I swear to fulfill, to the best of my ability and judgment, this covenant:

I will respect the hard-won scientific gains of those physicians in whose steps I walk, and gladly share such knowledge as is mine with those who are to follow.

I will apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures [that] are required, avoiding those twin traps of overtreatment and therapeutic nihilism.

I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon's knife or the chemist's drug.

I will not be ashamed to say "I know not," nor will I fail to call in my colleagues when the skills of another are needed for a patient's recovery.

I will respect the privacy of my patients, for their problems are not disclosed to me that the world may know. Most especially must I tread with care in matters of life and death. If it is given me to save a life, all thanks. But it may also be within my power to take a life; this awesome responsibility must be faced with great humbleness and awareness of my own frailty. Above all, I must not play at God.

I will remember that I do not treat a fever chart, a cancerous growth, but a sick human being, whose illness may affect the person's family and economic stability. My responsibility includes these related problems, if I am to care adequately for the sick.

I will prevent disease whenever I can, for prevention is preferable to cure.

I will remember that I remain a member of society, with special obligations to all my fellow human beings, those sound of mind and body as well as the infirm.

If I do not violate this oath, may I enjoy life and art, respected while I live and remembered with affection thereafter. May I always act so as to preserve the finest traditions of my calling and may I long experience the joy of healing those who seek my help.

Pretty sad, ain't it? Too bad there's not a Construction Oath...you could recite it & then say..."The tornado damage repair is (X amount of) dollars...you do have coverage for acts of God, don't you?"

ok... if someone comes into a hospital with a gunshot wound to the chest, they are going to do whatever they can to help that person... they aren't going to ask them who their provider is, or lack thereof.

Exactly. You beat me to it. Also if a pregnant woman comes into the ER or any seriously injured person, a hospital will not refuse admittance based on inability to pay.

Exactly. You beat me to it. Also if a pregnant woman comes into the ER or any seriously injured person, a hospital will not refuse admittance based on inability to pay.

I'm not disputing the issue that they want to get paid. Anybody who does any job wants that. I'm saying that the first thing out of their mouths is wanting to know how they're going to be paid. Their first order of business is supposed to be caring for a patient.

They may not refuse admittance but you'd be surprised at the amount of other things that will be refused. I have a child who is on a program through the state because of her severe disabilities. It doesn't have anything to do with welfare or how much money I make, but it comes WITH a medicaid card. She has insurance through her dad and myself (of which I pay over 400 bucks out of pocket each month) and yet we still get the raised eyebrows when they see Medicaid as PART of her payor source. In fact, when I order her medical supplies each month, the supply company will only send what the govt. insurance would allow, even though she has 2 primary insurances that come FIRST. Medical treatment is in no way equal to all who need it, and it's a damn shame.

And shortly, we are going to get the lovely added value of a "health czar" to decide who should die and who should live. Thank god my child wasn't born after 2009, or it's quite possible she wouldn't be here at all, even though my health insurance paid 100% of her hospital bills at birth. There are a lot of factors going into how we got where we are today in regards to health care, and I firmly believe that good old greed is right there at the top of the list (mostly on the part of insurance companies). That too, is a shame. Gone are the days when a doctor would barter goods for pay because he truly believed that helping people was his calling.

They may not refuse admittance but you'd be surprised at the amount of other things that will be refused. I have a child who is on a program through the state because of her severe disabilities. It doesn't have anything to do with welfare or how much money I make, but it comes WITH a medicaid card. She has insurance through her dad and myself (of which I pay over 400 bucks out of pocket each month) and yet we still get the raised eyebrows when they see Medicaid as PART of her payor source. In fact, when I order her medical supplies each month, the supply company will only send what the govt. insurance would allow, even though she has 2 primary insurances that come FIRST. Medical treatment is in no way equal to all who need it, and it's a damn shame.