MCare crisis politics hold doctors hostage -- Executive Branch,...

Three months ago, we were presented with the opportunity to extend the state-funded medical malpractice insurance abatement program that was set to expire on Dec.

[Tom]

Representatives Dally and Reichley should be commended for their attempts to maintain high quality health care and to keep doctors in PA. Unfortunately the House Democratic leadership played parliamentary games with HB 489 and missed an opportunity to help the remaining dedicated physicians. Governor Spendell has also tossed the docs aside by demanding the passage of a vague health care bill in order to curry the favor of Hiliary and make him look good as he pursues opportunity at the federal level.
Since the current med-mal crisis began in 1999, the number of practicing neurosurgeons, obstetricians, orthopedic surgeons, general surgeons and urologists in PA has decreased. Only 7% of the doctors that completed training in 2004 decided to settle in PA. The other 93% must have had the foresight to see that they would be used by the Democrats and Governor as political pawns eventually.

[Doctor Noway]

It was good the the Morning Call's own MCare crisis view could appear in the same edition of the news paper with the views of GOP spokes persons Reichely and Dally. It appears that the legislature and the governor did the needed horse trading on the twin issues of assisting doctors with their malpractice insurance while providing some form of health care for Pennsylvania's 220,000 uninsured. Where the legislature always seems to get it wrong is the two GOP houses seem not to work together to make an agreement stick. Either the house or the senate takes its turn to one up each other to show they are the best defenders of the taxpayer and as a result, nothing gets done. As I read it, the governor already gave in on his proposal as did the legislature, but the two squabbling arms of the legislature keep shifting like a youngster who bargains for a later bedtime but then keeps after the adult for a little more time, and then a little more. This pattern of Rendell proposes and the legislature disposes gets us nowhere. Mr. Reichely and Mr. Dally's political posturing is another reason why people have come to hate Harrisburg. Stop playing for power.

[Bob Nite]

Doc Norway should get his facts straight. The DEMOCRATIC controlled house refuses to consider the Senate bill.

[Health care AND doctors]

The Democratic-controlled House approved a 10-year extension and subsequent phaseout of the Mcare abatement for doctors. The Senate refuses to take action on it.

[speaker demeritous]

Legislators should consider paying for part of their gold plated lifetime health plan,that money could go towards taking care of the working poor and the doctors. PA legislators are out of touch with the ordinary people of PA, they don't have a clue about paying a copay or having a deductible.
Throw them all out.

[Beautify]

These two are to doctors what the PUC is to PPL. Docs must love these two donkeys.

"The MCare subsidies benefited physicians, it is true, but they also benefited Pennsylvanians who need health care by keeping more physician practices open."

"The Medical Society generally liked the program, though it objects to provisions that would require physicians who benefit from MCare to treat patients covered under ABC."

So some idiot says this benefits Pennsylvanians that need health care and also states that the doctors want the money but don't want to provide care to those who can't afford the care. The doctors "say" they can't afford the insurance and want the money, but refuse to provide care foe people who want medical care but can't afford insurance.

FYI....The American Medical Association, after securing the MCare money, reported that their estimation of the numbers of doctors leaving PA was exaggerated.
And those poor doctors....being forced to open such paltry facilities such as OAA and West Field.....ma they must really be hurting.
I have an idea....in order to prevent the obviously underpaid and overinsuranced doctors from getting their hands on this undeserved loot.....cops should completely stop writing tickets. They can hold the state hostage and bargain for the money to pay their pensions or post-retirement medical insurance. There ya go....stop writing tickets until the part of the money is yours.