same goes for the unions. It's their leaders who want health care because it takes the monkey off their back and puts it on the government.Union members do not care for it too much. AMA actually represents a small percentage of the doctors.
9. Barack Obama
10. and yet time and time again, Obama states that this plan will halt those unnecessary procedures that the doctors do to get extra cash. Here is the scary part of what you are bringing up...I heard Obama, himself, villianize both the insurance companies and the doctors.
11. doctors and lawyers