Psychology: How many totally >independent medical doctors do you see today?

I have had great relations with docs. I have had a few crummy ones. Some will not tolerate disagreement or questioning of their stance on problems. Some,especially the mediocre or less can be very arrogant and peevish in an HMO setting where they feel they are competent because the appointment desk overbooks them. It was not until after WW II that doctors became important and when they merged with medical corporations they found a way to roll in the money big time. But they have lost status with the HMOs.

I have a independent urologist, I remember when he was a young man now become older and close to retirement. I like him and I talk candidly about my thoughts about greed in medicine and he agrees. He accepts insurance but he is or rather his type is becoming extinct. If you see the Michael Moore DVD Sicko you get a feel for our medicine vis a vis other countries. In France, a doc drives around in an economy car all day making house calls and he is paid and promoted on the basis of how many patients he treats successfully. Today, a doc treats you and if he screws up, well you do not get a refund. He keeps the money even if he kills you.

There are docs who will only serve the rich. That is our medicine. Unfortunately, American medicine depends so much on politics. At one time, everyone qualified for medical care here in California but the docs boycotted the poor because they did not get enough money. We are beginning to keep tabs on the docs, records of malpractice available to patients shopping for a good doc. For example, when a diabetic first becomes diagnosed it is not judicious to pick any doctor without looking into their experience. The ADA should keep records of experience of doctors who treat diabetics. Some docs know very little but it is not written on their forehead just how much experience they have with diabetics, so we should have some kind of listing where we can see how much ability a doc has. We can't rely on appearances such as their looks and smile. Some people are great monkey shine artists.

As in any profession, there are those who will serve the poor and those who will not. Just as in the auto industry that refuses to produce good cars, there are docs who keep medicine backwards and Americans have fallen very far backwards if we compare it with most nations in the world. Clinging to intransigent corruption much like General Motors it too is on its way toward the ground. American medicine oscillates like a manic depressive. If Republicans are in, then private companies fleece the life blood of patients and when the Democrats are in, the poor have a better chance of living. These moods are not good and they are much like a mental patient suffering from shifting spells of hope and despair. Like our bgs, this yoyo or merry go round needs to be stabilized into harmony.