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Index 2005: Letters to the Editor

Write a letter to the editor

January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December - 2004 index - 2006 index

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Dec. 26

• A terminally ill patient should have the right to decide how and when to die

Dec. 19

• The biggest issue in the complex health care equation: Diminishing time spent with patients

Dec. 12

• If Roe overturned, add " 'illegal abortion' to the differential diagnosis"
• Education debt is tragically driving decisions to shun primary care

Dec. 5

• MSSNY: No position so far on Clinton-Obama medical error bill
• Physician testimony contributes to the medical liability crisis
• Parents who say no to vaccinations need to be told the risks

Nov. 28

• Abortion problem not lack of training, but that physicians accept it as moral

Nov. 21

• There is a little understood, pernicious ripple effect of high liability premiums
• Legal ethics and medical ethics are "as incompatible as oil and water"
• Those who oppose abortion ultimately will prevail

Nov. 14

• U.S. acceptance of contingency fees is a key cause of nation's tort problems
• Work for change at arrogant health plans by becoming a shareholder
• Wrong paradigm is at the heart of problem with medical liability system
• Bank balance, not work-life balance, a reason why primary care shunned

Nov. 7

• VA's system a solid model for how to create an electronic medical record
• Get right software, not a drill, to properly destroy computer data

Oct. 24/31

• Balance the power of health plans with antitrust relief for physicians
• Call it "dysmetabolic syndrome"

Oct. 17

• FSMB: Policy guidelines on opioid addiction treatment are online
• Geriatrics practices needed in large cities, where seniors can be shunned
• Start your training now for complications of back-alley abortions

Oct. 10

• Bariatric society president: Metabolic syndrome diagnosis is useful in treatment

Oct. 3

• The best future for EMRs would be single, national system
• Aetna should tell all about its own finances on doctor fee site

Sept. 26

• Focus on Medicare payment reform, not pay-for-performance proposal
• Stop name-calling against lawyers
• To make up for resident hours curb, extend length of training

Sept. 19

• Medicare drug benefit will come at the expense of physician reimbursement
• Medicare official offers platitudes on Part D -- not necessary details
• "Geriatrics is a specialty that never should have happened"

Sept. 12

• Medicine "desperately in need of a clear vision" of where to proceed
• Pay-for-performance proves physicians are own worst enemies
• Pay-for-performance is a misguided plan that is "destined for failure"

Sept. 5

• IMGs face an agony-filled wait when facing security-related visa delays
• Rethink five A's of smoking cessation
• Electronic health record could be developed and delivered for fraction of proposed IT grant program's cost

Aug. 22/29

• Growing pains worth the effort in reducing resident work hours
• Return from retirement? Enjoy your life and don't even consider it
• Corporate stipend gratefully recalled, but did not influence prescribing

Aug. 15

• Newly available pertussis booster vaccines could spell end of the disease
• GM's reputation for quality doesn't bode well for its health care aims

Aug. 8

• Balance-billing will solve problem of physicians dropping out of Medicare
• Pay-for-performance must take into account patient compliance
• AMA's pay-for-performance stand will benefit patients

Aug. 1

• Concierge practice article was too negative about a positive trend
• APA assembly was right to approve of same-sex civil marriages
• New Maine law mandates disclosure of all drug clinical trial information

July 25

• Underpayment is a primary care issue, not unique to female physicians
• Instead of getting burned out, create the medical practice of your dreams
• Serpent should come with warning

July 18

• Retrain retired doctors to avert future physician shortage
• Why "Asclepius" and not "Aesculapius"?

July 11

• Fibbing for patients is a blow to honesty and integrity of medicine
• USMLE hurdles an unneeded turn-off to those considering a medical career
• Female physicians burning out for same reasons as male counterparts

July 4

• Insurer payments won't cover true cost of e-prescribing
• Insurers benefit when patients are insulated from the true cost of care
• Sobering advice for physicians inclined to launch their own health plan
• Physicians should drop insurers

June 27

• Four articles paint a sorry picture of what physicians are confronting
• Payment delays promote irresponsible behavior by patients and insurers
• Government helped create shift to outpatient care but is suspicious of it

June 20

• Fewer hassles, lower overhead would attract more doctors to primary care
• Low pay, high expenses, 4th-class status plague primary care

