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A friend's daughter went to see a family practice doctor to ask for birth control. What she got was a lecture from a staunch Catholic doctor and a flat out refusal to prescribe. She then told the doctor that she has specifically told the receptionist that she was coming in to see the doctor for birth control. The doctor's response, too bad. She filed a complaint with the Texas Board of Medicine against the arrogant jerk.
A friend's daughter went to see a family practice doctor to ask for birth control. What she got was a lecture from a staunch Catholic doctor and a flat out refusal to prescribe. She then told the doctor that she has specifically told the receptionist that she was coming in to see the doctor for birth control. The doctor's response, too bad. She filed a complaint with the Texas Board of Medicine against the arrogant jerk.
What happened with that? I am very interested, as I work in a pedicatrics/adolescent practice, and we have docs as well who don't want to prescribe the pill for unmarried females.
private business, sure why not. you could always not shop there.
plus if you read the article, you will read that the doctor did not ask any of his patients how they voted.
Talk about spin!
Quote:
Originally Posted by lifelongMOgal
That's sad that it is all you can see. He is doing his patients no harm by allowing them to decide for themselves if they wish to seek treatment at his office. Frankly, I appreciate the honesty. I wish my doctors would do similarly. That way I would know if they were willing to treat me above and beyond the "guidelines" set by the government if my medical need would benefit from ignoring the mandated guidlines.
It is never bad to be a more informed consumer. And his patients are now more informed than they were before he posted his sign.
What a bunch of hooey! What if he's the only doc in town, or the only doc in town the patient's wonderful, fabulous, needs no changing insurance accepts?
Quote:
Originally Posted by monkeywrenching
the thing is, is that you did not have to tell the doctor that you voted for pbo. you could have said nothing at all and get the treatment needed.
also, in the article, the doctor does not ask you how you voted, just had it posted on his private business door.
Spin, spin, spin. Mental gymnastics, perfect 10!
Quote:
Originally Posted by lifelongMOgal
I understand what you are saying but the fact is he cannot question his patients directly about their voting habits and then deny treatment. Therefore it is still left up to the patient to either sit there, disgusted, but accept treatment anyway regardless of how they vote, or to find another urologist.
We have signs in my state on some business's doors that state "no weapons allowed". That is a declarative statement. However the letter of the law does not allow those signs to be enforced against individuals with a CCW license. Therefore, it is a useless sign. Offensive to those who are ardent 2nd Amendment supporters and many would rather walk then spend a dime in such a business; but, the sign worthless in the eye of the law just the same. And that is exactly the way I see this doctor's sign.
YMMV
See my previous comments.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lifelongMOgal
From the caregiver aspect agree. However this urologist has chosen a different road. Don't have to like it, don't have to agree with it, but it is neither unethical or illegal. I imagine that the staff in that office might feel uncomfortable too.
Yeah, they might feel very uncomfortable if they actually voted for Obama thinking this is a free country and your employment shouldn't depend on who you vote for!
Quote:
Originally Posted by 11thHour
Eh, more power to him. Don't like it? Don't go there. Everybody wins.
See my previous commnets.
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Originally Posted by LauraC
He's a urologist. I'm pretty sure he doesn't get any walk-in patients looking for check ups and that they are either repeat patients with follow up visits or they have to come to him via referral from a primary care physician. Over the last year, I have quizzed my doctors on their position on Obamacare and the National Healthcare Database. Haven't you?
What happened with that? I am very interested, as I work in a pedicatrics/adolescent practice, and we have docs as well who don't want to prescribe the pill for unmarried females.
It was only 3 months ago so her complaint is still open. I think it is okay if a doctor does not want to prescribe birth control but it is not okay for a doctor to lecture a patient regarding his/her religious views. Leave that out of the office.
It was only 3 months ago so her complaint is still open. I think it is okay if a doctor does not want to prescribe birth control but it is not okay for a doctor to lecture a patient regarding his/her religious views. Leave that out of the office.
Either way, the Texas Medical Board will do nothing about it as they have real problems to deal with ie physicians being accused of molesting patients or physicians accused of abusing drugs and performing surgery etc.
Either way, the Texas Medical Board will do nothing about it as they have real problems to deal with ie physicians being accused of molesting patients or physicians accused of abusing drugs and performing surgery etc.
Was that a bit of snark there az? The TMB is actually quite found of fining doctors for the slightest infractions.
A vast majority of them including two in my family.
What kind of medicine?
Didn't ask about your family. I could tell you all sorts of stuff about the physicians in my family...but I won't b/c having an MD doesn't mean you have common sense. Or the ability to run a business...
Actually you don't understand what I'm saying. The fact is he can ask patients about their voting habits and legally not accept them into his practice based on the medicolegal premise of Autonomy. If they are an established patient, the physician would have to agree to treat them for 30-60 days until they find a new physician otherwise he could be charged with abandonment. I understand why you are confused. Employers cannot legally discriminate against hiring people based on categories like race, religion, gender, age, nationality/country of origin etc. The physician is not an employer in this case. He is a provider and under the law he or she can refuse to accept patients under any circumstances. People make this assumption all the time and assume a physician is obligated to accept patients and cannot deny them service based on these principles. It's not the case. It seems harsh but that is the law. The exceptions to this apply to an emergent case or an emergency setting. For example, an emergency room physician cannot deny care to a patient based on their race. OR if an Obama supporter walked into the physician's office and was actively bleeding and in a critical condition and the physician said "Sorry I'm not treating her, she is an Obama supporter" and the patient dies on the spot or is severely injured as a result of his lack of care, he or she could lose their license. However, this particular case pertains to accepting new patients into a practice or discharging current patients from a practice who are not in a critical condition so this is a different situation and the physician is allowed to refuse to treat them based on poltical grounds.
What Pommy and I are discussing is the issue of Abandonment. A physician is not allowed to abandon patients already under his or her care. So for example, if an established patient was an Obama supporter and saw this sign and understood it to mean that he was telling them to leave his practice if they were an Obama supporter, this physician could have his license suspended based on Abandonment. It would be up to a state medical board to determine how that sign would be interpreted. I've served on a state medical board and I can assure you the sign would be interpreted in a way to benefit the patient. Physicians comprise of a state medical board so they wouldn't view this physician favorably knowing he is refusing to see patients based on political aspirations. They would likely reprimand him and have him remove the sign or suspend his license based on Abandonment. It doesn't matter if the patient communicates his or her political leaning to the physician. It only matters how the patient interprets the sign. If an established patient and an Obama supporter appears for her appointment, sees the sign and then leaves, the physician would be held responsible for abandonment and not being more clear.
The physician could get away with it if his sign said: "If you are a supporter of Obama, I will not accept you into my practice and you will need to find another physician. If you are an established patient and an Obama supporter, I will discharge you but agree to see you for 60 days until you find a new physician" His sign would have to be explicitly written that way for him to get away with it.
It ain't "abandonment" unless the docs patients aren't referred elsewhere or given time to seek out "other" care. A part of being able to "abandon" your "patient" is due to LACK of ability to pay for services rendered....this physician is just way ahead of the Obama HC game.
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