Physicians Weigh In on Government Meddling in Medicine

A recent survey of physicians in Australia confirms that government policies that interfere with the medical decision making process has an impact on quality of care. Middlemen that make decisions based on cost containment goals, rather than concern for patients, interfere with patient access to treatments and physicians’ autonomy to put their knowledge, skill and specialized expertise into practice.

The survey of Australia’s hematologists, oncologists, immunologists, neurologists, rheumatologists, and endocrinologists found that only 2% of these physicians say patients can access innovative medicines without restrictions. Disturbingly, just 1% of them say health care decisions are completely directed by providers and patients. That explains why more than two thirds, 68%, of the Australian physicians surveyed have been unable to prescribe the best clinical option for their patients within the last year. In Australia, the government’s emphasis on managing health care costs comes at the expense of patient care.

Tying Medicare drug reimbursement for therapies used to treat cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and other serious chronic conditions to that of prices paid in select foreign countries, like Austraila, limits the medical decision-making of physicians and makes it harder for these patients to get the drugs they need to treat their disease. Patients win when they can access the medication, procedures and care recommended in the comprehensive treatment plan their physician tailors for them. Join with Patients and Providers United to keep patients and providers at the center of medical decision making.