The Gun Lobby Target Doctors

The gun lobby paranoia seems to have infected all branches of our government, but even I am surprised how far politicians are willing to go to please their NRA sponsors. In today's Miami Herald an article titled " Medical liability bill gets snagged by gun concerns" highlights such an example. According to the article a Senate priority bill to limit the liability of Florida doctors ran into trouble in the House on Monday when opponents suggested that it could be used by insurance companies who represent the doctors to create a private registry of gun owners. The bill, HB 827, would deal with what are known as “ex parte communications” in malpractice cases and would allow lawyers for doctors hit with a malpractice claim to interview any other doctor about a patient’s health record in private. Rep. James Grant, R-Tampa, believes that the provision could open the door to lawyers asking doctors about the gun-toting habits of their patients and, over time, use that information to build a database of gun owners who could be charged higher insurance rates. Grant filed an amendment to the bill Monday that would prohibit doctors from revealing any information about a patient’s gun ownership, as well as any history of child abuse, sexual abuse, substance abuse, mental health and reproductive history unless the patient’s lawyer is present. Just to make sure that we understand this mind-boggling political acrobatic: Rep Grant BELIEVES that insurance companies will mine these records to essentially eliminate potential risky clients, especially gun owners, who then would be charged higher insurance rates. Therefore, according to his amendment, doctors would be prohibited from collecting and revealing such information, unless the patient's lawyer is present. Sounds reasonable? Well, probably in the mind of those who believe that the government is trying to disarm Americans by buying ammunition in large amounts, or those who believe in black helicopters following their every move etc. What is more troubling that those "freedom fighters" are willing to gag doctors and force them to sanitize their medical records in order to please their NRA masters. Why do we vote for these NRA stooges? What happened to our individual freedom from interference in our lives and professions? Its time to expose these so-called politicians as willing executioners of the NRA. Yours Bernd