Physician Unionization? New topic

[muonwhiz]

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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?

 

[Stinky T]

The physicians that need a union the most are the interns/slaves!!!!!! 🙁

 

[Gauravvv]

i dont think the link is correct, it leads to a page not found message on the cnn site 😎

 

[Kimya]

Here's the link: http://www.cnn.com/2001/HEALTH/06/16/health.doctors.union.reut/index.html

Also, speaking of residents, that was the top story in CNN health section when I just visited!

Kimya

 

[acaban]

I completely agree with unionization as a method to help alleviate the problems that are caused by managed healthcare organizations.

Over the summber I have had the opportunity to have lunch in a physicians lounge were the lunch topics range drasticly on a daily basis. I remember however, that we did once discuss the possibility of physicians forming a comprehensive union were *all* physicians would be able to battle it out with HMO's.

Some physicians were quick to point out that it would not be possible to do so because not all physicians are in the main set to unite. They explained to me that while maybe some portion of physicians would unite, other would continue to provide services to paitents so that they could take up the portion of revenue reimbursement from HMO's. My understanding is that some current physicains in the field would not be interested in uniting for the simple reason of offerring lower prices for services than the unions and receive all the patients that belong to the HMO's.

Again, these views are that of some physicians I spoke to over lunch and do not reflect mine. I am however interested in what you guys thinks. AJC 😀

 

[muonwhiz]

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.