Monday
Oct052009
Obama Urges Physicians To Speak Out For Health Reform
Monday, October 5, 2009 at 1:35PM
By Meagan Wiseley - University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service
Today, President Barack Obama invited 150 physicians from each U.S. state to the White House in an attempt to showcase the medical community’s support for his health care reform proposals. Obama said the physicians have experienced first-hand the problems with the U.S. health care system.
“These men and women here would not be supporting health insurance reform if they really believed that it would lead to government bureaucrats making decisions that are best left to doctors,” said Obama. “They wouldn't be here today if they believed that reform in any way would damage the very critical and sacred doctor-patient relationship.”
One doctor in attendance is an official from the American Medical Association, Obama said. The AMA is "the nation’s largest organization representing physicians from every state and nearly every medical specialty... [and is] committed to achieving health system reform," according to its website.
Obama said that nurses and physicians know the system best and urged them to “speak out strongly” on why heath care reform is needed. With their help, the President said he is confident that some form of health reform will pass through Congress this year.
Today, President Barack Obama invited 150 physicians from each U.S. state to the White House in an attempt to showcase the medical community’s support for his health care reform proposals. Obama said the physicians have experienced first-hand the problems with the U.S. health care system.
“These men and women here would not be supporting health insurance reform if they really believed that it would lead to government bureaucrats making decisions that are best left to doctors,” said Obama. “They wouldn't be here today if they believed that reform in any way would damage the very critical and sacred doctor-patient relationship.”
One doctor in attendance is an official from the American Medical Association, Obama said. The AMA is "the nation’s largest organization representing physicians from every state and nearly every medical specialty... [and is] committed to achieving health system reform," according to its website.
Obama said that nurses and physicians know the system best and urged them to “speak out strongly” on why heath care reform is needed. With their help, the President said he is confident that some form of health reform will pass through Congress this year.
Reader Comments (2)
While I deeply appreciate Ms. Wiseley's reference to Dr. Margaret Flowers and Dr. Paul Hochfeld, leaders of Physicians for a National Health Program (www.pnhp.org), their role is not accurately reflected here. They led a delegation of physicians who support single-payer Medicare-for-All, yes, but with the exception of Dr. Hochfeld, who managed to gain admittance at the last minute, the single-payer delegation was not part of today's meeting with the president. They were not invited. Dr. Flowers and most of her colleagues were on the outside, not the inside. Single-payer advocates have sought a meeting with President Obama for many months, to no avail. For more information, and to obtain Dr. Hochfeld's take on the gathering, see http://www.pnhp.org/news/2009/october/singlepayer_advocat.php
Thank you for your comment. The appropriate changes have been made.