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Special Report
Ostracized by Obama
As part of his drive to overhaul the nation's health-care system, President Obama has presented himself as a pragmatist who is more interested in creating the best possible plan than in rigidly adhering to a given ideology.
"It's conceivable that there are other ideas out there that we have not thought of," he acknowledged at last Thursday's White House Health Care Summit. "If there is a way of getting this done where we're driving down costs and people are getting health insurance at an affordable rate and have choice of doctor, have flexibility in terms of their plans, and we could do that entirely through the market, I'd be happy to do it that way. If there was a way of doing it that involved more government regulation and involvement, I'm happy to do it that way as well. I just want to figure out what works."
President Obama has used events such as community discussion groups and last week's summit to foster the impression that he is soliciting opinions from all angles of the health care debate, but the reality is a lot different. Obscured by the Administration's theatrics is the fact that it has kept at bay those who advocate free-market solutions rather than government-run health care.
The guest list to the summit was a telling sign. Despite having representatives from 169 different labor, industry, and policy organizations, the White House did not invite any organizations that advocate a consumer-based free-market approach to health care.
Progressive organizations such as the Center for American Progress, Health Care for America NOW!, and Campaign for America's Future were represented, but pro-market groups such as the Cato Institute, Consumers for Health Care Choices, the Galen Institute, or the Council for Affordable Health Insurance were not.
"They brought in the health care establishment to basically divvy up the pie, and consumers were left out of it entirely," lamented Greg Scandlen, president of Consumers for Health Care Choices. "This is all predetermined and orchestrated to get the result they want."
While the Republican Congressional leadership was on hand, many of the foremost proponents of a patient-focused approach to health care were not.
"I suspect that that can't be an accident," Rep. John Shadegg, a Republican who has proposed a number of market-oriented reforms to the U.S. health care system and did not receive an invitation to the summit, said. "I suspect that they don't want those views expressed."
Shadegg noted that other lawmakers who weren't invited included free marketers such as Rep. Paul Ryan, Rep. Tom Price, Sen. Richard Burr, Sen. Jim DeMint, and Obama's personal friend, Sen. Tom Coburn.
By contrast, Sen. Bernard Sanders and Rep. John Conyers were on hand -- both of them advocate a socialized, or single-payer, system.
The Obama administration's unwillingness to consider free-market views wasn't limited to the summit. TAS spoke to several professionals who took the Obama transition team up on its call to hold community meetings last December aimed at generating ideas on how to reform the health-care system. But those who came up with ideas focused on a consumer-based approach rather than a government-run one felt that their ideas were ignored.
"They called out for everyone to have all of these town meetings, but if your town meeting didn't have a conclusion that agreed with theirs, they said 'thank you very much' and never came back to you," said Dr. Marcy Zwelling-Aamot, who participated in a meeting in Long Beach, California, along with a coalition of local lawmakers, hospitals, providers, and concerned residents.
Zwelling-Aamot has a practice of 400, mostly middle-class patients whom she gives her cell phone number and email address to be more accessible. She said she is concerned that this kind personal doctor-patient relationship will be compromised in favor of a "one size fits all" approach as the government seeks to rein in costs by enticing providers to treat patients on the basis of government research studies.
"There aren't any two people in my practice that are treated the same way, even if they might have a diagnosis that's exactly like the guy who came in ten minutes ago, their health needs are entirely different," Zwelling-Aamot said.
She complained that neither Congress nor the Obama administration was listening to the people who have real-life experience with the system.
Philip Klein is The American Spectator's Washington correspondent.
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Rocco| 3.11.09 @ 6:40AM
No surprise here. Merely ratification by the usual suspects of the socialization of healthcare. If you thought Britain's NHS, or Brazil's INPS was bad, wait til Obama's Americare comes to town. By the same people who brought us a solvent Social Security, Medicare, etc........
