Study: Minnesota doctors prefer single-payer universal health system
by Carissa Wyant
Staff Writer
Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal
Monday, February 12, 2007
A new study by the University of Minnesota has found that most of the state’s physicians surveyed prefer a single-payer universal health insurance system.
The study, conducted by the University of Minnesota School of Public Health and the Universal Health Care Action Network-MN and published in the February issue of Minnesota Medicine, found that 63.4 percent of state physicians believe that a single-payer universal health insurance system would offer the best health care to the greatest number of people. According to a press release, almost 25 percent of Minnesota physicians thought health savings account systems were best, and 11.8 percent were in favor of managed care.
Dr. Charles Oberg, the study’s co-author and associate professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, commented, “Many doctors are becoming increasingly disappointed and frustrated with the health care system as it stands. Insurance hassles, heavy paperwork, and patients’ inability to get the care they need make it very problematic.”
The study also found that 71 percent of Minnesota doctors said they would accept a 10 percent reduction in fees for a “very significant” reduction in paperwork, and 63.8 percent favored physician payment under a salary system.
Researchers mailed surveys with questions on health care financing and medical practices to a random sample of 1,061 Minnesota physicians drawn from the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice. Thirty-nine percent of the surveys were completed and returned. Data was compiled and analyzed by the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.
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