Obama: Doctors are in it for the money

From his press conference:

We wanted to make sure that doctors are making decisions based on evidence, based on what works. That's not how it's happening right now. Doctors are forced to make decisions based on a fee payment schedule that's out there. So they're looking... if you come in with a sore throat or your child comes in with a sore throat, has repeated sore throats, a doctor may look at the reimbursement system and say to himself, "I'd make a lot more money if I took this kids tonsils out."

It’s hard to put a positive spin on what he just said though some have tried, pointing out that he said doctors are “forced” by the payment system to make non-evidence based decisions. Well, at the very least, then, he’s saying doctors are incapable of managing the conflicts of interest created by a fee for service system. That’s giving his remarks the benefit of the doubt. But that’s bad enough.

Well, never fear. Soon his panel of comparative effectiveness experts will free us all from our conflicts.

Additional blog reactions from Dr. Wes, Dinosaur and Buckeye Surgeon.

Update---Instapundit: "...a truly staggering degree of medical ignorance."