Blog and News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 28, 2012

CONTACT
Dan Rene of Levick Strategic Communications
202-973-1325 or drene@levick.com

 

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In its latest Issue Brief, The Heritage Foundation makes the case why full repeal of ObamaCare is necessary. Heritage explains that the problems of ObamaCare run deeper than the issues that were argued before the Supreme Court (the individual mandate and Medicaid). 

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Docs4PatientCare's Dr. Hal Scherz's latest column on Townhall.com discusses what healthcare would look like if ObamaCare was un-done and we could have a "do over" on health care reform. His article begins: 

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The Galen Institute's Grace-Marie Turner writes on The New York Times that the Supreme Court should strike down the entire PPACA. She gives 10 reasons that demonstrate that if the court strikes down less than the entire law there are many reasons to continue to oppose the law in full force. Ms. Turner's "Top-10" list demonstrates that our work at D4PC to preserve the doctor-patient relationship is just beginning if the court retains any aspect of PPACA. 

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D4PC "Morning Rounds" Tuesday, June 26, 2012 

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Aetna's former CEO, Ron Williams, recently wrote in The Wall Street Journal that he no longer supports the individual mandate. Williams writes that he had a front row seat to the legislative process that produced ObamaCare but has now come to believe that as  he "studied the arguments for and against the individual mandate, it became clear [that] the legislation raises serious constitutional concerns." 

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Welcome to D4PC "Morning Rounds", your daily review of healthcare news and information from Washington, DC and around the nation. These briefings will keep you up to date on recent developments and our effort to replace the PPACA with patient-centered reforms that protect the doctor-patient relationship and preserve individual freedom of choice. 

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The Heritage Foundation has put together a summary of why ObamaCare is bad for doctors. In each case, what it bad for doctors is also bad for our patients. Among the reasons ObamaCare is bad for doctors: 

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According to a new Jackson HealthCare survey of physicians, doctors give ObamaCare a grade of "F". Doctors overwhelmingly disapprove of the law. From the survey. 

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In the aftermath of the Obama presidential election, healthcare reform became an intensely debated political issue, and the American Medical Association (AMA) had a difficult time deciding their position on the Affordable Care Act (ACA, Obamacare).

The AMA's problems have deepened because they are not what they purport themselves to be-the spokesman for the community of physicians. How can they be when only approximately 10% of the practicing physicians in the US are members? In contrast to the 1960's when over 75% of doctors belonged to the AMA, their influence in the medical community has waned considerably, in part because they are out of touch with the views of practicing physicians. Obamacare is a perfect example.

The ACA will have a devastating impact on physicians and the AMA has failed to protect them, leaving physicians without an advocate. The AMA cannot serve 2 masters. They must choose who they represent. Perhaps it is time for the AMA to step aside and make way for another organization more interested in protecting the needs of doctors; one that is not conflicted. 

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The Heritage Foundation has a new Issue Brief entitled "Saving the American Dream: A Blueprint for Putting Patients First." The brief explains, "For those who believe in more freedom, less government, and lower health care costs, there is a better way. First, there is no 'fixing' Obamacare; it must be fully repealed. The underlying law is so flawed that instead of trying to right its wrongs, it is better to just start over....  Congress should focus on the main obstacles that still stand in the way of reaching a true patient-centered, market-based model—by reforming Medicare, Medicaid, and the tax treatment of health insurance and enacting commonsense insurance reforms. Just as importantly, Congress should move such policy changes through the normal process so they can be fully debated and vetted—and, if necessary, on a piece-by-piece basis." 

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D4PC "Morning Rounds" Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Welcome to D4PC "Morning Rounds" your daily review of healthcare news and information from Washington, DC and around the nation. These briefings will keep you up to date on recent developments and our effort to replace the PPACA with patient-centered reforms that protect the doctor-patient relationship and preserve individual freedom of choice. 

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A new study published by The CATO Institute explains a provision related to the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) that has previously gone largely unnoticed by the commentaries about ObamaCare.  