June 13

• Insurance should reimburse patients and not be a concern for physicians
• Health care system will work better if patients are forced to confront costs

June 6

• Congressmen: Accepting TRICARE is the right thing for physicians to do
• A physician's rebuke over poor work can be painted as disruptive behavior

May 23/30

• AAFP president: Don't minimize the problem of uninsured Americans
• Nurse: Isn't it time we stopped coddling doctors about computers?
• Drug rep visits actually improve care for patients

May 16

• Bullying can happen in med school, too
• Cultural competency turnabout: Teach immigrants English, American culture

May 9

• New Jersey wrong to blame physicians for health care disparities
• Abusive behavior test: Would you say same thing to a subordinate if that person's spouse was present?
• When judging physician bullying, consider what would have happened if the aggressor were a nurse
• Absolute immunity for peer reviews should be abolished
• Medicare cuts ironic from those who lay claim to pro-life, family values

May 2

• Concern over suicide law should be about access to best end-of-life care -- not few psychiatric consults
• Deny prescribing privileges to doctors who are paid to tout drugs
• Low pay, lack of respect explains why fewer doctors want to be FPs

April 25

• Political skills needed to protect responsible practice of medicine
• Motivate Medicare's auditing contractors to find underpayments
• A two-tiered system of health care is a solution to physician supply question

April 18

• Pay-for-performance plans will cause doctors to drop noncompliant patients
• It's time to properly address resident sleep impairment, or expect more lawsuits
• A shortage would restore physicians to the position they deserve
• Efficiency isn't driving more patient visits -- paying overhead is

April 11

• Pay for increasing knowledge and you'll get better performance
• Primary care residents should train more outside the hospital setting
• If doctors are rated, then patients must promise to follow instructions
• State medical boards should make decision on nonphysician prescribing

April 4

• Physicians can show support of our troops by accepting TRICARE
• Yes to drug rep visits; no to junk mail

March 28

• A break for cash-paying patients, but she had her own "unbelievable" OB bill
• When a doctor "gives" health plans a discount, it's hardly voluntary
• Drug company gifts not proper, whether sterling silver or stethoscope
• Mississippi needs more tort reform

March 21

• There are valid reasons why physician is "captain of the ship"
• Certificate-of-need laws stifle health care cost competition

March 14

• Usefulness of drug samples extends beyond assisting low-income patients
• The health care system "has simply not been very good to men"
• Physicians have failed to communicate why the public should trust them
• Medicare's entire premise is wrong

March 7

• ISMS: AMNews should have known key source aligned with trial lawyers
• Why full price for cash payers but then a break for managed care?
• Drug company assistance programs can come with too many hassles

Feb. 28

• ASA: Only one state allows nurse anesthetists independent practice
• Ethics code inconsistent concerning executions and abortions
• Conn. protects doctors helping the abused; why not rest of the time?
• NP: Physicians don't have a monopoly on concern over patient safety

Feb. 21

• Nonphysicians do not have the training to warrant prescribing rights
• Don't lump podiatrists in with others when discussing scope of practice

Feb. 14

• No single hours guideline fits all resident training situations
• Cornell pioneered comprehensive care curriculum in medical education
• Demand guarantees that tort reform will cut cost of liability insurance

Feb. 7

• Here, a chronic "no-show" can expect no go -- unless a deposit is paid first
• Consider fellow-level AMA membership
• Before and after shots on TV shows take advantage of sly studio skills

Jan. 31

• Medicare's statistic doesn't tell whole story of insufficient documentation
• If it is OK to fingerprint physicians, then why not do it to everybody?
• With HSAs, expect calls to cut fees

Jan. 24

• Physician criminal checks a waste
• Focus on depth, not detailed list of services, leads to undercoding

Jan. 17

• Limits in MICRA tort reform felt mostly by lawyers -- not patients
• Physicians have good reason to be leery of industry-sponsored CME
• Keep specialty hospital moratorium until indigent are adequately served

Jan. 3/10

• Health plan RICO settlement provides a way to fight downcoding
• Pay for physician expert witnesses should be declared unethical

Last year's letters - Back to top.

Hispanics are 36% of California's population but 4% of its physicians. Read more

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