This came to me in an email today from one of my daughters-in-law. I went to the notated website and found it to be a viable site. I think we should be aware of what the government wants to do "for" us. I want to be able to trust my dr and to know he or she has the same ethics and conscience that I hope I do. I signed my name to this page and urge any of you to at least go there and see what they have to say.

April 2, 2009

An open letter to my Patients and Friends,

I wanted to alert you to a potential change that could have a big effect on how you are cared for by your doctor and the doctors in our and other offices. In December of 2008 government rules were put in place to protect physicians from either having to do something they don’t believe in or having to refer patients for something they don’t believe in. There is now a plan to do away with these rules. This would mean we would have to at least refer patients for something we don’t feel is ethical and violates our personal conscience (abortion, single women and birth control are the major issues).

If these rules are removed, our ability to act according to our personal conscience and ethics in caring for you is at risk. For us, that could begin the downhill path which would mean you couldn’t count on your doctor to protect you or a family member since the personal beliefs of your doctor that you know can’t be reflected in the care you get. If it starts with these issues, what is to prevent more changes in the future?

This is important enough that we, in our group, would have to stop practicing medicine, stop seeing patients where the government pays for health care (Medicare & Medicaid), or try finding a new way to be paid for caring for you.

If you can access the Internet, please go to www.freedom2care.org and click on the top where it says “Patients-comment here” to help us in this fight. This will lead you through a process where you can register your disagreement with the proposed changes via the Internet. If you don’t have the ability to use the Internet, ask us and we’ll provide you the information.

The time to do this is now as the government must hear from you and us by April 9, 2009. This issue is critical for the way we could care for you and still keep our own integrity. To protect the care you will receive in the future, please help us today.

Sincerely,

Dale E. Michels, MD, D-ABFM