Douglas K. Holmes: A tragedy multiplied

Regarding Ned Barnett’s May 29 column “A caring Eastern North Carolina doctor’s orders: Expand Medicaid”: Most of us doctors simply wish to care for our patients and have the medical system in which we work care for them also. So much of medicine today is simply figuring out what hoops we have to jump through in the form of insurance “guidelines”’ and financial limitations to deliver this care.

Most of us doctors do not wish to be politicians or even deal with the politics of health care, but alas reality requires that we advocate the right and ability to do the right thing for our patients. As such I now support and vote for the candidate of either party who makes expanded health care a possibility and who reduces the administrative barriers to that care. The fact that North Carolina has not expanded Medicaid is a tragedy, replicated in so many physician offices just like Dr. Pradeep Arumughan’s practice. And in mine.

This story was originally published June 4, 2016 at 5:50 PM with the headline "Douglas K. Holmes: A tragedy multiplied."