Pew Poll – Public Says Phew! on Health Law

Phew (fyo̅o̅) interj. Used to express relief, fatigue, surprise, or disgust. phew (fjuː) interj. 1. an exclamation of relief, surprise, disbelief, weariness, etc.

Online Dictionary Definition

In two days, I’m giving a talk before the American Association of Physicians and Surgeons.   The Association is disgusted with the government and 3^rd party interference in the practice of medicine.

 Richard A. Schatz. MD. Of San Diego expresses this disgust in today’s (May 7) letters to the editor section of the Wall Street Journal:

“Bravo to Dr. Daniel F. Craviotto, Jr. for ‘A Doctor’s Declaration of Independence.  Like him I have witnessed the gradual erosion of the practice of medicine over my last 40 years as a physician.  We are the only profession where our workload consistently  goes up while our incomes go down predictably each year, slashed whimsically by the government and insurers because they can.”

Dr. Carviotto, by the way, in his April 29 WSJ piece, of government interference, concluded, "Now is the time for physicians to say enough is enough."

A Pew Poll, conducted from April 23 to April 27,  indicates the public at large shares the sentiment over government interference in health care.

·         80% say  there is “too much government interference.”

·         76% say government interference is “too expensive for the country.”

·         58% are against the government requirement that everybody must have insurance.

·         55% are opposed to the health law.

Scott Clement and Aaron Blake explain these public sentiments at greater length in the May 6 Washington Post,”Why ObamaCare Isn’t Getting Any More Popular – and Probably Won’t.”

Tweet: According to a Pew Poll, Americans have a Phew! attitude towards ObamaCare.  American physicians share this sentiment.