At the Colorado Health Insurance Insider, we’re big fans of a single-payer national health care system. We know that it would have quite an impact on our careers, but we believe it would be the best way to provide health care for everyone who needs it, without bankrupting people in the process. Turns out that more than 50% of doctors agree. 59% of docs support legislation to institute national health care, with some specialties supporting the idea even more strongly – 69% of emergency room doctors and 83% of psychiatrists now support national health care.
In 2002, just 49% of physicians supported national health care. So the tide is obviously turning, and national health care is no longer being seen as the wishful thinking of the cash-strapped, uninsured patient. Doctors have a pretty good perspective of how well the health care system is working, as they are on the front lines of taking care of patients and dealing with health insurance companies.
I’m curious about the 32% of physicians in the study who oppose national health care. I wonder where they work? Are they at fancy hospitals in wealthy suburbs where almost all of their patients have gold-plated health insurance? Are they in private practice where they only work with big-name health insurance carriers, and request payment up front from anyone without health insurance? I doubt they work in inner-city emergency rooms.
