Federal Trade Commission Chairman Robert Pitofsky told the House Judiciary Committee Tuesday he is opposed to easing anti-trust laws for doctors. He warned that it could lead to price-fixing, which could raise costs to the consumer. According to the AMA, about 6 percent of 600,000 practicing physicians in the United States have joined a union. Doctors who want unions said they worry that many insurance carriers are more concerned with cost cutting and the bottom line than they are with patient care. Opponents said any job action a doctors' union might use as leverage, such as a strike, goes against the Hippocratic oath.
Collective bargaining is just one tool in our continuum of trying to modify the problems.
Correspondent Jennifer Auther, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy guidelines .