Marion Mass, M.D., wrote a piece  for The Philadelphia Inquirer headlined “A doctor’s perspective: Who stands for patients in the healthcare debate?” Among her observations:

“Take a look at the top lobbyist groups in America. Four are health-care related: Big insurance, Big Pharma, the American Hospital Association and the American Medical Association.

“The result of this lobbying is a phenomenon that can be summed up in two words: administrative glut.

“Since 1970, the number of physicians practicing in America has grown by roughly 200 percent. By contrast, the percentage growth of administrators in the same time period is over 3,000 percent. Healthcare spending per capita has grown by 2,300 percent over the same time period. ”

“The American people are the victims of a {healthcare} system so complex that even many practicing physicians have a hard time unraveling it. But they are certain that their patients’ needs are suffering. Your physician, the one delivering or caring for your children, the one who guides you through your twilight years, has little voice and less confidence in this establishment, mirroring the feelings of frustrated Americans

“There is hope.

“Dozens of grassroots physician groups are working for real reform. We are aligned together and actively collaborating, to find real solutions to heal our sick system.  United, we have a stronger voice to advocate for our patients. We see your suffering. It’s personal for us, because medicine is personal. You learn that the first time you interview a patient and lay your hands on them for examination.

“We believe reducing administrative glut and creating more choices of coverage are the two main components to increase quality access to care and reduce cost for all. The Health Rosetta Principles, formulated as a collaborative effort among entrepreneurs and visionaries in the healthcare space, covers the basic tenants of our proposed changes. A  specific, patient-centric representative plan has been developed by  the Docs4Patient Care Foundation.”

To read her entire essay, please hit this link.