I read an interesting article today reporting the findings from a poll that seriously contradict what the White House and the AMA have been suggesting about the way medical professionals feel about the proposed bill to overhaul the health care system. And while I can’t say I’m surprised at the overwhelming negative response to the plan – the statistics speak volumes.

An IBD/TIPP poll found the following:

– 45% of doctors polled said they would consider leaving their practice or retiring early if the proposed health care bill was to pass

– 65% or 2 out of 3 practicing physicians polled say they oppose the plan

– 72% of doctors polled disagree with the administration’s claim that the government can cover 47 million more Americans with better quality care and at a lower cost

Click here to read the full article

I think there’s some truth to this study – and here’s why…

Right now, doctors are caught between a rock and a hard place and we have very few alternatives – many doctors have already started moving to other parts of the country where there is less government regulation on how they run their practice. What we are finding – and will continue to find with this health care bill looming – is that doctors have already started dropping their private practices and taking hospital jobs. Many are changing specialties or plan on not offering certain procedures because of strict government regulation once we move toward a universalized health care system – and for those doctors to perform procedure using local hospital facilities, well, that costs money, too. We’ve been facing a primary care doctor shortage for years now, and the numbers continue to drop. All of these things have a negative impact on the quality of care patients receive.

So I want to do a little research of my own. I want to hear what YOU think – especially if you’re a doctor or in the medical field. How do you feel about the proposed bill and do you think that it will cause doctors to leave the medical field?

Make your voice heard! I’ll be reading some of your comments on FOX & Friends tomorrow morning at 6:30 a.m. E.T., where we’ll be discussing this report in more depth.

Are we done paying for Bernie Madoff’s crimes? Not any time soon. Bernie may get at least 20 years in prison, but it seems we’re going to have to be paying for his lifestyle — although more modest behind bars — for quite some time.

According to some estimates, Bernie is going to cost taxpayers an average of $29,000 a year — and that’s not including any extra perks that his lawyers may negotiate in court.

Things may have changed since the days of Michael Milken spending a few years in “Club Fed” only to be released to his $500 million dollar fortune, but the Bernie Madoff tab is still open.

At a time when 45 million Americans are living without the benefits of health insurance, and reform is the hot topic on everyone’s lips, it’s quite disheartening to know that the only people with a constitutional right to government-funded health care are convicts. And isn’t it ironic that in the midst of an economic crisis, where many Americans are struggling to get by, that we taxpayers are once again footing the bill for those same greedy crooks who got us into this mess?

So the question is: Should Bernie Madoff have to pay for his own imprisonment? And I think the answer is yes. Now I know many of you smart lawyers out there might tell me this is a ridiculous notion, but I can’t help but think ― if I was planning my retirement, what would I want?

Well, I think I would want secluded place to spend my time, three hot meals a day, 24/7 health benefits ― including dental and vision ― and visitors that would come and see me once in a while, but would never stay long enough for me to have to kick them out. Sounds an awful lot like Bernie’s new retirement plan, doesn’t it?

So I guess I better start saving now for my retirement at the age of 70. But I wonder if all the people that he stole from, whose lives he destroyed, are going to be able to see some the benefits that American taxpayers will provide good ol’ Bernie for the rest of his miserable existence.

Dear Yvonne:
I am 67 and my wife is 69 years old. We are having the time of our lives with a
little help from Levitra. We are both very healthy and enjoying retirement with
golf, tennis, etc. Sure would like to see a study on sex after 65. Are we normal? 
Jim

Dear Jim,
I’m glad to hear that you have an active, fulfilling sex life since sexual intimacy in the later years is a huge quality of life component that a lot of people either ignore or don’t want to hear about. But in 2004, AARP decided to look at elderly sex in a repeat study focusing on those 45 and older in the United States. It found that 49 percent of those who had regular sexual partners were having sexual intercourse at least one time per week. It also found that about two-thirds of them reported hugging or kissing their partners on a regular basis. Finally, the study found that slightly more than half of baby boomers and seniors are engaging in sexual touch or caressing on a regular basis. So if any of that sounds like you and your wife, then you fit right in with the “norm.” If you’re a little friskier than that, then I say enjoy your norm!

Dr. Yvonne Kristín Fulbright is a sex educator, relationship expert, columnist and founder of Sexuality Source Inc. She is the author of several books including, “Touch Me There! A Hands-On Guide to Your Orgasmic Hot Spots.”