Very recently, Dr. Hal Scherz asked some tough questions that the American people should expect and deserve to have answered. The op-ed can be viewed here.

I forwarded this piece to may people, apologizing In Advance to three - who had told me 1. They had been "Offended" by some of my emails, or 2. Told me not to write again, or 3. Had told me they were Socialists.  I wrote that this was sent in the interests of education.  Read one interchange:

"Surprise this is not educational!!  Where is the information about a new idea about how to deal with insurance and health care.  It is blackballing someone that the republicants don’t like.  You think the doctor patient relationship hasn’t ALREADY changed in the last 10 years?  Of course it has.  This isn’t news.  And what is part of the problem, lawsuits and insurance, and what else?  You tell me you are the one in the trenches here?   Instead of blaming, and calling people names, come up with a solution.  Bob Perry, one of the main contributors to this group is a flaming Bushite builder from Texas, a huge anti Obama money man for the republicant party.     

Everyone agrees healthcare is a mess.  There’s a start.  What is going on with insurance and health care did not just start last year when Obama took over.  It has been a mess, it is a disaster.  So what’s the solution? You’re a doctor, you’re smart let’s hear one idea, all I ever hear from republicants is negative blaming.  Like one guy is the problem?!  The insurance companies are a huge part of this difficulty. 

Tell me your idea for a solution.  What’s one good idea that YOU have about how to handle health care and take care of the poor so that the emergency care isn’t where they go for help?  Stop talking about who and start talking about what.   If you have that idea, call your newly elected tea party representative and get him to fight for it.  Put that IDEA out in the newspaper.  Wouldn’t it be great if people were spreading ideas instead of hate and propaganda?  We might not agree, but at least there would be ideas instead of this hate propaganda."
 

My response: "I have many surprises in store for you -

1. In a Blog I have been writing since March or April, where I name names and 'call out' members of BOTH parties.

2. To tell you that I have been involved in trying to change things and prevent harm since 1984. (A major medical precept is "above all do no harm.") So - talking about real problems IS important - as well as asking for solutions.

3. H.W. Bush did have solutions I agreed with (as does John Goodman, (NCPA). Republicans have been pushing them since then (I deal with this in my Blog - HSA's, Medisave accounts, Tax equity, allowing the severing of insurance ownership from employment, so you own your personal health insurance just like you own your car insurance policy, etc.).

4. I did not write the Hal Scherz Op Ed, and he did not write it because he hates Democrats. Neither he nor I distributed it because we hate Democrats - although Democrats may have that knee jerk response. Now, having said that, it has been the Democrats who have stymied the ideas in #3 - esp. Ted Kennedy. Are you aware that as of July 1 you need prescriptions to use an HSA account to purchase NON-prescription medication? THAT is Obamacare and it is there to STOP HSA's and Kill that free market idea.

My first ten years in practice, if a patient told me there was a financial problem paying the usual charge, I told them 'Pay What they could Afford' - even if it was nothing. That was what the free market permitted - then. No longer.

The Feds are the reason I am leaving practice VERY soon. I won't be saving any more lives by finding very early melanomas, but I hope to help to save proper health care.

Read my Blogs and then see if you are still so angry.     www.Takebackmedicine.com/Truthserum

See the one titled "Infamous Quotes and Anecdotes: Naming Names" and you will see it is non-partisan - in spite of possible preconceptions. There is also one devoted to GOOD IDEAS, as well as educational ones about PROBLEMS. If no one realizes there are problems, there will be no pressure to FIX them.