ALI'S DISCOVERY

-A PROJECT OF THE TIDES CENTER-

 

Are You Unsure About President Obama's Healthcare Proposal or the Public Option? Read this Article to from the November 10, 2009 Philadelphia Inquirer to See Where Dr. John Maris Stands.

Politics aside, doctors universally fed up with insurers

By Marie McCullough

Inquirer Staff Writer

U.S. physicians are torn over what the government should do to make health care more available and affordable, but they're surprisingly like-minded about one perceived scourge - the insurance industry.

As the U.S. Senate considers the health-care bill that narrowly passed the House over the weekend, polls and pundits have tried to gauge doctors' support for change.

The most up-to-date national survey of physicians, published in September in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that most favored expanding health coverage to the uninsured through a government-sponsored program - the so-called public option. The House bill included this choice for needy individuals and small businesses, but it faces tough opposition in the Senate.

Another survey, published last month in the same journal, found 70 percent of Massachusetts doctors support that state's three-year-old reform law, which increased public options, and created a government-regulated health insurance exchange.

But polls are tricky. Doctors' views depend on what they're asked, who is asking, and when. And polls may not gauge how hot-button health issues such as abortion and malpractice trump support for more coverage.

One opinion, however, is heard again and again, regardless of physicians' politics, specialty, or income:

"My colleagues and I spend an inordinate amount of time on the phone arguing with insurance companies for therapies we know are right. It's reached a breaking point," said John Maris, chief of the oncology division at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

"I'd take less salary if I could have less paperwork and less fighting with insurance companies to get what my patients need," said Nicholas A. DiNubile, a Havertown-based knee surgeon and sports medicine expert with Premier Orthopedics, one of Pennsylvania's biggest orthopedic practices.

Although these two physicians sound like echoes when it comes to insurance companies, they disagree about reform. DiNubile opposes a public option, while Maris supports it.

Indeed, Maris was among 150 physicians who formed a white-coated White House backdrop last month as President Obama promoted his vision, which includes expanding publicly funded coverage.

Surveys aim to get beyond such symbolism, but some ask questions that are philosophical or theoretical, making the results hard to interpret.

In September, for example, the New England Journal published a survey of a sample of American Medical Association members in which a majority agreed that physicians "are obligated to care for the uninsured or underinsured." What does that mean in practical terms? The survey didn't ask.

In 2007 - well before Obama was in the White House - a survey of a sample of AMA members found that "in principle," 59 percent supported replacing the whole U.S. health insurance system with a single public plan like Medicare.

Yet a single national public plan was the least favored approach - just 10 percent of doctors endorsed it - in the survey conducted this year. Of the 5,100 AMA members queried by researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, 63 percent supported a combination of public and commercial options. The remaining 27 percent wanted only commercial options.

The researchers said this strong support for a public-commercial combo - which was consistent across specialties, practice locations, and demographic subgroups - "should be carefully considered by lawmakers as they finalize legislation."

Unless, that is, those lawmakers don't think the AMA is a good barometer. As physicians Elizabeth Lee Vliet and Richard Amerling have pointed out, only 17 percent of U.S. doctors belong to the AMA.

In a recent op-ed, Vliet and Amerling cited an unspecified poll result that 66 percent of physicians oppose congressional proposals for government-sponsored health care.

The AMA itself came out in support of the House bill. But yesterday, some prominent AMA members were pushing to rescind that backing because the bill doesn't address matters such as malpractice reform.

In any case, doctors' disenchantment with the insurance industry seems to transcend all other views. They decry health plans for restricting and denying care, interfering in medical decisions, and imposing administrative burdens.

"The enemy is the insurance companies," said Sean Green, a family physician in Ardmore. "They're in business, and their business is making money."

David Asch, a physician and professor of health-care economics at the University of Pennsylvania, described a study that found most physicians willing to switch to a slightly less effective cancer screening test to reduce costs - but only if they thought the savings would lower patients' premiums.

"Physicians who thought the money went to insurance companies were less in favor of the cheaper test," Asch said.

Clearly, what physicians think is influenced by their frustrations and fears. The House Republican Doctors' Caucus, made up of former medical professionals, warns that expanding public insurance options would result in decreased access, interference, more red tape - pretty much the same things that doctors blame on commercial insurers.

Arnold S. Relman, a professor emeritus of medicine at Harvard University, believes the fundamental problem with the current system is that doctors have a financial incentive to over-prescribe tests, procedures, and visits because doing so increases their income.

Many physicians would not disagree. Green, for one, lamented that medicine has become "a volume business."

"Having insurance seems to drive up the cost of care," Green said. "Patients come into the office or call for every little thing. I'm a poor businessman, because I discourage my patients from coming to see me for every little cold, headache, or back pain."

As for fixing the mess, well, that wasn't covered in medical school.

"I'm not an expert in health-care economics," Maris said. "The status quo is no longer acceptable. We need to be creative. I leave it to my colleagues to figure out the details."

The devil is in those details, says Jacob S. Hacker, a Yale University political-science professor (Ph.D., not M.D.).

