THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE http://chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/perspective/article/0,2669,SAV-0104150424,FF.html
RX: CURING HEALTH CARE FROM THE TRAINING OF DOCTORS TO THE WAY MEDICATIONS ARE MARKETED TO THE HEART OF THE SYSTEM ITSELF, AMERICAN MEDICINE IS OVERDUE FOR REFORM CORPORATE ATTACK ON PILL PUSHING
By Bruce Japsen. Bruce Japsen is a Tribune staff reporter who covers health care. April 15, 2001
..."Detroit is outraged at pill pushers, drug marketing executives and pharmaceutical sales representatives GM says are wreaking financial havoc on its mammoth budget for health benefits."
"GM says drug sales strategies--from direct-to-consumer advertising on television to the showering of free meals and vacations on doctors--are pushing the company's drug costs up 20 percent a year to more than $1 billion."
"While such sales tactics have often raised concerns among medical ethicists and consumer groups, GM sees the issue from the bottom line.".... ~~~~~~~~~~
http://chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/perspective/article/0,2669,SAV-0104150425,FF.html
RX: CURING HEALTH CARE FROM THE TRAINING OF DOCTORS TO THE WAY MEDICATIONS ARE MARKETED TO THE HEART OF THE SYSTEM ITSELF, AMERICAN MEDICINE IS OVERDUE FOR REFORM BEDSIDE MANNER: WHAT HAPPENED?
By Charles Leroux. Charles Leroux is a Tribune staff reporter and senior writer. April 15, 2001
... "Medical practice, the care of patients, has been invaded by the money people," Wolf said. "Not only has medical practice and hospital care in the United States become commercialized, but, by extending the commercialization to the academic institutions as well, managed care also has made many physicians and surgeons employees of highly profitable businesses."
"The inherent flaw in this approach is that the physician's function includes treating the person, not just the disease . . . These physicians are more likely to see the patient as an organism with an interesting disease."... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/perspective/article/0,2669,SAV-0104150422,FF.html
RX: CURING HEALTH CARE FROM THE TRAINING OF DOCTORS TO THE WAY MEDICATIONS ARE MARKETED TO THE HEART OF THE SYSTEM ITSELF, AMERICAN MEDICINE IS OVERDUE FOR REFORM A REFORMER CALLS FOR A NEW SYSTEM
By Peter Gorner. Peter Gorner is a Tribune staff reporter who covers science. April 15, 2001
....... "Health insurance is the all-American shell game," says George Lundberg [former editor, JAMA]
"Managed care is dead," says Lundberg firmly.
"It's only a matter of time. We have to take care of the corpse without its smelling everything up, an unembalmed body decomposes, but we must come up with something else, something better, before the entire system collapses."
"The beginning of my plan is mandatory health insurance for all Americans, not voluntary. Everyone has to have basic health insurance, or else it all comes apart."
-- Marta Russell