Deborah| 3.11.09 @ 7:03AM
Where's the mainstream media? Oh, that's right -- in the pocket of the Obama administration. Thanks for speaking truth to power, ABC, NBC, CNN, CBS, NYT, Wash. Post. No wonder people no longer look to you for information. You don't provide any.
Thanks, for the heads up, Mr. Klein. I'll pass this info to my friends and family so they can see, once again (unfortunately), that this president doesn't give a rat's patootie about his country.
Trackback| 3.11.09 @ 7:43AM
The American Spectator : Ostracized by Obama, on PunditKix, links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Son Of Sam| 3.11.09 @ 10:21AM
Gee, a bunch of goose-stepping, Kool Aid chugging ObamaNazis crushing dissent and imposing their solution as the only "choice" -- who would have thought? When I say we need to "shake off the slave mentality", part of what I mean by that is we need to stop assuming that Obama and his supporters are "well-meaning" or have "good intentions". Given everything that we've seen from this regime, they've forfeited any presumption of innocence, and its high time we said so. From this point forward, let THEM prove to US and the American people that they "mean well". Every day and in every way, we need to drive home the point that Obama, and liberalism in general is nothing more than an attack on the middle class
"until freedom dawns"
Son Of Sam
http://www.geocities.com/samadamssos
Brian Lorentzen| 3.11.09 @ 10:36AM
Out of touch with the Middle-class..
In our foundation days, the local Medical Practitioner (GP) would visit a remote farmhouse and would do an annual checkup on four people plus attend to one sick child. For those five 'consultations' he would charge 5 chickens.
That's the equivalent of 15 meals - or 3 child-meals per consultation.
Today, the average American can feed a child for one dollar. (If you couldn't possibly feed your Children for a dollar - then maybe you are hopelessly out of touch with the average American?)
Today's GP charges (believes he deserves) 70 child-meals for one consultation! That's 20 times more than the "adjusted for inflation" value of our fore-fathers!
Some specialists (Eg. anesthetists) charge 200 child-meals! It is little wonder that we have a Health care crisis!
(Yes, there are twenty other contributing factors to the obscene costs of health care!)
The fact that our politicians do not protest at these obscene costs to the average American hints at the controlling power of the lobbyists employed by "Big Medicine"!
Geoff| 3.11.09 @ 10:58AM
The CHANGE continues to come, It makes me think of the article the other day discussing how with freebies comes the end of democracy. (Accuracy is Desirable 3-9-09) Then comes the stimulus and all the welfare ingredients, then the budget and further government additions and now health care. What does it take to get people to ask questions about what THEIR government is doing for and to them. I guess as long as it is cheap or free its good.. I was at an apartment complex the other day and many of the tenants were from other countries. They had housing (paid for) car (paid for) schooling, food and healthcare alll paid for by guess who….. How do I get on this program… And what about all the folks that have a nice car and big screen tv but choose not to have health care? I’m sure they will tell you they can’t afford it. I guess merit raises for teachers is good but support for the Americans that pay their bills and act responsibly is bad..
Luonne Dumak| 3.11.09 @ 11:28AM
It's nice to point out the Doctor's fees but not some of the reasons for those fees. High costs of malpractice insurance is one reason. Tort reform is needed,opening the markets for purcashing insurance, and stopping the Goverment from mandating what Insurance companies need to insure. More transparency on the cost of procedures so that people have choices on were to have test or surgerys done. I fear socilaized medicine more than another attack on this country . an attack we can rebuild from, socialized medicine will destroy this Country and kill more people.
Bozena| 3.11.09 @ 11:50AM
No wonder they don't allow free market ideas. Obama never learn about free market. I find it funny that so called "intelligentsia" is so surprised that he is not a "moderate", like they thought he would be (they did not do their homework, like always). For those who are for "nationalized healthcare"-if you think that HMOs were bad wait until government runs your healthcare. I came from former socialist country and they still have goverment run healthcare, when you are really sick you go to a "private practice" care and pay out of your pocket, always was and still is the case. Poland is trying to change it to a privately run health care, but the socialists and progressives are not allowing the "change"...they are advocating "more of the same". I guess Obama sides with "more of the same" of the socialists.
