Reform: Wage Freeze for Canadian Docs

[Winter_123]

Two-year wage freeze for Canadian docs in New Brunswick. Now there's something that American docs will be thinking about as the reform campaign goes forward! The libs may argue that if we do not have a single payer system in the U.S. the government cannot freeze "wages" like this for American docs, and that docs here are not government health workers as in Canada. That is a complete crock. If you get the majority of docs getting the bulk of their incomes through the "public option", medicare, and medicaid and then you freeze reimbursement levels then it comes out the same, eh? Oh, maybe not, unlike Canada you can always work harder and longer to make up for it if you are doc and that helps you to feel better about it.

As an aside, I think 99.9% of Ameriicans think that the single payer system in Canada is run by the federal government (those who think about it anyway). It is not. It is run by the provinces. So, it really is not a good argument when the libs say that the states should not run it here but instead it should be run by the feds as in Canada. True, in Canada, the feds are involved but the payer is the province and there are variations between provinces.

The Canadian Press: Tory leader in N.B. urges minister to repeal wage freeze imposed on doctors

 

[AgentOrange]

Why are they freezing wages ? Youre implying its because theyre "libs" but the article clearly states ...

"
But by March, the ruling Liberals were privately telling the doctors they couldn't afford the deal because of the collapsing world economy and falling government revenues. "

Do you read the article or Just the headline ?

 

[Mr. Bill]

Here it is, contractual dispute. You can't seriously think that the Liberal government (that's what they call themselves) weren't aware of any recessions when they agreed to contract back in December of last year. Their excuse makes no sense:

The wage-freeze bill, introduced by Health Minister Mike Murphy, passed second reading Wednesday afternoon. Alward likened the bill to a gun to the head of the medical community.

He said Murphy hasn't shown he's serious about finding a solution to the crisis over the doctors' contract dispute.
"We believe if he is truly serious about finding solutions it makes sense to take the legislation off the table."

The Tory leader said the Liberal government has to do something to regain the trust of doctors.

In December 2008, the New Brunswick Medical Society and a government negotiating team reached a tentative agreement on a new four-year contract.

The doctors ratified it in February.

But by March, the ruling Liberals were privately telling the doctors they couldn't afford the deal because of the collapsing world economy and falling government revenues.
Murphy introduced legislation last week to freeze doctors' wages for two years.

 

[Winter_123]

Why are they freezing wages ? Youre implying its because theyre "libs" but the article clearly states ...

"
But by March, the ruling Liberals were privately telling the doctors they couldn't afford the deal because of the collapsing world economy and falling government revenues. "

Do you read the article or Just the headline ?

Your point illustrates how things have changed. This is a new world where the libs, even in Canada, are beginning to understand that they must bring their social programs into a controllable financial framework or else the whole ship is going down. Arguing for cuts to save the system as a whole is certainly a new world for liberals. You are looking at it from the old model which says that if someone is arguing against increased spending they must be a conservative. In the new world order, libs are just beginning to wake up to the fact that ehy must argue for cuts to serve the people even at a reduced level. In fact they are just dealing with the chickens that have come home to roost. I dont give the libs in Canada anymore credit for restraining spending, vis a vis the conservatives, than I do the libs in Canada just because they dug themselves into a hole and want out.

Similarly, no one thinks that Arnold is a conservative despite the Republican nametag, and the dems are in control of Legislature in California. Now they are all arguing for cuts even though they can't agree on which ones. So even though the libs are arguing for cuts and sounding like they are the financial conservatives, do I blame that whole public tit mess on them and the unrestrained years of liberal spending.

You betcha !

 

[Mr. Bill]

Uh, oh.....it's coming!!!

Editorial
Doctors and the Cost of Care

Published: June 13, 2009

As the debate over health care reform unfolds, policy makers and the public need to focus more attention on doctors and the huge role they play in determining the cost of medical care — costs that are rising relentlessly.

Doctors largely decide what medical or surgical treatments are needed, whether it will be delivered in a hospital, what tests will be performed, and what drugs will be prescribed or medical devices implanted.

There is disturbing evidence that many do a lot more than is medically useful — and often reap financial benefits from over-treating their patients. No doubt a vast majority of doctors strive to do the best for their patients. But many are influenced by fee-for-service financial incentives and some are unabashed profiteers.

All Americans are affected. Those with insurance are struggling to pay ever higher premiums, as are their employers. If the government is going to help subsidize coverage for the millions of uninsured, it will need to find significant savings in Medicare spending, at least some of which should come from reducing over-treatment. In the long run, if doctors can’t be induced to rein themselves in, there is little hope of lasting reform.

A glaring example of profligate physician behavior was described by Atul Gawande in the June 1 issue of The New Yorker. (His article has become must reading at the White House.) Dr. Gawande, a Harvard-affiliated surgeon and author, traveled to McAllen, Texas, to find out why Medicare spends more per beneficiary there than in any other city except Miami.

None of the usual rationalizations put forth by doctors held up. The population, though poor, is not sicker than average; the quality of care people get is not superior. Malpractice suits have practically disappeared due to a tough state malpractice law, leaving no rationale for defensive medicine. The reason for McAllen’s soaring costs, some doctors finally admitted, is over-treatment. Doctors perform extra tests, surgeries and other procedures to increase their incomes.

Dr. Gawande’s reporting tracks pioneering studies by researchers at Dartmouth into the reasons for large regional and institutional variations in Medicare costs. Why should medical care in Miami or McAllen be far more expensive than in San Francisco? Why should care provided at the U.C.L.A. medical center be far more costly than care at the renowned Mayo Clinic?

After adjusting for differences in health, income, medical price and other factors, the Dartmouth researchers’ overall conclusion is that the more costly areas and institutions provide a lot more tests, services and intensive hospital-based care than the lower cost centers. Yet their patients fare no better and often fare worse because they suffer from the over-treatment.

The Dartmouth group estimates that up to 30 percent of Medicare spending is wasted on needless care.
Although most experts think the Dartmouth research is essentially right, a few believe that other factors, including the health of individual patients, play a bigger role. Even if the over-treatment is less than the Dartmouth researchers believe, their findings point to areas and institutions where Medicare should be able to coax or push physicians to behave more prudently, for all their patients.

When President Obama speaks at the annual meeting of the American Medical Association on Monday he will need all of his persuasive powers to bring doctors into the campaign for health care reform. Doctors have been complicit in driving up health care costs. They need to become part of the solution.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/14/opinion/14sun1.html?_r=1

 

[somarco]

This is not a problem.

The pay czar will take care of everything.

 

[Winter_123]

This is not a problem.

The pay czar will take care of everything.

http://scattershooting.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/change-hitler-obama-lenin.jpg