Senator calls for more physician involvement in politics

WASHINGTON — Physicians must become involved in politics and play a role in reforming the U.S. health care system, said a physician and senator speaking here.

“I believe we need less government in health care,” said Sen. Tom Coburn, R.-Okla., who in addition to his duties in the Senate is also a practicing obstetrician. Sen. Coburn was a featured speaker here at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery meeting.

“For the health of this nation, you have to make a difference,” he told the audience.

The first-term senator said the medical community should be driving the reform of Medicare and Medicaid, rather than the reverse -- having changes in medical practice driven by government bureaucrats.

Sen. Coburn said physicians should be the ones outlining how best to achieve outcomes.

“Who knows about those things better than physicians? We need to decide that, not the government,” he said.

Sen. Coburn listed five goals physicians “need to insist on” in future negotiations regarding health care reform: an emphasis on prevention in health care, focusing on retention of health rather than treatment of disease; liability reform, to prevent the “negative drive on the economy” caused by the use of “defensive medicine”; real competition in the pharmaceutical industry; involvement of physicians in the determination of “best practices” rather than the government; and a return to individual responsibility of the physician in health care decisions.

Physicians should get involved in liability reform efforts, Sen. Coburn said. In 2001, physicians ordered $130 billion worth of tests solely to protect themselves from potential liability, not for medical reasons, he said.

Patients should also take an active role in their health care, he said, referring to health care savings accounts.

“We’re never going to solve this problem if you don’t become active with health care reform. We care most about patients and make a difference in people’s lives. It’s no longer possible for physicians not to participate in politics,” he said.