Obama Seeks Promo Assistance From Docs

August 26. 2009

U.S. President Barack Obama has been urging doctors to promote his health care initiatives, which have come under intense scrutiny from conservatives, due to the price tag. I am of the belief, President Obama's first step should be health care reform, in reducing costs as much as possible, across the board, from pharmaceutical companies to hospitals to doctors to insurance companies.

The problem is there are well funded entities in America that like things the way they are, in the currently broken system, because they are making a fortune from overcharging everyday people. Drug companies often cannot justify the expensive prices of their products. However, as they are in a sense, holding sick people ransom, in exchange for massive revenues, they are allowed to name their price.

Another area of significant cost is hospital imaging (MRIs, CT Scans, EMGs, EKGs). I speak from experience. For technology that has been around for some time, it is still very expensive. The government would do well to find a way to alleviate costs associated with imaging, which would save paying patients, Medicare and Medicaid significant sums of money.

Obama asks docs to promote health care fix

WASHINGTON — The White House is asking doctors to help promote its drive to overhaul health care, marking an effort by President Barack Obama to regain momentum on the issue. White House health advisers held an hourlong conference call Tuesday night with close to 3,000 physicians and officials of their professional groups in which they tried drumming up support by answering questions and describing the administration's goals, participants said.

Before the call, the White House e-mailed a 12-page booklet to medical associations titled "Doctors for Health Insurance Reform." The brochure stated the administration's case for revamping the nation's health care system and suggested ways doctors could call attention to the issue.

Among the suggestions: Hosting local events on health care, giving tours of hospitals or designating a "Health Insurance Reform Week" during which events could be staged around the country....

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