Physician Unionization? New topic

There is an interesting article on the CNN website today. According to a recent study, 90% of doctors surveyed believe that the health care system has gotten worse for physicians. It also says that the AMA attempted to halt unionization by doctors (do you think they might have been worried that their organization could thereby become obsolete?). Check out this article at: www.cnn.com/2001/HEALTH/06/16/health.doctors.union. reut/index/html
What do you think? Is unionization the best or only way to fight the onslaught of managed care? Should DO's and MD's escape their professional organizations and work on this? Doctors of the world unite?

 

That's an interesting viewpoint. And in the end it could end up being a numbers game. Not numbers in terms of billable fees to patients, but numbers in terms of how many physicians would join the new organization. If enough physicians banded together in a union or whatever the organization called itself, then the MCOs would not be able to gain leverege by contracting with non union physicians- those would not be able to meet the demand. This organization wouldn't be limited to bargaining only on MCO issues, but also on working hours and conditions for medical students, interns and residents. Physicians have been pretty much run over by managed care and the conditions for clinical education are outdated and a risk to public safety. I don't see that physicians have anything to lose by organizing and trying to improve their situation. The effort would have to be well planned out, as you can see the AMA (and the AOA if it felt threatened) would fight at every turn to stop any organization that they could not control.