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Photos by Glenn Triest
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Physician-patient group combats
the Clinton 'Fix' for health reform.
RUTH UTTIVIANN STAFF WRITER
C3P2 founder Dr. Paul Ehrmann will participate in "Dangerous Medicine," April 16th at
Stevenson High School in Livonia.
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overnment-run health care will
have a lot in common with the
U.S. Postal Service, says Dr. Ira
Mickelson, a Royal Oak obste-
trician-gynecologist.
"Medicine will become some-
thing provided to everybody,
with mediocre quality, long
waits, no smile. You don't get a
smile at the post office.
"Mailing letters is a right in
the United States that every-
body has at a reasonable cost,"
he said.
"The government is going to
run a medical post office for every-
one. You'll be able to go in, get a
throat culture and get out. We're
really going to lose an incredible
amount of personal care."
Dr. Mickelson's consterna-
tion led him to join C3P2 —
Community Coalition for Con-
cerned Physicians and Patients.
The grass-roots organization is
thought to be one of America's
few doctor-patient alliances
countering President Bill Clin-
ton's plan of health-care reform
and others similar to it.
C3P2's goal: To educate
the public about the pitfalls
of nationalized medicine, an
agenda, which, on its surface,
seems humanitarian — but
isn't, members say.
Supporters of nationalized
care claim that 37 to 39 million
U.S. citizens do not have health
coverage (a statistic C3P2 mem-
bers say doesn't reflect the num-
ber of people who opt against
purchasing it). To guarantee
health care for everyone, the
Clinton administration devel-
oped the Health Security Act.
The 1,342-page document out-
lines a method of providing
medical care for the entire pop-
ulace.
The plan would create "re-
gional alliances," large pur-
chasing cooperatives, through
which individuals and compa-
nies would buy insurance. Cov-
erage would become mandatory
and citizens would have to ob-
tain medical care from doctors
listed with a specific regional al-
liance. The plan includes penal-
ties — including jail time and
fines of up to $10,000 — for doc-
tors and patients who do not
comply.
It is still unclear how uni-
versal coverage would be fund-
ed — likely through higher
cigarette taxes, monies from
companies choosing to operate
their own programs, and
through employers who would
be responsible for 80 percent of
alliance premiums. (Workers
would have to pay for the re-
maining 20 percent.)
Although the Congressional
Budget Office projects that the
plan will be underfunded by $79
billion in its first six years of im-
plementation, President Clin-
ton has promised that it will
alleviate long-term financial
strain on the system. Ameri-
cans will ultimately save mon-
ey on health care, he says.
C3P2 members don't trust
the president's optimistic pre-
dictions. Advocating a free-mar-
ket approach to health care —
one that preserves citizens' abil-
ity to keep their favorite physi-
cians — they say the Clinton
plan is bound to pry patients
away from their family doctors,
reduce competition among
health professionals, hurt small
businesses and decrease the
quality of medical care.
"This plan has nothing to do
with medical care. It has every-
thing to do with government's
grab for power," said Dr. Paul
Ehrmann, a Royal Oak family
practitioner who cofounded
C3P2 last fall.
Not that Dr. Ehrmann's
group doesn't advocate change.
C3P2 members favor a reduc-
tion in red tape and paperwork
They would like to see health
care become more portable, less
expensive and available to all
Americans, despite pre-existing
conditions.
"But the question is, can we
trust the government to do it?
They can't even balance their
own budget," Dr. Ehrmann
said.
Ever since Dr. Ehrmann —
a 40-year-old osteopath and reg-
istered Republican — cofound-
ed C3P2 last October with
patients Mark and Cathy Your-
chock, the trio has met every
Monday at 5:30 a.m. to discuss
the group's mission. The time
commitment has paid off. C3P2
membership has grown to 240,
including 144 doctors. Dr.
Ehrmann has been featured in
a bevy of media: newspaper op-
ed columns, radio shows and
television programs.
"Our group has no special in-
terest," Dr. Ehrmann said.
`There's no political agenda. We
want to get what's best for the
patients and to allow the physi-
cians to practice medicine the
way he or she was trained dur-
ing residency. If anything, pa-
tients are our special interest."
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