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Welcome to D4PC "Morning Rounds" your daily review of healthcare news and information from Washington, DC and around the nation. These briefings will keep you up to date on recent developments and our effort to replace the PPACA with patient-centered reforms that protect the doctor-patient relationship and preserve individual freedom of choice.  

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A new article on National Review Online discusses the dangers of ObamaCare's Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) and how IPAB is not only unconstitutional but threatens patient health. The article includes the following: 

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Last week, new details came out about the impact that ObamaCare's medical device tax will have on innovation and in turn patient health. The tax is on sales (not profit) of medical devices. The tax could cost the U.S. up to 47,000 jobs and reduce R&D spending by $2 billion per year. According to one analysis, the tax on medical devices will actually reduce life expectancy - costing  "about one million life-years lost annually." In other words, OBamaCare's taxes will cost lives. 

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Docs4PatientCare's Dr. Hal Scherz and Dr. Jeffrey English have a new article on Townhall.com. Dr. Scherz and English explain that "Over the past 50 years, individuals have become increasingly disconnected from the true costs of their medical care. Patients now feel that they pay such an exorbitant amount of money for insurance, that they have no desire to pay any more out of their own pocket. They consider their health insurance plan to be the equivalent of a “pre-paid” health plan, and demand the highest level of care, utilizing the latest and most expensive treatments, and they want it immediately." Their article discusses a significant free market alternative to the policies of arbitrary price controls like those found in ObamaCare.  

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According to polling from The New York Times/CBS News, 68% of Americans want the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down all or part of ObamaCare. 41% want the Court to strike down the entire law and an additional 27% want the court to strike down the individual mandate. Only 24% of respondents want the court to keep the entire law in place. 

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Michael Cannon of The CATO Institute explains the negative consequences of ObamaCare exchanges and why states should forego creating an exchange altogether. The exchanges are the avenue by which the federal government will be able to exercise absolute control over health care. The exchange will allow the federal government to regulate insurance, delivery (and potentially denial) of health care services, insurance policies as well as doctors. All of this will have a tremendously negative impact on patients. 

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The CATO Institute's Michael Cannon recently wrote a letter to the editor of The Financial Times in which he succinctly rebutted why supporters of ObamaCare fail to frame the debate correctly and what the real debate over ObamaCare is about. He writes: 

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Despite years of government intrusion in the healthcare market with dozens of schemes to allegedly "save money and improve care" the president, congress and healthcare policy "experts" continue to meddle with complicated proposals that invariably fail on delivering the promised savings and quality.

More troubling is the fact that these new payment methods place hospital administrators in primary control of healthcare and actually make the current situation even worse. Physicians, the most fundamental component of the American healthcare system are relegated to "employee' status and continue to be excluded from the discussion on how to improve quality of care while saving costs.  

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Avik Roy at Forbes' Apothecary wrote an article earlier this week that detailed the impact ObamaCare is having on student health care plans. The law is increasing costs for premiums up to 1,112%. Here are some examples: 

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According to a May article from Politico, the vast majority of states will not have ObamaCare exchanges in place by 2014. The article states: "Many insurance experts and health policy consultants predict only a dozen or so states will be ready to run exchanges on their own — and a few say that projection may be too sunny." 

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The Galen Institute's Grace-Marie Turner recently appeared on FoxBusiness Channel's show Varney & Co. to discuss the cost differential for medical services paid for by a consumer versus an insurance company. Because patients in a consumer-driven health care system have more incentive to price shop, they are able to purchase health care services at a lower cost. 

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Docs4PatientCare's Dr. Hal Scherz and Dr. Richard Armstrong have co-authored another strong article for Townhall.com detailing how presidential candidate Mitt Romney's healthcare ideas are the best for moving the nation forward to a system that can insure more people, restrain costs while preserving the rights of patients, in consultation with their doctor, to make their own healthcare decisions. Drs. Scherz and Armstrong write: 

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