Friday, March 19, 1999
Union for doctors dinner meeting topic
BY TIM BONFIELD
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Rather than try to sail a physician union past the rocky shoals of antitrust legal barriers, Cincinnati doctors and lawyers Thursday said changing the law would be better.
A packed dinner meeting of local doctors and lawyers that was hailed as a “unionization update” quickly turned into a pep rally for the 1999 version of “the Campbell bill,” a proposal introduced in Congress last year to give collective bargaining rights to self-employed doctors.
Last year, 87 of the 92 active orthopedic specialists in Greater Cincinnati made headlines by joining a national wave of doctors forming unions to give them clout in negotiations with managed-care health plans.
However, no other local specialists have signed on. And now the union that the orthopedists joined, the Federation of Physicians and Dentists, faces antitrust litigation in Delaware filed by the Department of Justice.
“The Campbell bill is the complete solution to your problems, but it is not the law of the moment,” said Myron Dale, an antitrust attorney with Frost & Jacobs.
While the American Medical Association (AMA) faces a turf battle of sorts with doctor unions, both camps support a bill called the Quality Health Care Coalition Act of 1999, to be introduced by U.S. Rep. Tom Campbell, R-Calif.
Said Dr. Walter Matern, a local surgeon and longtime leader in physician issues: “Most physicians, at least of my vintage, do not want to be part of a trade union. But organized medicine, the AMA, has dropped the ball on this issue.”
Most doctors in private practice are independent contractors, not employees of health plans. As such, antitrust laws prevent them from negotiating contracts as a group.
Jack Seddon, executive director of the Federation of Physicians and Dentists, told doctors that the union has won concessions from some health plans by acting as an agent that reviews contracts and offers to negotiate on behalf of individual doctors.
But Mr. Seddon, Mr. Dale and Dr. Matern agreed that this “messenger model” of union activity is weak in comparison to the rights doctors could gain through the Campbell bill.
City needs 7 cop-watchers
School board prayer banned
Smokers get many fuming on litter
Butts, nicotine products can sicken children, pets
No butts about it: Smoke make readers mad
Justin to stay put for appeals
Democrats reserve a place for Luken
Pregnant wife in prison
Strickland may seek DeWine's Senate seat
NAACP endorses direct election of mayor
Clermont mother of four found guilty of rape, assault
Grandchild's cancer puts life in perspective
What would you ask 'N Sync?
Women of the Year's contributions celebrated
Year later, Tigerlilies face down crash memories in Dallas
Chemist's family sues over death
Computer project chief likely to be fired
Murder charge follows new law
Union for doctors dinner meeting topic
Urban sprawl feared from plan
Veteran investigator helping search for Erica
At-risk children may get visits
Cincinnati sets up ethics group
Judge orders Elder Cafe to remain padlocked
Kindergartners talk about death
Maplewood offers mystery
Report says hospital quality here high
Return to torched school delayed
Sentencing postponed for reporter in Chiquita case
Silverton swimming pool to open, council decides
Students get raw lesson on drinking, drugs, driving
Sycamore keeps Jewish holidays
Technology on display at schools
TRISTATE DIGEST
Warsaw Avenue gets attention long absent
Well-heeled glued to TVs
Zoom town gets a boost
