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Med students get in the legislative game
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by Beth Mueller
Thursday, February 28, 2008
University of Wisconsin medical students sounded off in favor of universal health care at the state Capitol Wednesday, voicing their opinions to legislators face-to-face.
The group of 35 representatives from the UW chapter of the American Medical Students Association held a lunch where they heard legislators speak on the issue, later sitting in on individual meetings with legislators to urge support of the plan.
“We’re actually a very active group, and we feel very passionately that something needs to change,” said Leslie Bishop, a first-year medical student and coordinator of the event. “Wisconsin has been a leader in many other parts of health care, and we could be one of the first states to introduce a universal health care that could actually work.”
The plan the students advocated is dubbed “Healthy Wisconsin” and was first introduced to be included in the state budget before last summer’s lengthy budget negotiations. It was then removed, as it proved to be a “sticking point,” according to Rep. Chuck Benedict, D-Beloit.
Benedict added since then it has progressed through the Senate but “hasn’t gotten much air” in the Republican-controlled Assembly.
“As much as [the students] have every right to express their opinions at the state Capitol, they’re really tilting at windmills here,” Rep. Scott Suder, R-Abbottsford said. “We don’t have the money, the bill doesn’t have the statewide support, and it certainly doesn’t have the votes in the Legislature. The bill is dead this session.”
But according to Benedict and Suder, the legislation could see new life if the makeup of the Legislature changes dramatically for the next session.
“Healthy Wisconsin 2.0 might come up next term, and how far it will get in terms of it being taken seriously depends on how the elections go,” Benedict said.
However, the group of medical students did not expect immediate results. Instead, their goal was to raise awareness on the issue and to begin forming relationships with legislators for the next time the bill comes up, according to Bishop.
“We feel like our voices should be heard because we’re people that are going to be delivering this health care,” she said, adding the group would continue advocating the issue with op-eds and another lobby day in the future.
Suder said the Legislature does have the will to act on health care improvements, especially as it is likely to be an important issue for voters when the elections roll around.
“It just depends on whether we’re going to take a consumer-based, free-market approach, like some of us would do, or if we’re going to let the government take over health care,” Suder said.
However, Benedict said in the United States health care for every citizen should be a right, and government is the best mechanism to fund it.
The lunch that preceded the lobbying Wednesday took place at a church that also functions as a clinic for the uninsured, staffed by many UW medical students, according to Bishop.
“That’s something that’s really symbolic about why our chapter cares so much about this issue, because a lot of the students can see that among doctors our hands are really tied when people come into the offices and just don’t have the money to afford the care you want to give them,” Bishop said.
Anonymous (February 28, 2008 @ 5:25am):
This vocal minority of medical students does by far not represent the feelings of the rest of us.
The American Medical Student Association (AMSA) is a ultra-liberal medical student group which validates itself by associating with the American Medical Association (AMA). Neither group represents a significant portion of their respective purported constituents as both groups are "opt-in."
Both groups have difficulty attracting and maintaining members due to their objectionable political views that are not aligned with the mainstream in the medical community.
Anonymous (February 28, 2008 @ 6:55am):
5:25 is absolutely right. I know quite a few medical students from around the country and they all tell me that AMSA is the voice of the far left and does not represent the majority of the students present.
Anonymous (February 28, 2008 @ 8:18am):
AMSA isn't really the student arm of the AMA. The AMA has its own Medical Student Section (AMA-MSS).
And since when is universal health care "ultra-liberal?" Check out voicefortheuninsured.org.
Anonymous (February 28, 2008 @ 9:16am):
Maybe it would help if these students actually looked into universal health care in the long run. Sure it sounds great on paper to provide everyone with a means of health care. Universal health care (UHC) is only the next step in the Left's 12 step program to Socialism. Once UHC is established, if it ever is, not only will the cost of insurance greatly decrease. Now the hospitals need to charge less per visit and operation to be able to provide service for EVERYONE. What does this lead to?? Lower salaries for everyone in any health related position, from MD's to Janitors. I can't wait for these Med students retract their statements when they find out that 80% of the reason the entered the field in the first place, THE MONEY, is no longer promised to them. And if they are getting paid the same to perform heart surgeries as someone is to run a business, whose going to want to spend 12 years in school to make just as much money as someone who only went 4?? The incentive to excel is gone. Quality decreases..health care plummets. The only way to prevent this is through a consumer-based, free market approach.
Anonymous (February 28, 2008 @ 10:43am):
OMG SOCIALISM !1!!
Anonymous (February 28, 2008 @ 11:19am):
I hope readers of these comments will not be swayed by most of the previous comments and will instead look into the details of this bill.
Healthy Wisconsin is NOT a movement toward socialism. It does NOT make hospitals employees of the government. Healthy Wisconsin sets a bar of minimum requirements that health insurers will need to guarantee to their insured at an affordable price, regardless of preexisting conditions and job status. No more bankruptcies caused by health conditions. No more lapses in coverage when changing jobs.
HW offers secure coverage. It offers control and choice of which network plan is most beneficial to each individual. It requires responsibility, that everyone will pay a fair share.
Please read the details of this plan before allowing these other posters or myself to sway your opinion.
http://www.healthywisconsin.net/
Paige Hatcher (March 5, 2008 @ 3:10pm):
It's obvious that the first poster does not have any actual knowledge about AMSA or what it stands for considering that we have been seperated from the AMA for 40 years. AMSA is legitimate enough to have almost 70,000 members, and chapters on almost every medical school in the country.
Anonymous (March 5, 2008 @ 3:17pm):
Congratulations to these students for taking time out from the hardest training in professions to advocate for health care for all people regardless of their illness or financial means. As a society we rely on bright students to forgo the first 30 years of earning potential to spend the rest of their lives in service of others. I want my doctor to stand up for my family and my frieds to have acces to care. If money were everything, med students would go to lawschool which is easier to get into. Shame on those who condemn compassion and caring for your fellow man. By definition, a free market system cannot have compassion. Friedman would be the first to agree. Thank you students.
Anonymous (March 5, 2008 @ 8:15pm):
I am amazed to see that medical students still have the idealism! Where are the PHYSICIANS standing up for health care access issues? It sounds like this AMSA organization is doing its part to remind students why they went into medical school in the first place. I wonder where the AMA has been the past 20 years as 47 million people went without health care. Too little to late on their "media" campaign. Buying ads does not equal more access to health care folks!!!
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