Capitol Hill House Call

" An army of doctors taking their concerns about health care reform to Capitol Hill. Yesterday ahead of president Obama's address to congress tonight. Doctors made the rounds of all 100 senate offices delivering a petition from -- dot com an online social sites for physicians. The petition is signed by more than 10000 doctors from across the country. Who say the government is listening more to special interest groups than to physicians and that doctors need to play a bigger role in health care reform. Well joining us right now doctor Halifax who organized the petition and delivered copies to the Senate offices. Along with several other doctors including doctor ray Wilson rheumatologist who also signed the petition thank you both for joining us. Thank you for having doctor Palestine what exactly is in this US physicians appeal."

" The physicians appeal as an appeal signed by over 10000 physicians on -- And includes the four key elements that the doctors and -- feel are necessary for meaningful health care reform. They are first and foremost malpractice and tort reform. Second is that transparency and billing which is to save getting rid of the proprietary AMA billing codes. The third as meaningful insurance reform in the fourth this coming up with -- less complex more rational way of calculating physician compensation. Doctor Wilson that's -- that does tort reform issue your group I understand feels that special interest groups such trial lawyers in particular. Have more say than doctors. We I think it's it's fairly stunning. Here Howard Dean admit that the tort reform of left off the table because. That the authors didn't wanna deal with the trial lawyers. It's a very small group of people with having huge influence on. This this reform bill. And the cost of defensive medicine is absolutely enormous everyday Americans doctor Palestine tort reform is one of those legal terms that sounds vague too many people explain specifically what you feel has to change. Here. Several dot com is an online physician community we have about a 100000 physicians. Been around for about three years now. What happens is that physicians log on and share information with one another and in doing so improve the care that they can get their patience. Well we've been seeing increasingly ended the months and years leading up to the health care reform debate the physicians -- sermon or talking about. The critical things that allow them to provide best possible care while holding down costs and tort reform which is the ability to deal with these. Frivolous lawsuits. That physicians have to deal with is increasingly a problem. The problems twofold one is that without any restrictions or balances on the types of lawsuits that patients can bring against physicians and health care system. It creates a huge cost. In terms of malpractice premiums. But also leads to tremendous number of unnecessary. Tests and procedures that doctors and patients all agree. Aren't necessary to provide the best possible care. But get done simply because limiting the amount pride limiting their malpractice risk the risk of being sued. All right we're gonna have to leave it there unfortunately doctor Daniel Palestine and doctor ray Wilson thank you both for joining us. --"