Docs take issue with health care bill

The governing council of the Kane County Medical Society in consultation with its 339 physician members has, for the past six months, debated the various features of health care reform through meetings, seminars and personal communication.

As physicians caring for patients in your district, we have "front line" knowledge of the numerous problems of the delivery of medical care in our communities. Our conclusions are based on what is best for physicians and the patients we serve and not on any specific political ideology or party affiliation.

We applaud many of the features of HR 3200. We need essential health insurance reforms such as the elimination of pre-existing conditions in obtaining insurance, elimination of the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate and the significant attempt for universal coverage through existing private/commercial systems, to name a few.

However, the bill is flawed in many fundamental ways: the lack of meaningful medical liability reform, which is needed to control costs; concerns about the "Public Plan Option;" expansion of the Medicaid Program; and lack of physician ownership of hospitals.

While obtaining the goal of covering most everyone, there are many serious gaps and flaws in providing sufficient payment for reasonable medical services and controlling costs. Without effective methods to control costs, such an effective medical liability reform, and as the means to pay for the plan become too politically unbearable (increased taxes), our fear is that drastic budgetary restraints will be forced on physicians and our patents.

Paula Schmidt

Interim Executive Director

Kane County Medical Society

St. Charles