State representative: Retired health care workers could treat uninsured

First-term Democratic State Rep. John Patrick Carney of Columbus is proposing a program to encourage retired doctors and nurses to volunteer to treat needy patients (Source: “Ill Ohioans might benefit from retired docs, nurses,” Columbus Dispatch, Jan. 12, 2009).

Carney said his plan could reduce health-care costs because low-income patients, many of whom do not have insurance, often put off medical treatment until they need more expensive emergency care.

Carney said he is interested in starting a pilot program in Columbus, where retired health care professionals would treat patients at existing public facilities.  The legislator also wants to make sure that retired volunteers would be covered by the state's Good Samaritan law and not need their own malpractice insurance.