Dueling Bandages
Patriot News
Small business can't already pool their power? Is that explicitly banned by legislation?
- U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum and his likely rival, Pennsylvania Treasurer Robert P. Casey Jr., appeared a few blocks from each other yesterday on Capitol Hill to promote alternative plans to expand health insurance.
Santorum, R-Pa., appeared with other GOP senators and representatives of the American Osteopathic Association to discuss the need for medical liability reform.
A short while later, Casey spoke with reporters on his proposal to use federal dollars to expand the state Children's Health Insurance Programs, which his father, the late Gov. Robert P. Casey, established. Casey unveiled the plan during a speech in Harrisburg earlier this week.
Casey also supports legislation to allow small businesses to pool their purchasing power to negotiate better health insurance coverage.
Small business can't already pool their power? Is that explicitly banned by legislation?
Comments on "Dueling Bandages"
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Donna Baver Rovito said ... (4/29/2006 09:56:28 AM) :
post a commentWhat I'd really like to hear from Mr. Casey is his plan to "bandage" the hemmorhage of young doctors from Pennsylvania.
A recent report released by the Pennsylvania Medical Society, which is a compilation of data from several government and non-government sources of information, shows that only 7.8% of the roughly 1,100 residents and fellows who complete their medical and surgical training in Pennsylvania each year are STAYING in Pennsylvania.
In 1990, more than half, 50.5% of residents and fellows stayed in Pennsylvania, beginning 30-40 year long careers taking care of PA citizens.
So as both Pennsylvania's citizens and doctors grow older, the percentage of PA doctors under the age of 35 is down to only 3.4% - in 1990, it was over 12%. PA's high medical liability premiums, low reimbursements and punitive atmosphere are forcing the next generation of PA doctor's to flee to other states - leaving PA's aging citizens with....what?
Sen. Santorum supports reasonable and fair medical liability reform. Mr. Casey has said that it's the doctors' fault for being so incompetent. Seems to me that it's Mr. CASEY who just doesn't get it....