"This is the Catch-22 of health-care reform," he wrote in a 2007 opinion piece in the New England Journal. "It is the very failings of our insurance system that make dealing with those failings so devilishly hard."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 Our angel left us on August 11, 2007, but she will forever be in our hearts

"Shadows are fallin'
and I'm runnin' out of breath
keep me in your heart for awhile

If I leave you
it doesn't mean I love you any less
keep me in your heart for a while

When you get up in the mornin'
and you see that crazy sun
keep me in your heart for awhile

There's a train leavin' nightly
called when all is said and done
keep me in your heart for awhile

Sha-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-lo
Keep me in your heart for awhile
Sha-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-lo
Keep me in your heart for awhile

Sometimes when you're doin'
simple things around the house
maybe you'll think of me and smile
you know I'm tied to you
like the buttons on your blouse
keep me in your heart for awhile

Hold me in your thoughts
take me to your dreams
touch me as I fall into view
and when the winter comes
keep the fires lit
and I'll be right next to you

Engine driver's headed north
to Pleasant Street
keep me in your heart for awhile
these wheels keep turnin
but they're runnin out of steam
keep me in your heart for awhile

Sha-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-lo
Keep me in your heart for awhile
Sha-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-lo
Keep me in your heart for awhile

Keep me in your heart for awhile..."

-Warren Zevon

What's New:

Dr. John Maris, Ali's oncologist, has made yet another major breakthrough in childhood cancer research. The work of Dr. Maris and his team has yielded more results in the past thirteen months than the previous twenty years combined. Below is the link to the front-page, July 29, 2009 Philadelphia Inquirer story regarding this thrilling news of Dr. Maris' discovery and the subsequent initiation of a promising drug trial. If you are on this site, you care about curing pediatric cancer; this is a must read for everyone who cares.

CHOP Researchers Get a Lead on Neuroblastoma

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Parkway Run: Ali's Discovery met the challenge of the Parkway and we, along with more than 6,000 others, helped to raise funds for pediatric cancer research at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

While the total figures are not yet available, we do know that this year's event surpassed all others, which to date had raised $1.8 million.  Congratulations to Caitlin Driscoll, who handily won her division (and several side wagers).  Also, amongst the throng of runners from Cohasset, MA, Tim (Burny) Burnieika crushed the field, easly winning that group with a pace of 6 minute miles.  Great job and thank you to all who showed up!

 

 

 

 

 

Please take a moment to read an article that appeared on the front page of the May 8, 2008 Philadelphia Inquirer (A Clue On A Rare Cancer) regarding John Maris, Ali's oncologist. It outlines his major breakthrough in researching the genetic basis for Neuroblastoma, a pediatric cancer. This story exemplifies why we are doing what we are doing. With the continuing cuts in government funding for such projects, it is imperative that we fill the void and empower Dr. Maris and others to research and, some day, discover the cure.

Ali's Discovery Inaugural Golf Outing was held on May 5, 2008 at the Metedeconk National Golf Club in Jackson, NJ. The day could not have gone better: turnout was great, the weather perfect and the course spectacular. Most importantly, we commenced our effort to make real Ali's dream of curing childhood cancer. As was obvious to anyone who was there, Marianne Driscoll did 99% of the work to make this day happen and deserves all the credit for it being such a phenomenal success. Utilizing the same skills that have enabled him to have a long and accomplished career as a salesman and manager at Morgan Stanley, Tom Driscoll recruited more foursomes and contributors than we ever could have hoped for. Same goes for Jude, who came up big as he always does on game day, by spreading the word, signing up groups and contributing so generously to the auction. Tom King proved he is still the most bighearted guy on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange by showing up for the 19th hole and buying almost the entire live auction. Adam Whitman also made a great showing at the auction and has offered bowling instruction to those needing it for the next event; it's true, he has an alley in his basement. And how about Tim Burnieika's performance as auctioneer? He had only days to prepare and pulled it off like a pro. For those who did not attend, at the event we recognized three very special people for their kindness and support: our hosts Howie Hubler and Chris Garavente, and great benefactor and friend Drew Milstein. You guys are the best.

 

Please view the Events page for photos and some highlights of the day.

The mission of Ali's Discovery is to eliminate childhood cancer through pioneering research, advocacy and education.

Ali's Discovery sees a world without childhood cancer. To achieve this goal, Ali's Discovery sustains both public and private research efforts through fundraising projects, and collaboration to help provide leadership in supporting new and innovative research investigations. Ali's Discovery is dedicated to translating the latest scientific breakthroughs into effective treatment and prevention strategies to improve the quality of life for all children. This scrupulous effort will continue until current and future advances in cancer treatment and prevention generates a new generation of children and adults free from cancer.

Why:

An estimated 15,800 children and young people will be diagnosed with cancer in the United States in 2007.

Each and every school day 46 children, or more than two full classrooms of kids, will be diagnosed with cancer.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in children under 15.

One of every 330 people in the United States will develop cancer before their 20th birthday.

The median age of cancer diagnosis in children is six meaning that an entire lifetime is at risk.

The causes of most childhood cancers are unknown. At present, childhood cancer cannot be prevented.

Childhood cancer cuts across all social, economic and ethnic differences.

Despite the advances in early detection and treatment, only two thirds of children diagnosed with cancer survive. Even though the majority of children's leukemias are now curable, mortality is still substantial among children with solid tumors. Equally troubling is that the fact that increased survival rates are the result of much more toxic chemotherapy treatments. The long term effects of this remain largely unknown, but early research has shown them to be ominous.

When you compare the federal research support allocated to each patient affiliated with AIDS, a child diagnosed with cancer is getting only one-sixth of it for every year of life saved. For every dollar spent on a patient with prostate cancer, less than 20 cents is spent on a child with cancer. Likewise a patient with breast cancer has triple the research resource allocated to her when compared to a child.

Knowledge about cancer can relieve anxiety, build trust, and streamline health-care delivery. However, information about treatment options, current and long-term follow up results are not easily available for pediatric patients, their parents, health-care professionals, insurance companies and the general public.

Survivors of childhood cancer can lead productive and fulfilling lives.