Larry C. Roberts, MD, MA| 3.11.09 @ 2:19PM
One is sadly mistaken if he thinks that Obama's health care reform is really about health care. Not one person in the White House cares the least little whit about you, me and ours. It is all about power. The power to control every aspect of our lives, including those most intimate and private. The electronic medical record will come to be like the secret police files of the KGB and Gestapo, containing anything and everything that could be used to manipulate, blackmail or deny benefits. Physicians will either be forced to comply with these government dictates or be excluded from the practice of medicine. The experience in Nazi Germany is a sad and relevant case in point. I suggest reading William Shirer's The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. Even now the Obama administration is seeking repeal of the Freedom of Conscience Act which prevents discrimination against physicians who refuse to perform procedures that are repugnant to their beliefs. We are witnessing the rapid emergence of the totalitarian state and the destruction of American medicine.
Michele San Pietro| 3.11.09 @ 2:22PM
This Obama must really be out of his mind. America simply doesn't exist without free market.
Country Boy| 3.11.09 @ 2:27PM
What health care crisis? Just open up the yellow pages and go to Health Insurance. Dial the phone. They answer, you buy health care.
Oh, Oh, you don't want to pay. You want me to pay. That's a different problem. Sooo... the problem is that I have some money and you want it.
The sale of information| 3.11.09 @ 3:39PM
Larry C. Roberts
You have smelt the coffee. They plan to sell all your medical records to who ever is willing to pay so you can get junk mail every day, each fill will be sold for at least 20 US dollars, each one to each organisation, it's a money spinner.
Dustoff| 3.11.09 @ 3:46PM
When we (America) can get the same Health care that Ted Kennedy gets. Then and only then would I say vote for it.
yet I know, not likely.
Richard| 3.11.09 @ 4:40PM
There is only one thing the Administration wants: complete control of health care so they can control the population. They are the party of death and population control fits in with their love of abortion.
gene hauber| 3.11.09 @ 4:42PM
monkey boy needs to be stopped and who gives a s*** how....asap
george| 3.11.09 @ 4:53PM
If you're in prison, in the military or government you have single payer health care. Little people have to pay.
Greg| 3.11.09 @ 5:07PM
Geez, this is really, really bad stuff! For the life of me I cannot understand why any American would want the Federal (and/or State) government involved with something as precious as the financing of their healthcare purchases when they've shown time and again they cannot live within their economic means and, worse yet, don't care as much for what is 'best' than what saves the most money. At age 50, I don't suppose I'd ever seen free-market health care again once they start down this slippery slope.
EW / NH| 3.11.09 @ 6:05PM
@ Son Of Sam| 3.11.09 @ 10:21AM
"Son of Sam / the .44 Caliber Killer, is an American serial killer and arsonist.
Shortly after his arrest in August 1977, S-S confessed to killing six people and wounding seven others in the course of eight shootings in New York City between 1976 and 1977. He has been imprisoned for the crimes since 1977. His crimes had terrorized New York for a year.
Son of Sam subsequently claimed that he was commanded to kill by a demon who possessed his neighbor's dog....and was a member of a violent Satanic cult..."
Ah, now I understand the 'nom de plume' and corresponsding rants from you and others who belong to the same cult o' Limbo-racula. Makes sense, makes perfect sense.
jack| 3.11.09 @ 6:10PM
This clown who is our President,only experience in life is as a person who facilitates payments from productive people to unproductive people. Before that he was a comm organzer, a person who bribes people with smokes and beers to vote for dems. How could he know anything about free markets. I dont even think he knows what a profit is. This low class moron gave a Blockbuster Movie set to the PM of Great Britain!!!! How did this fool get into college? How did he graduate? He never appears to have a coherent thought unless he is reading it from his teleprompter.But as the great world historian Sean Penn says,he is an elegant man. Huh??? What hath our media wrought ?
this guy is Ted Baxter from the MTM show.
macHagus| 3.11.09 @ 6:47PM
Hey jack off et al /
got HATE?
stmichrick| 3.11.09 @ 11:14PM
Interloper;
The people using concierge doctors ARE among the targeted. When fully implemented, 'single payer' will OUTLAW that kind of thing. Ask Hillary.
