Health consultants fill primary care void for wealthy patients

It is interesting to see that Ted Kennedy, longtime pursuer of a Nationalized healthcare system, decided to use his money and pay for care outside the system.

What a dumb idea!
There is NO shortage of Primary care physicians and Internists. There is a just a shortage of Internists and Primary care Physicians who are willing to work for nothing or work ad data entry clerks filling check boxes and drop down lists in EMRs. Most of the internists are working as hospitalists in crumbling community hospitals , delivering expensive care for the seriously neglected and the sick abandoned by our society. . I wish politicians are stripped off their right to free health care and made to wait in line and pay cash upfront at inflated rates or just be denied care basic care or experience the humiliation and frustration of denial of medical insurance for pre-existing illness or for just being slightly overweight. . I do not understand why politicians and those who work for government deserve and get better benefits than the soldiers who get hurt or even die fighting for our nation.

Mr. Bowman,

Your coverage of this phenomenon was much appreciated. It clearly demonstrates that health care in America is MANY markets, not one. Just as is true in the UK, Canada and other socialized health systems, those who can afford more or better access will have it. No need to whine about a naturally occuring market.

I was, however, MOST amused by your (inadvertant?)malaprop / Freudian slip where you made reference to "well-heAled patients" rather than "well-heeled." This may be one of the most clever or apt malaprops of all time! Thanks for making my day, as well as my wife's; she is a writing consultant who will use this example for years to come!

Bob Burleigh

Ted Kennedy: What is good for people is not good enough for him, or...say one thing, do another thing. This is especially disgusting since he is one of the foremost "fighters" for universal or even single payer health care. Sounds sooo nice in public speaches, doesn't it..
As soon as the sh*t hits the fan and it is his own health, he runs as fast he can to the most private and most capitalistic and most free market version of medicine.
Actions say more than words. Ted Kennedy has voted for free market health care with his feet!
He did not seek treatment at a VA health care center, where everybody is a federal employee, something that he has wished for every physician, no....
This is called "hypocrisy"