Are you a doctor? A specialist, perhaps? A surgeon? If you are, there's a seminar for you, taking place on January 31st in Kentucky.
The American Association of Physicians and Surgeons is sponsoring a seminar in how you and your colleagues can "Keep Obamacare out of your office in 2014". For the low, low price of $99 for members, you can attend seminars on topics like "Free Market Alternatives to ObamaCare" and the Physicians [sic] Declaration of Independence.
You can learn all about how the AAPS is fighting to stop maintenance requirements on specialty certifications, delivered by none other than Andrew Schlafly. The DC Update will be delivered by Charlie Sauer, a self-proclaimed economist and former staffer for Jeb Bush and Chuck Grassley, who now heads up an organization called The Market Institute.
Congressional candidate speakers include tea party challenger in KY-3, Dr. Michael MacFarlane and Dr. Alieta Eck from NJ-12.
More conference highlights will be delivered by Ayn Rand acolytes Josh Umbehr, MD, who runs Atlas MD Family Practice, and Mark Schiller, MD, who runs the Mind Therapy Clinic in the San Francisco area.
Students of the history of health care policy in the United States know that doctors and in particular, specialists, have long opposed any attempt to broaden access to health care. You might recall the AMA's opposition to Medicare as well as their more recent opposition to the Clinton health care plan.
It comes as no great surprise, then, to find the AAPS standing in opposition to any attempt to moderate health cost growth and broaden access. But they have help, too. Ron and Rand Paul are both members, along with the Schlafly connections.
Dr. Mark Schiller is co-founder of the very astroturf-y Doctors and Patients Association and a fellow at the Pacific Research Institute, which is part of the State Policy and Koch networks.
It's laughable to see such a pathetic effort on the part of anyone to undermine the good the ACA is doing, especially in Kentucky. But when you consider that these are doctors, and they're marketing to doctors -- those very same professionals who have made a commitment to care for people -- the laughter dies and anger rises.
When you hear about doctors opting out of physician networks under the ACA, remember these people and ask yourselves whether you want a profit-centered doctor or a patient-centered doctor on your health care team.
