Table 2 shows the characteristics of physicians in Congress from to Physicians served in Congress for a mean 9. The number of physicians in Congress at the beginning of each decade were 5 , 3 , 4 , 2 , 10 , and 8 are currently serving.
None served in both Houses of Congress. Physicians represented 17 states and territories, with Pennsylvania and Georgia having 3 representatives each, and Arkansas, Kentucky, Texas, and the Virgin Islands having 2 each. All physicians were graduates of allopathic medical schools. The lack of physicians in Congress between and is in sharp contrast with the first years of the United States. In , During that time 1st through 50th Congresses , 4. Physician representation is especially important in Congress, because funding for research and patient care as well as insurance coverage for tens of millions of US individuals enrolled in the Medicare and Medicaid programs is dependent on Constitutional authority.
The recent debates over Medicare reform and the prescription drug benefit highlight the need for physician leadership in discussions related to federal funding for health care. There are a number of possible explanations why, in comparison with their colleagues in other professions, few physicians enter public service as congressional members.
The first may be that there are fewer physicians than members of other professional occupations with higher representation in Congress. However, there were physicians working in the United States in Financial concerns may also influence the number of physicians in Congress. However, the mean income for US physicians is comparable with that of congressional salaries.
Additionally, for those specialties in which remuneration is quite high, adjusting to a lower salary may be seen as too much of a financial sacrifice. Physicians may feel that the demands of daily medical practice preclude them from exploring other career options while still devoting the necessary time and energy to quality care for patients. Another possible explanation may be the general decrease in professional morale among physicians, 23 precipitated by an increased workload, changes in practice driven by managed care and biotechnology, lower reimbursements, and increasing expectations from health care consumers.
Additionally, medical school and postgraduate training for US physicians is highly focused and patient-centered, whereas public service as an elected official is intrinsically population-based. The educational process for those individuals in business or law is generally broader and thus may be more encouraging of a wider range of career choices, such as political office.
Finally, physicians do not have a tradition of seeking elected office. In other professions, most notably law, there are many role models with proven records of congressional service.
Of the 8 physicians currently in Congress, 6 have previous political experience, 4 of whom were state senators. Our results suggest that such a tradition may not be necessary to retain physician congressional members, because physicians who serve in Congress have similar characteristics in terms of years of service and sex compared with their colleagues who enter Congress from other occupations.
A greater presence of physicians in Congress—with their specialized training and unique perspectives on health care—could potentially have a significant impact on health policy, especially if physicians reach positions of congressional leadership.
Leadership positions are especially important given that under congressional rules, committee and other leaders, such as the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader, play a significant role in determining the legislative agenda that reaches floor debate and voting.
Further research is necessary to explore the specific legislative activities of individual physicians in Congress. This research should include a policy analysis of health care—related issues based on sponsored legislation, commentary, and voting records.
However, analysis of voting records and speeches is, by its very nature, highly subjective. Often, health care legislation is attached to larger bills that address broad budgetary issues. An assumption of our research is that physicians who are members of Congress are in a unique position to influence policy and their medical training allows them to bring an expert perspective to many issues.
Additionally, we assume that, because of this training and expertise, it is important for physicians to be directly involved as lawmakers in the debates that shape these health-related issues, rather than merely reacting to the resulting legislative outcomes.
Corresponding Author: Thomas A. Author Contributions : Mr Kraus and Dr Suarez had full access to all of the data in the study and take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.
Study concept and design, analysis and interpretation of data, drafting of the manuscript, critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content, statistical analysis, and study supervision : Kraus, Suarez. Acknowledgment: We thank Jurek G. Grabowski, MPH, for his statistical assistance and insightful comments. Our website uses cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing to use our site, or clicking "Continue," you are agreeing to our Cookie Policy Continue.
Table 1. Table 2. Increased spending on health care: how much can the United States afford? Health Aff Millwood. US Census Bureau. The 65 years and over population, census brief. Accessed September 29, American Medical Association. Medical liability reform—NOW!
Weiss R. AZ Mark Green, M. TN Diana Harshbarger, Pharm. TN Ronny Jackson, M. TX John Joyce, M. IA Greg Murphy, M. NC Mike Simpson, D. NJ More about my medical background: As a kid, I grew up watching Medical Center and knew from an early age that I wanted to help others as a doctor when I grew up. Conversely, Senator Duckworth is very vocal on the issue but has yet to introduce a health-related bill this session.
Your browser is outdated. Upgrade to a modern browser to better experience this site. Your browser has turned off or is blocking Javascript. As the health care debate grows more and more complicated, we identified the lawmakers in Congress with career experience in the medical industry and diagnosed how they've contributed to the health care conversation.
There are 28 medical professionals in the th Congress Of the 28 medical professionals in Congress, 13 are physicians, 4 are dentists, 3 are veterinarians, 3 are psychologists, 2 are nurses, 1 is an optometrist, 1 is a physician assistant, and 1 is a pharmacist. Senator Cassidy, Rep.
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