uhoh. what do these doctor's know that the resto fo us consumers should?

+********** Snail me yer rosehips if you liked this post! ************
*Better Living Thru Better Living!* http://www.***.com/ ~rugosa *

read more »

It comes as no surprise to me that many professional health care providers would like to see an end to managed care.
the days of steamrolling health care costs finally came to an end with the advent of managed care plans. the main beneficiaries of these high costs were, you guessed it, the providers who, having lost thier grip on the pocketbooks of the users of health care want to go back to the old way of doing business, which is exactly what health care always was, and not the noble, self-sacraficing image foisted on us by the American medial Association. Now that doctors have to work for their money and account for some of their actions they whine and complain like the rest of us highly educated professionals  who have always been held accountable by our professiona.our professions. Your mandate to do away with managed care doesnt carry much weight with those of us who are members of HMO's and are reasonably happy with the quality and cost of our coverage.  while there are some abuses and cases of negligence, (as can happen in any bureaucracy) the advantages and dedicated, hardworking providers HMO consumers are accustomed to seeing brings extraordinary peace of mind and a sense of security to many who were previously denied. the fact is, the people are speaking and voting with thier pocketbooks by choosing HMOs over other insurance plans. We want managed care, it is working and it is unquestionably cheaper than the greed and special interests of a few who continue to complain that medicine
is somehow magically excluded from all other market force driven interests in this country.

Michael King, PhD; Public Health Advisor
U.S. Public Health Service (ret)

    -ALL  MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS:   Please support  'RESCUE HEALTH
    CARE = DAY', April 1, 2000.  Ask your professional associations to give their =
    strong support also.  Together, we CAN make the critical difference for = the health of this nation ! Best regards to all, F.D.Stephenson, LCSW, LMFT, BCD.    
    ***********************************************
    R E S C U = E  H E A L T H  C A R E  D A Y
    > >>April 1, 2000
    > = >>
    > >>WE  CAN  REPLACE  MANAGED  CARE ! ! =
    > >>
    > >>
    > >>For the sake of our = children, our elderly, and everyone,
    > >>we must end the = failed experiment of managed care (HMOs, etc)
    > >>and replace it = with a pro-patient, pro-quality system
    > >>
    > >> =
    > >>All Americans Concerned about Quality Health Care are invited to =
    > >>
    > >>Join in the
    > >> =
    > >>Nationwide Vote of "No Confidence" in Managed Care and =
    > >>National Dialogue on Alternatives to Managed Care =
    > >>
    > >>
    > >>Why April 1st???
    > = >>
    > >>Because April 1st is April Fool's Day
    > = >>and managed care is the greatest hoax
    > >>ever perpetrated on = the American public
    > >>
    > >>
    > = >>Participate at any level in the Nationwide
    > >>
    > >>Day of = Teach-Ins................Saturday, April 1, 2000
    > >>Hour = of Protest..........11:30 am - 12:30 pm
    > >>Minute of Silence..........12:00 Noon
    > >>
    > >>
    > = >>Demand a system that values compassion, quality, and
    > >>the consumer's right to the "Three Fundamental Health Care Freedoms"...
    > >>Choice, Privacy, and Control over = Health Care Decisions
    > >>_________________________________________________________________= ____
    > >>For more information or to coordinate, contact
    > = >>The National Coalition of Mental Health Professionals and = Consumers, Inc.
    > >>P. O. Box 438, Commack, NY 11725
    > = >>Phone 1-888-SAY-NO-MC or 516-424-5232
    > >>Fax:  516-549-3942 =

