Some ob-gyns in South Florida turn away overweight women

Robert Trinka (5/23/2011 at 11:14 AM)
Wendy, I don't disagree with your opinion on this discriminative practice, but welcome to the beginning stages of ObamaCare. As you know, there was no protection or concession offered to physicians to mitigate their medical liability under PPACA. Secondly, there will soon be over 50 million more patients from the uninsured and underinsured ranks all of whom will have comprehensive major medical insurance with most of the premium paid or subsidized by the Federal Government. All of these people will be looking for physicians on the day they get this essentially "free" coverage. There will not be an increased number of physicians available (studies indicate there will actually be fewer physicians), and the physicians who remain in practice will have to make difficult choices on the patients they will or won't treat. Most will start with the patients they have treated in the past and go from there until their capacity/calendar is full - there are only so many hours in the day. Whether the physicians choose their patients by weight, height, marital status, race/ethnicity, first-in-line, or whatever criteria; it will be their choice and there is really nothing anyone can do about it. Although I am not an advocate of any type of government run health care, if the Democrats had implemented a true universal care, European style system, physicians would be employed by the government (with hospitals and other facilities owned by the government). Under that type of system, the physicians must do what their job description calls for and there is little, if any, physician responsibility (or cost) for medical malpractice. All patient prejudice can be removed, and we all have to wait our turn on a fair and equal basis. Some get treated on time, others eventually get care, others are denied coverage for the specific treatment they need or want, and some die waiting their turn. Now that's fair.