25% of VT docs say they'll move out of state if single payer is adopted.

[cali]

Ack.

Survey of doctors on single-payer causes stir at Vt. Statehouse

Montpelier, Vermont - April 5, 2011

A new survey is causing a stir at the Vermont Statehouse. It shows more than one-quarter of Vermont's doctors would leave the state if Vermont moves to a single-payer health care system.

The survey shows doctors are just about split in their support for a single-payer system; 44 percent support it and 46 percent are against it.

The survey was conducted by State Representative George Till, D-Jericho. He is a physician and supports the move to single-payer.

"The question was, are you likely to stop practicing in medicine in Vermont if a government-run single-payer were initiated? Overall 28 percent answered yes to that, 53 percent answered no, the rest were neutral," Till said.
<snip>

http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=14390288

[annabanana]

1. That's ok.. There are a bunch of Docs at PNHP who'll move in.

http://www.pnhp.org/news/2011/march/more-than-200-doctors-contemplate-moving-to-vermont-if-it-adopts-single-payer-health

More than 200 doctors contemplate moving to Vermont if it adopts single-payer health system
‘Doctors want to practice medicine, not push paper,’ says Dr. Peggy Carey

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 22, 2011

BURLINGTON, Vt. – A local affiliate of a national physicians’ group says it has collected the names of more than 200 doctors from 39 states and the District of Columbia who say they would seriously consider moving to Vermont if it were to adopt a publicly financed, single-payer health care system.

Many of the doctors are primary care physicians, who are in great demand in the state.

While most of these physicians reside in nearby states, doctors from as far away as California, Oregon and Washington state – and even Hawaii – would contemplate moving to the Green Mountain State if it adopted a single-payer, improved-Medicare-for-all system, said Dr. Peggy Carey, interim chairperson of the Vermont chapter of Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP).

Another 54 doctors-in-training, medical students, from around the country have said they’d also consider such a move, Carey said. She pointed to a regional medical student rally set for this Saturday afternoon, March 26, at the Vermont Statehouse in Montpelier as further evidence of health-professional support for a single-payer system. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Gov. Peter Shumlin are among the speakers, she said.

This is a great organization.

[Deep13]

2. 25% of liberals say they will move to Canada if an R. becomes president.

I'll believe it when I see it.

[wtmusic]

4. +1

[elocs]

20. As if Canada takes anyone just because they want to move there.

Somehow I don't think it is that easy. Of course, people with money can pick up and move to whenever they like compared to the poor and struggling to just get by.

[TheWraith]

34. Bingo. It's easy to talk trash and say you'll do something.

Actually doing it? That's another story.

[peace frog]

35. Moving to another US state for single payer health care

is a piece of cake compared to expatration to another country, Canada or any other, for any reason. It doesn't matter whether you see it, believe it, WTF-ever, there will be migrations to VT for that purpose.

[Deep13]

38. Huh? Yeah, but docs are not going to leave VT is the point, ...

...no matter what opinion polls are showing.

[CTyankee]

41. Easier to move within the U.S. than it is to move out of the U.S.

Think about it...

[Deep13]

44. Yes, it's not a perfect analogy.

:eyes:

[wtmusic]

3. Good

Those are the ones Vermont doesn't want anyway.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

46. 'Zactly.

[aSpeckofDust]

5. Heh, that's fine. Hundreds of doctors from other states expressed their desire to move to Vermont if

single payer is adopted.

[aquart]

13. Yes. Maybe they can arrange a housing swap.

Everybody happy!

[Johonny]

19. +1

[Brickbat]

6. Doubt it. People talk big. ETA: Also, the conclusion drawn is that the docs will leave Vermont,

while the question as asked by the rep is "will you stop practicing medicine in Vermont..." They could retire, or do something else, I guess.

[Botany]

7. I don't buy it

I smell Koch / Insurance Company money behind this survey

Vermont Ranks # 1 in health care in the nation and the quality of life
there and length of life there is among the best in nation.

[cali]

12. uh, no. The rep who did this is a dem who supports single payer

he's a good guy.

[Botany]

15. I still don't think 25% of Doctors w/ established practices

will walk but you live there and know better than me.

