Article archive / January 2017
Originally published: . Volume 8, No. 1. Source pages: 5.
President-elect Donald Trump's choice of Rep. Tom Price, to head the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is dividing doctors, reports a Medscape review by Robert Lowes in December.
Some greet the pick of Price, who is a medical doctor, and chair of the House Budget Committee, “as a guardian of the physician-patient relationship and an opponent of burdensome government regulations.”
Others are concerned, says the report, that “the orthopedic surgeon will reduce access to healthcare by helping his party repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). They also fear that he will restrict abortion rights and turn his back on the needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community.”
Results from a study of over 1000 physicians, through an online survey conducted by the firm Merritt Hawkins, show that 46% generally feel positive about Dr Price, said Medscape.
However, 42% lean negative, and 12% are neutral.
“Although this support of Dr Price slightly outweighs opposition, 47% of physicians said that, if confirmed, he would detract from the ability of patients to obtain access to quality care compared with 42% who believe the opposite.”
Regarding physician well- being 46% percent said medical-practice conditions would improve with Dr. Price at the helm of HHS, while 34% said it would be worse.
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