Healthcare For All

Dear Friends and Colleagues:
Attached a superb article by Dr. Dennis Mayeaux,President of the Florida Academy of Family Physicians, which was published in todays Miami Herald.
Yours
Bernd


Posted on Thu, Aug. 06, 2009
Key to reform is doctor access for all

BY DENNIS MAYEAUX
dennismayeaux@yahoo.com
Comprehensive healthcare reform is a political and social challenge that has escaped this country for more than 30 years. This year, divergent interests are coming together to finally fix our healthcare system. There are proposals in Congress that would provide high quality, affordable healthcare and give people the choice of keeping their current insurance plan and their family physician, internist or other primary-care doctor.

As a family physician, I see the effects of our broken healthcare system every day. Let's face it. Access to coverage is never guaranteed. It is not easy to treat patients who are uninsured because they can't afford coverage or are unable to get coverage because of age or a pre-existing condition. Every day even insured patients are refused care because of coverage denials. I am tired of seeing my patients struggle paying for the healthcare they need. Healthcare reform can't come soon enough.

What does it take to make this happen?

• We first need legislation that covers everyone, requiring insurance companies to sell plans regardless of family history, or pre-existing conditions, and to guarantee that patients can renew their coverage after they've become sick.

• Legislation also needs to ensure that once people have insurance, they also have access to a primary-care physician. Unfortunately, there is a growing shortage of primary-care doctors to meet that need. The reformed system must value primary care if we want medical students to choose careers such as Family Medicine. We need family physicians to keep people healthy, provide early treatment for the most common health problems and coordinate comprehensive and seamless care when subspecialty attention is needed.

There is some good news. We have a vehicle that can begin making all these improvements happen. It's called the Affordable Health Choices Act being debated in the U.S. Senate. The House of Representatives is considering a similar bill, which also includes a focus on primary care. These proposals promise to ensure affordable health coverage for nearly everyone.

It's time to stop playing politics and solve the healthcare crisis. We must find a uniquely American solution that controls skyrocketing healthcare costs and gives our patients peace of mind when it comes to their healthcare.

Our Surgeon General nominee, family physician Regina Benjamin, hopes to be ``America's Family Physician.'' Having a family physician is vital to every Floridian's health. Let us support that goal by providing access to all.

Meaningful and sustainable healthcare reform is possible if Congress passes legislation that gives everyone in the United States access to a patient-centered medical home, where their doctor will ensure they get the care they need, when they need it and where they need it.

Dr. Dennis Mayeaux is president of the Florida Academy of Family Physicians.