It's about freedom, comrade.
phone insurance| 3.12.09 @ 1:42PM
If you're in prison, in the military or government you have single payer health care.
Health care for all| 3.12.09 @ 2:58PM
Prisoners are doing the work that free people should be doing, that's where some of the jobs have gone, it adds to the new slavery in America, modernised for the new age.
They have got to have healthcare too.
Health is important| 3.12.09 @ 3:06PM
Let's face it, how many health insurance companies, want to insure a nation of obeast people. Their insurance will always be more because they will have more illness.
Take it while you can, because Next week the dollar will fall in value, and oil will increase in price. Food will also go up so here is a chance to diet lose weight get healthy.
Stocks will fall in the next two weeks and gold will start to climb again. Dump the dollars while you can.
John Kulits, JD, MD| 3.12.09 @ 8:31PM
The stimulus bill included provisions about electronic health records and nationalized health care that had nothing to do with stimulating the economy. (Not that the bill did, in general, either.) Most notable, and ominous, were the provisions requiring all medical practices to eventually employ electronic or computerized charting. After HIPPA, which was designed to protect patient confidentiality, we now have the stimulus bill mandate for computerized records, which will only threaten confidentiality of health records by increasing access to patient records and their loss to hackers. (Witness the loss of a laptop computer 3 years ago in suburban DC by a VA employee that compromised the health records and social security numbers of 30 million veterans.)
A greater threat to the physician-patient relationship and an attack on the Hippocratic Oath itself, are the provisions in the stimulus bill mandating national practice standards dictated by a board of "experts". Failure to comply by well-meaning physicians interested in the well-being of their patients will bring fines and sanctions, likely including loss of hospital privileges and even medical licensure.
The greatest threat to personal liberty--and even survival--posed by nationalized health care will become evident when quality of life decisionmaking and cost-benefit analysis is imposed to limit access to health care for the elderly and very ill. The end result of increased government involvement in health care will be a disaster for America.
DrD| 3.13.09 @ 11:40AM
The electronic record is a bad idea that obliterates patient privacy for everyone. As of now anyone with medicaid and medicare has no protection from government review of their records and physicians have no say in this. There is no need to make a new electronic medical record, the VA system has a state of the art system, why are we paying a corporation to reinvent the wheel?
S.L. Toddard| 3.13.09 @ 12:03PM
JEREMIAH AND BOB: FYI - I haven't been posting here in over a month, since maybe Feb 2nd. There is a troll here who adopts other people's names and posts as them. I never called Bob "blow-bob" or whatever. I saw you also got into some scraps with him, Jeremiah. None of it was me. I don't use terms like "lib" or whatever else this clown said.
Imagine doing that - being that pathetic? Logging on and pretending to be someone else you only know through the internet? It's sad and the sort of thing one would expect of a stalker.
Anyway, none of the posts under my name - S.L. Toddard - have actually been me since the first couple days of February. It's been that same, sad, lonely troll.
TJK| 3.14.09 @ 8:37PM
It is good to see some doctors here speaking up against the movement toward government-controlled health care. The mainstream media loves to seek out doctors who are advocates of single-payer, and subsequently present them as being the voice of all physicians. With Obama going on the offensive next week to activate his network to promote his budget, we need to rally our troops now. Since he isn't listening to us, we need health care professionals to speak up for us. Unfortunately, anything that gets to the Senate will probably pass- Reid only needs one or two turncoats like Snow, Collins and Spector to avoid a filibuster. We are in the fight of our lives.
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