Well, it has happened,

Obama's Healthcare Reform is now law. Passage was not without the controversies of political favors and manipulation of constitutional rules. The effect on physicians and surgeons is unclear.

Money Magazine has an excellent summary of the effects for patients (Money, May 2010). This year's benefits include:

1. Adults with pre-existing conditions can get insurance through a temporary high risk pool with subsidized premiums.

2. Insurers can't deny coverage to children with pre-existing conditions. Young adults can stay on their parents insurance until age 26.

3. There are no more limits on lifetime benefits. Private plans must cover preventive services and immunizations without co-pays or deductibles.

4. Medicare beneficiaries get $250 for drugs when they hit the "doughnut hole" (in excess of $2830).

A summary of the reform effects on income levels follows:

1. Self-employed couple earning $85,000 will likely pay less for health coverage than today with subsidies.

2. Small business owners earning $130,000 will pay less when buying a small group plan.

3. Well off couple earning > $250,000 will have a progressive increase in insurance costs, beginning in 2013. By 2018, they will likely see a reduction in benefits, increasing out-of-pocket costs. Estimated cost increase is $800 per year.

4. Retired couples with an income of $95,000 get rebates of $250 for drug costs > $2830 and by 2020 there is no "dough nut" hole.

What Reform fails to fix is that when healthy people opt out of the mandatory insurance. Since the fine is so minimal, they will pay the fine and use the ER for care, it's cheaper. This limits the pool of healthy patients for insurance companies, who in turn will have to raise premiums to stay in business. Bad news for all.

The New England Journal of Medicine reports that most physicians will have to be salaried to make the system work.

Failure may require the "Public Option."


Submitted by
Dennis Weiland, MD FACS
Secretary/Treasurer

Chris Salvino, MD, FACS,

is running for congress in Arizona's 5th District. His first campaign meeting was titled "Retire Harry Mitchell."

Chris is a trauma surgeon at Banner Samaritan Hospital. He retired from the military as a Flight Surgeon. He has held many leadership positions and with the threat to private practice, decided to run.

He has developed a program named HELP. This is aimed to reduce healthcare costs. These include:

Step 1. Lawsuit abuse reform.

Step 2. Remove barriers to encourage health insurance competition.

Step 3. Require all healthcare providers to convert to the VA electronic medical records.

Step 4. A $500 tax deduction for healthy Americans who qualify and choose to participate in weight control.

Step 5. Reduce the time for generic drugs production from 20 years to 15 years.

If you would like to assist Dr. Salvino, he may be contacted at www.DrChrisForCongress.com or e-mail, chris@drchrisforcongress.com.


Submitted by
Dennis Weiland, MD FACS
Secretary/Treasurer

Please send us the business cards that sales representatives leave with your office staff!

Educational grants are getting harder to obtain and costs of putting together the annual meetings are increasing. We are relying more on exhibitor fees as a result. Sending the contact information in to us enables us to reach companies that may be overlooked.

Email, fax, or mail any and all cards to Joni Bowers:

email: jonib@azmedassn.org

fax: 602-288-5104

Mail: 810 W Bethany Home Road, Phoenix, AZ 85013