    > >>_________________________________________________________________= ____
    > >>Please copy both sides and circulate widely      See other side for
    > details =
    > >>
    > >>
    > >>-------------------------------------------------------- Page = Break
    > >>-----------------------------------------
    > = >>
    > >>
    > >>Information about
    > = >>Rescue Health Care Day
    > >>
    > >>Purpose and General Description
    > >> Every once in a while a special event = affords millions of Americans the
    > >>opportunity to simultaneously = register both their concerns and their
    > >demands
    > = >>for change.  The Civil Rights marches of the 1950s and 1960s, the =
    > Teach-Ins
    > >>during the Vietnam War, Hands Across America, = and Earth Day brought
    > >awareness
    > >>and change. =
    > >> On Rescue Health Care Day, Americans will have the opportunity = to stand
    > >>together to proclaim their vote of "No = Confidence" in corporate managed
    > >health
    > >>care and to = support and learn from a national dialogue on alternative
    > >systems =
    > >>of health insurance so that we can soon replace managed care = with
    > something
    > >>better.  A true  dialogue = that will educate our citizens best will include
    > >all
    > >>ideas, from liberal to conservative and in-between.
    > = >> Participation is wanted by consumer organizations, medicine, surgery, =
    > >>nursing, mental health, chiropractic, dentistry, physical = therapy,
    > >alternative
    > >>medicine, pharmacy, law, = educational institutions, think tanks,
    > economists,
    > >>federal = and state legislators, policy makers, and other caring Americans.
    > = >>
    > >>All Americans are invited to attend, organize, and/or participate:
    > >>1.  Day of Teach-Ins  (tentative = date:  April 1, 2000)
    > >> Teach-Ins during the 1960's = and 1970's effectively informed the public
    > >about
    > = >>Civil Rights and the Vietnam War.  Any group can organize a Teach-In and =
    > >use
    > >>it to promote their own ideas for a better = health care system or to
    > provide
    > >a
    > >>forum for = a variety of ideas.  There will be no centralized control over =
    > >the
    > >>Teach-Ins.  At Noon, all those in = attendance at each Teach-In will observe
    > >the
    > >>Minute of = Silence (see below).
    > >>2.  Hour of Protest
    > >> = Any person or organization can arrange for a designated location in their =
    > >>community for an Hour of Protest between 11:30am and 12:30pm on = Rescue
    > >Health
    > >>Care Day.  At the designated = location, attendees can peacefully express
    > >their
    > = >>desire to see managed care replaced by a pro-patient, pro-quality system.
    > = >At
    > >>Noon, all those gathered at designated Hour of Protest locations will also
    > >>observe the Minute of Silence. =
    > >>3.  Minute of Silence
    > >> People all across = America, whether at a Teach-in, a designated Hour of
    > >>Protest = location, or wherever they are (at work, in school, shopping,
    > home, =
    > >>etc.), will stop what they are doing for one minute, beginning = at 12 Noon
    > >on
    > >>Rescue Health Care Day, and = observe a Minute of Silence to mark the death
    > >of
    > = >>quality care and the deaths of and harm done to patients at the hands of =
    > >>managed care.  They can stand in silence wherever they are, = or they may
    > >wish
    > >>to go outside or to a central = lobby where they will be seen.  The idea for
    > >>this comes from = the Hands Across America event for awareness of World
    > >Hunger
    > = >>that took place several years ago.
    > >>
    > = >>Be a Supporter of and/or a Participant
    > >> Any individual or organization can be a supporter of and/or a participant
    > >in =
    > >>Rescue Health Care Day.  Being a "Supporter" = simply means that the person
    > >or
    > >>organization supports = the vote of "No Confidence" in managed care and
    > >wishes =
    > >>to see a national dialogue on alternatives to managed = care.  Being a
    > >>"Participant" means that the person or = organization wishes to organize or
    > >>participate in some aspect of = Rescue Health Care Day.  Being a Supporter
    > or
    > >>Participant does not imply support for or affiliation with the = National
    > >>Coalition of Mental Health Professionals and Consumers = or any other
    > >supporting
    > >>or participating = individual or organization.
    > >>
    > >>How You Can Help =
    > >> Join the "Rescue Health Care Brigade" and help bring = America a better,
    > >more
    > >>pro-patient, pro-quality = health insurance system.  Volunteers and
    > financial
    > >>contributions are needed to help make Rescue Health Care Day a = success.
    > >>Volunteers are needed to contact legislators, = individuals, and
    > >organizations
    > >>to inform them about Rescue = Health Care Day and encourage them to support
    > >>and/or = participate in this event and for a variety of other tasks,
    > >including =
    > >>making phone calls, disseminating information, etc.
    > = >>
    > >>Yes, we can change the country.
    > >> =
    > >>"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed = citizens can
    > >change
    > >>the world; indeed, its the only = thing that ever has" (Margaret Mead).
    > >>"As long as = the world shall last there will be wrongs, and if no man
    > >objected =
    > >>and no man rebelled, those wrongs would last = forever."  (Clarence Darrow)
    > >>"Let us not be content to wait = and see what will happen, but give us the
    > >>determination to make = the right things happen."
    > >>(Peter Marshall, Senate = Chaplain, 1948)
    > >>_________________________________________________________________= ____
    > >>Please copy both sides and distribute to clinicians' = offices, e-mail
    > lists,
    > >>consumer  and professional organizations, and wherever there are people
    >
...

read more »

 the fact is, the people are speaking and voting with thier =