A Doc from Neenah Weighs in at the White House

You've heard or read this from me numerous times at this point but a Dr from Neenah was recently invited to the White House with 149 others to discuss health care reform with President Obama.

Two comments he made are what I'm most interested in pointing out.... here they are:

1) From Sarnecki’s viewpoint, it is a system fraught with inequity and "enormous waste." He said poor patients often are charged more than affluent people for the same procedures, and many doctors prescribe tests and procedures "that provide no value to the patient."

2)"I personally think a public option would be an important part of the bill," he said, "but it’s better to have a bill than no bill" if it means giving up the public option.


One poll I recently saw and posted a few weeks ago said that 60% plus of doctors favor the inclusion of a public plan. Docs are used to dealing with Medicare and Medicaid so its really telling that they are willing to add another government program and low reimbursement.

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Neenah orthopedist joins White House push for health care reform

By LARRY BIVINS • Gannett Washington Bureau • October 6, 2009
Published in the Oshkosh Northwestern


President Barack Obama’s campaign for health care reform has found a solid ally in Dr. Jan Sarnecki, a semi-retired orthopedic surgeon from Neenah.

Sarnecki was among the 150 doctors from around the country recruited to talk about health care reform Monday with Obama at the White House. Obama wants to revamp the nation’s expensive health care system to provide coverage for millions of uninsured Americans, strengthen the plans of those who are covered and prohibit insurers from denying coverage to people because of existing medical conditions.

Obama’s latest push with physicians comes as the Senate Finance Committee is trying to wrap up its version of a health care bill. So far, three House committees and one Senate committee have passed their own versions of a bill. Obama wants a bill to sign by year’s end.

"At this point, we’ve heard all the arguments on both sides of the aisle," Obama told the white-coat-clad doctors gathered in the Rose Garden. "But when you cut through the noise and all the distractions out there, I think what’s most telling is that some of the people who are most supportive of reform are the very medical professionals who know the system best."

From Sarnecki’s viewpoint, it is a system fraught with inequity and "enormous waste." He said poor patients often are charged more than affluent people for the same procedures, and many doctors prescribe tests and procedures "that provide no value to the patient."

Sarnecki recalled the case of one employee who was forced to file for bankruptcy after being notified he had taken his pregnant wife to the "wrong hospital" for emergency care. Sarnecki said the insurance company told the employee that the hospital was not on the company’s list of approved hospitals.

That is part of the experience Sarnecki said is at the heart of his support for a government-run "public option" insurance plan.

"I personally think a public option would be an important part of the bill," he said, "but it’s better to have a bill than no bill" if it means giving up the public option.

Sarnecki, who works at Fox Cities Community Clinic in Menasha, also participated in a teleconference last week with Rep. Steve Kagen, D-Appleton, that was organized by the Wisconsin arm of Organizing for America, Obama’s campaign operation.

"The idea is simply to try to get some momentum toward health care reform," Sarnecki said Monday. "The system we have is just not working well for a large number of people."

Sarnecki’s trip to Washington was coordinated by Doctors for America, a national group of more than 15,000 doctors. Among them is Sarnecki’s daughter, Meg Sarnecki, a family physician in Missoula, Mont.

Other groups that participated include the American Medical Association, the National Medical Association and the American College of Physicians.

Republicans have doctors who oppose Obama’s health care proposals. House Republican Leader John Boehner of Ohio said, "Members of the medical community - who deal with red tape day in and day out - rightly recognize that the Democrats’ government takeover would weaken the doctor-patient relationship that is so critical to making the right health care decisions."

Meanwhile, former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, a Republican and secretary of Health and Human Services during the George W. Bush administration, issued a joint statement with former Rep. Dick Gephardt, a Missouri Democrat, pointing to the urgency of passing health care reform.

"Failure to reach an agreement on health reform this year is not an acceptable option," said the statement posted on Politico’s Web site. "Inaction will only increase the burden of rapidly rising health care costs and care denied for millions of American families."