USC Medical School Symposium on single payer

[CaPA Office Manager]

I had the surprise and delight at a healthcare symposium for medical
students, physicians and the lay public at the USC-Medical School held
Friday, February 22, 2008, chaired by the incomparable Sara Rogers,
Senator Sheila Kuehl's legislative consultant, entitled "Single Payer
Healthcare and the Practicing Physician: Fact vs. Fiction". Having
experienced a whitewash at a recent similar symposium at the UCLA
Medical School in which single payer was derided and ignored, I found
the medical students at USC savvy, informed and interested in their
futures. They are involved in both AMSA and California Student
Physicians for Healthcare Reform (C-SPHeRe).

Sara gave a brief, concise rundown of SB840 then turned the gathering
over to the moderator for a panel discussion with hardball questions
to Sara. The panel was composed of three individuals not enamored
with single payer: Donald H. Crane, J.D., President and CEO of the
California Association of Physician Groups, Tom LaGrelius, M.D., a
physician-owner entrepreneur of a concierge medicine enterprise, and
Eugene Strull, M.D., retired Kaiser hard core primary care physician
(joined in 1953), who asked the most difficult questions. Two USC
Medical School faculty were also aboard: Erin Quin, PhD, Associate
Dean and Kenneth Geller, M.D., also director of Pediatric
Otolaryngology at LA Children's Hospital.

Sara answered all the questions with a positive view and with the
skill and logic of a winner. Mr. Crane appeared won over and will
continue his dialogue with Sara in Sacramento. Dr. LaGrelius was not
threatened with loss of his venture as his participation in SB840 will
be voluntary. Dr. Strull and Kaiser also have options in terms of the
physician payment schema (capitation, fee-for-service, "salary"). The
underwriting would change, but Kaiser hospital reimbursement would be
funded by the new system.

Questions were then fielded from the audience. Issues such as
electronic health records (will be facilitated) and how Medicare parts
B and D will be incorporated in SB840 as these are essentially
privatized now (not clear whether B will be federally handled or
through SB840; D will cease to be a problem for seniors as medications
will come through the state system- no more premiums!).

As a member of the new LA-based CaPA chapter, we have a large order to
fill in our mission for single payer healthcare. With a growing
medical student and, hopefully, physician-in-training population in
support of our cause, I think the public will embrace the youngest
healthcare generation if and when they speak up for us all. They have
a credibility and render the hope and expectations above and beyond
what the older among us are attempting to communicate. We must pass
the baton now.

Jerome Helman, M.D.

[dpr...@aol.com]

Thank you for including me on this thread (sorry there are so many out there who have trouble using the delete key). As a long-time CMA "activist", I'm quite supportive of a single payer, so long as the proper incentives are built into it. Canada and England simply did not do it right, and those systems are in the process of imploding. There needs to be some level of "consumerism" in whatever system we evolve. Simply covering everything, for anyone, at any time will lead to debacles like recently in England where some poor woman was not able to access a cancer treatment and is trying to raise the $120,000 she will need for a year's supply (could there be some pharmaceutical company gouging going on here?) and she has been told that if she goes "outside the system" and pays for it herself, the government will not pay for anything else she needs. This system is lunacy and should not for a minute be considered as a role model for us. Hillary's system whereby a single payer will compete with private insurance is as close to a good solution as I've seen yet. Now, if I could only find a way to conclude that she has the best chance to beat McCain...
David Priver, MD
San Diego

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