Ah, the wonders of s…

Ah, the wonders of socialized medicine.

People with chronic illnesses are being shut out of doctors’ offices and complain that “cherry-picking” doctors are denying them a right to basic health care.

Emergency rooms and walk-in clinics don’t want to be used in lieu of a family doctor, so thousands of Windsorites languish in the twilight zone of needing a doctor’s care, but having to wait until their condition deteriorates enough to warrant a trip to the ER.

And some folks hold this up as a model to remake our heath care system after?

Edna Walkins, 71, who suffers from chronic lung disease, high blood pressure and diabetes, looked for a doctor for five years. Last month she heard a newly arrived physician was taking patients.

“I went to the office and the secretary asked me to fill out an application form. She was very friendly and I thought I was finally going to start getting treatment again,” said Walkins.

“But when I called a few days later she told me I was rejected. She said I had too many problems. Imagine that. Isn’t that why you go to see a doctor?”

Well, yeah, in the States at least.

Cherry picking by physicians raises the ire of many local physicians. Dr. David Paterson, president of the Essex County Medical Society, said until the way doctors are paid changes, it will continue.

“There’s no incentive for doctors to take complicated patients, when they can get the same money for an earache. I’m personally against patients filling out applications because every legitimate patient should be seen,” said Paterson. “There are ways to weed out drug seekers.”

Dr. John Rapin, president of the Ontario Medical Association, said while doctors have a duty to look after patients, many are overloaded and burned out.

“It’s a problem across the province. I work in ER and I see such patients all the time. It’s a very severe problem but there aren’t enough doctors.”

Where there is no incentive, there is no action. Simple as that. But is this legal, in a system that is supposedly for the patients?

Kathryn Clarke, with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, said there are no guidelines, moral obligations or law against physicians selectively choosing patients.

“Doctors generally want a balance of well and chronic patients and the unfortunate reality today is that they have to say no to some,” Clarke said.

Doctors have all the power in this system, and the patient has none. This is considered “compassionate”? When you pay your own way, you have the power. And when people shop around for where to spend their money, the competition that results generally lowers prices and increases quality.

(Psst, socialists. Communism failed for this very reason.)

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