[cali]

16. nah, I agree with you, I don't think 25% will leave either

and it's the specialists that skewed it. All the Fletcher Allen bigwigs. (Fletcher Allen is the biggest hospital in the state- by far)

[Life Long Liberal]

8. Easy to vote yes on that survey, hard to actually decide to move.

[sharesunited]

9. They need to establish a specific med school scholarship with service requirement.

Grow a crop of new docs who are not laden with student debt and who aren't entering the profession to get rich.

[no_hypocrisy]

10. Unlikely.

Unless a doctor buys a practice outright or buys into a practice with a roster of patients, it takes a notable amount of time to build a practice that is profitable.

The Vermont doctors will stay for the most part.

[annabanana]

11. rec for the better news upthread . . .n/t

[Schema Thing]

14. uh yeah about that picking up and moving thing.... probably not.

100% of humans can be the biggest fucking drama queens.

[cali]

17. a truer thing was never posted.

[LiberalAndProud]

18. You said what I was thinking.

Sure they'll put their expensive homes up for sale and move right on out. You betcha.

NOT!!!

[eShirl]

21. for the ones that actually follow through? good riddance.

[crazylikafox]

22. And how many new doctors will move there to get a chance to practice without all that red tape???

Maybe quite a few.

[cali]

24. I'm not convinced of the poll's accuracy

there is no way of knowing if those who responded are really doctors or really from VT.

[NotThisTime]

23. Might not be all talk, a drug treatment closed their doors as well as a large cardiac care center

Here's the link to the drug treatment closure. Right now the Doc's and nurses are working for free at the place trying to reassure the patients

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20110406/NEWS02/104060307/Replacement-sought-South-Burlington-drug-clinic?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

The Corporation complains it was due to low medicaid payouts as of the 1st of the year, however they never once complained to anyone about this issue.

The cardiac care I know about personally, in their letter a few months back they claimed it to be a response to the current healthcare climate, whatever the hell that meant....

[xchrom]

25. dear doctors: First Nations lands need doctors. thanks, xchrom. nt

[Uncle Joe]

26. This is why single payer should be nation wide and if the poll is correct

attention paid to a closer equalizing of the reimbursement gaps between primary care and specialists.

I don't expect them to be totally equal but a more balanced medium might suffice.

Thanks for the thread, cali.

[Zorra]

27. Cool. Better doctors would move to VT to fill the void.

Doctors that care more about people than money are always far superior healers.

[EC]

28. That's okay,,,

weren't there a bunch just last week that said they would move there? So it would = out.

[walldude]

29. So the ones who are in it just for the money will leave

no big loss.

[moondust]

30. +1

Good riddance.

[WinkyDink]

31. So extortion by doctors is okay, but a boycott by unions isn't?

[supernova]

32. Q: What % of Docs are in it for the money?

And VT would be better off in the long term if those guys left. VT would attract more people who are in it for the relationships with people.

[slipslidingaway]

33. There was a survey of physicians a few years ago that broke down response ...

by specialty, in general primary care physicians wanted SP, but that number decreased as the years spent in training increased.

[AngryAmish]

36. see you later, assholes.

[demodonkey]

37. Buh-bye greedy docs. Better ones are poised to move in.

Too many greedy docs everywhere. Just because someone has MD or DO after their name does not mean they should expect a bowel transplant so they can shit little gold balls twice a day.

[lumberjack_jeff]

39. Is the health care system run for doctors or patients?

Don't be extorted.

[eppur_se_muova]

40. What a wonderful opportunity! Now they can be replaced by ...

doctors who care more about their patients than their fortunes.

[Yo_Mama]

42. George Till sounds like a great state rep

He is also a doctor.

I'd recommend reading his comments and the survey data at his website.
http://georgetill.com/Health-Care.php

Note that he is pointing out that Vermont can't do a real single-payer system and that his worries only apply to the issues of doing it in-state, because in fact it won't be a single-payer system. There will still be Medicaid/Medicare and all the people with out-of-state insurance.

[Mz Pip]

43. And do what?

I doubt that many of them really want to take state board exams again.

[Bluerthanblue]

45. they'd be fools-

and I'd be surprised if they actually followed through.

Its been a long cold winter- maybe timing of the poll is poor. :p