Wicomico County Doctors Endorse Andy Harris For Congress

By Drs. John Bartkovich and Vince Perrotta • November 2, 2008

On Thursday, we read with great dismay as a few local doctors misrepresented the views of Maryland Sen. Andy Harris and claimed Democrat Frank Kratovil was the better candidate when it comes to health care. Their reasoning was flawed and facts were misrepresented. There is no question Kratovil's plans for our health care system would be detrimental to patients, and the system at large.

Harris is not only a colleague, he knows a system of socialized medicine would spell the end of America's leadership in health care. As physicians, we know the economic hardship faced by our patients due to the rising cost of health care. Two primary factors in this continual escalation are endless, usually baseless, litigation by trial lawyers and state mandates on health insurers.

We need only look to see where trial lawyers are throwing their money in this election -- at Frank Kratovil -- to know doctors and their patients will receive no relief from unnecessary tests and procedures if Kratovil is elected to Congress. More litigation will only increase the cost of health care, while contributing nothing to the health of our patients.

We read baseless criticism of Harris' votes in the Maryland legislature. It is true Harris voted against mandating certain tests.

Why? The simple fact is almost every health insurer already covers these routine and necessary tests. However, every time the state mandates changes to coverage, the cost of health insurance rises. Why cause unnecessary cost increases when we are already receiving these benefits?

We read the ridiculous claims that America has a nearly Third World health care system. Do any of us really believe this? In the countries Kratovil and his supporters believe we should emulate, rationing of care is the norm. Patient choice has long gone by the wayside.

We are blessed with fine local hospitals. Just a short drive down the road we have Johns Hopkins, regarded as the finest medical facility in the world, and where Harris practices and teaches our next generation of physicians. When people think of excellence in health care, they think of great institutions like Hopkins, the Mayo Clinic, Sloan-Kettering, and the Cleveland Clinic. When was the last time you heard someone say they wanted to travel to Montreal or Berlin for top-flight medical care?

We cannot in good conscience advocate a system that strips away choice from our patients, rations their access to care and all but guarantees the systematic change of the world's leading health care system into a maze of bureaucracy and waiting lines. Why do a few of our colleagues?

We are forced to question their motives. While there is no question patient care would suffer under the schemes advocated by Kratovil, the doctors signing Thursday's op-ed are in a position to benefit from a system of socialized medicine. Perhaps some of us would benefit. That is not why we became doctors.

Our patients are and will continue to be our primary concern. That is why we firmly believe Harris will best serve us, our patients, our community and our nation as congressman.

Bartkovich and Perrotta write on behalf of the following doctors who are Wicomico County residents: Jason Arrington, Emerson Conrad, Ben Tacheron, Un Chin, Brion McCutcheon, David Sechler, Chris Pellegrino, David Schalk, Tom Brandon, Jim Skolka, Tom Kelly, Joseph Swartz, John Reilly, John Giustozzi, Nancy Tustin, Marvin Nielsen and Andrew Vennos.