This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in JAMA  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

The Case for a Single-Payer Approach

Jim McDermott, MD

JAMA. 1994;271(10):782-784.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

THROUGHOUT history, the medical profession has struggled in its conflict between belief and science. In the late 18th century, this struggle was exemplified by a religious adherence to Dr Benjamin Rush's theory that bleeding patients would restore health. The result of this mistaken belief—as opposed to proven hypothesis—was that George Washington is historically thought to have been bled to death therapeutically.

Two hundred years later, American medicine is still locked in its ambivalence between science and belief. But in 1993, the issue is health care system reform. In the debate emerging from the presentation of President Clinton's plan, the challenge for our profession will be whether it can move beyond time-honored mantras to examine objectively and scientifically the options with which it is presented.

THE NEED FOR CHANGE

Few would dispute the need for change. American physicians are the most dissatisfied and frustrated in the industrialized world.¹ Approximately 15% . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Footnotes
Representative McDermott (D, Wash) is a member of the House of Representatives and a physician. He serves on the Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health.

Reprint requests to Longworth House Office Bldg 1707, House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515 (Rep McDermott).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?