Must See Video: Surgeons Going Galt

This is a bit lengthy, but it’s definitely worth watching and sharing. Daniel Cox, MD narrates Going Galt: When Will Doctors Say Enough is Enough?

Cox begins by telling us that he and some of his peers are concerned about their ability to provide quality care once the full effects of Obamacare take hold. He asks how much more abuse surgeons will take before they say “enough is enough.” He explains the meaning of the phrase “Going Galt.” (Spoiler alert – if you haven’t yet read Atlas Shrugged you may want to skip over that part and the next few sentences.) To those unfamiliar with Atlas Shrugged, the character John Galt was an engineer who decided to withdraw his talents from a collectivist society. He convinced the best producers to join him and they watched as the society collapsed without the producers who are the engines of the economy. Cox then introduced the character Dr. Thomas Hendricks, a neurosurgeon. (The Other McCain took the time to post screen shots of the slides quoting Dr. Hendricks.)

A few points to take away:

-What will happen when there are no doctors to provide the care?
-How will they recruit future physicians and surgeons?
-A recent survey shows that 40% of surgeons are burnt out and 30% are positive for depression. Under Obamacare that will most likely get worse.
-”It’s not doctors who decide who will live and who will die, it’s politicians.”
-Not a single surgical association supported Obamacare.
-Tort reform was left out of Obamacare.
-”It’s time for the trial lawyers and the politicians they buy to discover the kind of doctors that their system will produce.”

Cox’s narrative is pretty dry, but make sure you watch until the end and get out your tissues for the last three minutes if you cry easily. Very moving.

Going Galt: When Will Surgeons Say Enough is Enough? from Daniel Cox on Vimeo.

Just a few of my personal observations on this topic:

Too many of us have been convinced that we are not responsible for the cost of our own health care. Health insurance has gone from coverage for catastrophic illnesses and injuries, to covering everything from erectile dysfunction to birth control. I pay for auto insurance but I don’t expect it will cover my tire rotations or brake jobs. I pay for homeowners insurance but I don’t believe lawn care should be covered. And people wonder why health insurance is so expensive?

One of the kids on my son’s baseball team has two orthopedic surgeons for parents. They’re very nice people. Somehow the father finds time to help coach the team and the mother makes it to every game. Both wear scrubs because they come straight from the hospital. I was talking to the mother not long ago and she was exhausted. She had been on call the weekend of Mothers Day. Since it snowed that weekend there were quite a few accidents in the area and she spent the weekend at the hospital performing surgeries. She didn’t see her family until the evening on Mothers Day. She was back in the office on Monday and was on call again a few nights the following week. She wasn’t whining or complaining, it was more matter-of-fact. I guess that’s the kind of schedule they’re used to. That’s what I call dedication.

Shortly after Mr. LC and I got married he blew out a disc in his lower back. It was so bad that the disc material was lodged up against his spinal cord. I asked around and found the best neurosurgeon in our area and he had the surgery right away. He was only out of work for about five or six weeks – and he does home remodeling. That’s hardly a light duty job. It’s been at least ten years and he’s still working. By going to the best neurosurgeon in town he had a result better than most I’ve seen in my long career in the workers’ compensation industry. Granted, he had incentive to return to work because he didn’t file a comp claim. But still, I’ve reviewed enough medical records to know a good result when I see one. Once health care is “free” for everyone will we continue seeing good results? I tend to think the answer is “no.”

Tags: Dr. Daniel Cox, Dr. Thomas Hendricks, Going Galt, John Galt, obamacare, politicians, tort reform, trial lawyers, video