As an addendum to my soapbox from the previous vaccine post, I would like to add a few things. And by adding them, I realize I am toeing the line of murky waters in a current political debate. However, I think that my family has a unique perspective having been on both sides of this spectrum, and this is my opinion.
1) My husband is a physician. He gets paid by insurance companies. He has medical school loans to pay off which rival our mortgage payments, so we are certainly comfortable, but not living the high life as one immediately thinks when they think 'physician'. We rely on Medicare, Medicaid, BCBS, Aetna, United, etc, to pay his salary. Over the past few years, the reimbursements to physicians have decreased. For example, an office visit he used to bill $75 for is now being billed at $60. That decrease trickles over to surgeries, procedures, etc.... We feel the burden of the insurance companies and government cutting the payments to the physicians.
2) Because of the surgery our son had, we spent months and months paying off medical bills to physicians. M-O-N-T-H-S. We feel the burden of being the consumer purchasing health insurance. We have private insurance that costs about another mortgage payment each month, and it was not enough to cover the surgery with high deductibles and out of pocket expenses.
3) In addition, the malpractice insurance physicians are required to carry is astronomically expensive. It is the reason that many parts of the country don't have enough OB-GYNs. The risk of getting sued as a medical professional is very high whether or not the suit is justified. The expense of defense against any and every type of lawsuit gets passed on in the form of high malpractice premiums. AND in addition to that, the 'jury of your peers' is not a jury of medically trained professionals. Just people like you and I, often requiring attorneys to try to simplify medical justifications to those not experienced in making those decisions. Now, certainly malpractice happens and should be litigated accordingly, but the fear of unnecessary lawsuits is very real, and very expensive to physicians. Additionally there are many expensive (often unnecessary) tests ordered so doctors can protect themselves from potential future litigation, driving up the cost of healthcare.
4) Regarding vaccines, as long as the data linking vaccines to autism are weak, and vaccines are still strongly recommended by the AAP, it is in the patient's and physician's best interest to comply. The data supporting the safety of vaccines are much stronger. It is unfortunate that care is often determined with insurance companies in mind, but it is a reality for providers and consumers. Doctors won't get reimbursed for services not covered, and you will bear the burden of the bill. Thankfully, most pediatric vaccines are covered under routine care, and most pediatricians will tell you they are NOT a money-maker. Additionally, they are reimbursed quite poorly for routine preventive care. If it is something you are concerned about, then most offices have supporting documentation of their policies, procedures and justifications available to you. Certainly a good pediatrician will take the time to discuss options and outcomes with you, and your job as a consumer of healthcare is to find someone you are comfortable with. Someone who works with your needs, while following the guidelines. Finally, it is well-known that whatever the risk of vaccines, the risks of re-emergence of the diseases they prevent are far far greater.
5) You should not blindly do what your doctor says. But a good physician will discuss things with you and recommend treatments in a way that educates and comforts, rather than demands and dictates. The world of medicine is a complex one, to be sure. Most doctors, however, will tell you that however complex their world, the interest and well-being of the patient is by far the most important thing....and they swear an oath to protect that notion.
No one goes into medicine saying, "I want to be stuck in the middle of private insurance companies, pharmaceutical charges, government regulations, and patients who get their information from Wikipedia." But that is what happens, and those people who have spent 7+ years after college trying to learn how to take care of us, are victims.