Health reform opponents aren't giving up
SEATTLE - As health care reform continues moving through Congress, opponents of the legislation are still banding together to fight it - including here in Seattle.
At a Saturday rally, doctors were set to make their grievances known. It was a lackluster showing compared to other cities - but those who did show up had plenty to say.
Dr. Vann Schaffner of Spokane came to Seattle to fire up other physicians who are upset about, what they call, the "government takeover of health care."
"Right now, government already controls so much of medicine, and it's just to squeeze out private practice eventually," he said.
Schaffner and other doctors are concerned that the government will get between them and their patients.
Many at Saturday's rally said the focus in Congress should be to reduce medical lawsuits, revamp the insurance industry and cut back on bureaucracy.
They say the current plans should be scrapped - especially the version that talks about providing government-run medical insurance.
"Everyone who is logical realizes that the public option will eventually extinguish private insurance availability, because the government has deep pockets. They will win," said Jean Munday of Gig Harbor.
With the U.S. Senate beginning a full discussion, there's hope by this group that the reform process will move slowly and lead to more contentious town hall meetings, like the ones that took place over the summer.
"If we can get them to delay until Thanksgiving, they have to come home and hear the people again," Schaffner said. "Delay them until the Christmas break, same thing."
Protesters say they fear that the proposed legislation will lead to socialized medicine - and the government will quash patients' freedom to select their doctors and treatments.
"There's nothing that they're running right now that they're running well," says Tammy Harken of Bothell. "And it's just going to bankrupt our country."
With so much concern about health-care reform and so much skepticism about how it's being done, opponents say there could be more rallies against health-care reform in the weeks ahead.
At a Saturday rally, doctors were set to make their grievances known. It was a lackluster showing compared to other cities - but those who did show up had plenty to say.
Dr. Vann Schaffner of Spokane came to Seattle to fire up other physicians who are upset about, what they call, the "government takeover of health care."
"Right now, government already controls so much of medicine, and it's just to squeeze out private practice eventually," he said.
Schaffner and other doctors are concerned that the government will get between them and their patients.
Many at Saturday's rally said the focus in Congress should be to reduce medical lawsuits, revamp the insurance industry and cut back on bureaucracy.
They say the current plans should be scrapped - especially the version that talks about providing government-run medical insurance.
"Everyone who is logical realizes that the public option will eventually extinguish private insurance availability, because the government has deep pockets. They will win," said Jean Munday of Gig Harbor.
With the U.S. Senate beginning a full discussion, there's hope by this group that the reform process will move slowly and lead to more contentious town hall meetings, like the ones that took place over the summer.
"If we can get them to delay until Thanksgiving, they have to come home and hear the people again," Schaffner said. "Delay them until the Christmas break, same thing."
Protesters say they fear that the proposed legislation will lead to socialized medicine - and the government will quash patients' freedom to select their doctors and treatments.
"There's nothing that they're running right now that they're running well," says Tammy Harken of Bothell. "And it's just going to bankrupt our country."
With so much concern about health-care reform and so much skepticism about how it's being done, opponents say there could be more rallies against health-care reform in the weeks ahead.