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Main Category: Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP
Also Included In: Health Insurance / Medical Insurance; Public
Health
The California Medical Association issued the following statement
today, attributable to CMA President Dr. Dev GnanaDev:
"CMA is deeply concerned about two examples of medical treatment
recently used by President Obama to make his case for health
reform.
"In the first example, he stated that surgeons make $30,000 to
$50,000 to amputate a foot of a diabetic. This assertion is false.
Medicare pays surgeons $589 to $767 for a foot amputation. Medi-Cal
pays $420 for the same. Hospital and other associated costs may
add up to the greater amount, but it is incorrect and misleading
to suggest the surgeon's costs are responsible for that figure.
"We share the President's belief that we need to put greater
resources towards primary and preventive care in order to keep
people healthier and help address the nation's rising health care
costs. However, preventive care will never obviate the need for
qualified physicians and surgeons to take corrective action to
improve or save people's lives.
"In the second example, the President suggested that physicians
take out children's tonsils to make more money. This implication
is inaccurate and offensive.
"Doctors treat patients based on the health needs of the patient,
not the financial incentives. When science suggests over
utilization may be occurring, the medical profession has responded
with improved guidelines to more fully inform physicians of the
risks and benefits of any treatment or procedure.
"The California Medical Association is committed to reforming our
health system to increase access to quality care and reduce rising
health care costs. To achieve health reform, the American people
must be able to trust our elected officials and the statements
they make regarding health care.
"Patients trust their doctors. That trust is critical to an
effective and successful doctor-patient relationship. We urge the
President to stick to the facts and avoid the kind of misleading
and inflammatory rhetoric that would erode that trust and derail
our efforts to increase access to quality care and control rising
health care costs."
Dr. GnanaDev is a trauma surgeon and chief of the medical staff at
Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, San Bernardino County's public
hospital.
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