Minuteman Alert - LB422 Common Sense Medicine

NFFV Action Request

Upcoming Health & Human Services

Committee Hearing

Monday, February 16, 2023

1:30 PM, Room 1510

Support

LB422 Common Sense Medicine

What is LB422?

LB422 would protect health care providers from disciplinary action for opinions or providing medical advice that disagrees with the medical consensus on an issue of health or disease. We call this “Common Sense Medicine”.

Why LB422, why now?

Over the past two years, health professionals have been harassed, fired, and discredited for their opinions and alternative views on treatments, which was seen throughout the “Covid” pandemic. Learn more here. Medical Boards are going so far as to investigate physicians for contradictory views and suspending or revoking their licenses as seen here. Many health professionals have left their profession or have been let go from their jobs.

Who pays the price?

Ultimately, the patient pays the price. Following protocols that do not allow a provider to assess the patient as an individual is only treating the disease without considering the patient’s goals and quality of life. Managing a patient’s ailment may not alleviate the patient’s suffering. Changing the focus to the person can make a world of difference. See here.

Allowing a provider to make decisions based on their own assessment allows a partnering relationship to take place as opposed to “just being a number”. In addition, treating a person as an individual could further decrease healthcare costs by eliminating excessive tests and “overtreatment” of the person. To learn more about medical overtreatments, click here.

"Groupthink", what is it and is it occurring in medicine today?

In 1972 social psychologist Irving Janis developed the term 'Groupthink'. Its a term used to describe suboptimal decisions made by a group due to social pressures. Are we seeing that play out in medicine today?

Let's look at the eight symptoms of groupthink to see if medicine has fallen into this phenomenon. The phenomenon of approaching problems by consensus or group rather than by individuals acting independently. These eight symptoms were identified by Irving Janis.

Invulnerability - Members of the group share an illusion of invulnerability that creates excess optimism and encourages taking abnormal risks
Rationale - Victims ignore and discount warnings and negative feedback that may cause the group to reconsider their previous assumptions
Morality - Victims ignore the ethical and moral consequences of their decisions and believe unquestionably in the morality of their in-group
Stereotype - Members of the group possess negative and/or stereotypical views of their "enemies"
Pressure - Victims apply direct pressure to any individual who momentarily expresses concern of doubt. Members are not able to express their own individual arguments against the group.
Self-censorship - Victims avoid deviating from what the group consensus is and keep quiet
Illusion of Unanimity - Victims share an illusion of unanimity - that the majority view and judgements of the group are unanimous
Mind Guards - Victims of groupthink protect the group from information that may be problematic or contradictory to the group's views, decisions, or cohesiveness.

What do you think? Is medicine being victimized by groupthink. Supporting LB422 can help fight back against the groupthink phenomenon.

Want to know some of the more famous groupthink examples; check it out here. You can also read more about groupthink here.

Is groupthink a modern issue?

Groupthink is not a modern phenomenon, it is modernly defined. You can identify victims of groupthink throughout history. It takes the brave and courageous to stand up for what is right. We can look to the bravest of all, Jesus, for strength. One that went against many cultural norms to shine light in a world that can be dark. Ezekiel give us warning, Ezekiel 11:12 Thus you will know that I am the Lord; for you have not walked in My statutes nor have you executed My ordinances, but have acted according to the ordinances of the nations around you.

How to be heard?

Take action, your voice is powerful make it heard. LB422 committee hearing is scheduled for Thursday, February 16, 2023.

How to be heard? Here are three ways:

Most Effective: Testify in person. Going to the Committee hearing and sharing YOUR story with committee member Senators is very impactful. For first time in person testifier here are some help hints.
Very Effective: Submit written testimony. If you can't be there in person then submit written testimony. Not sure how to do that, click here. Note; written testimony needs to be submitted by noon the business day before the committee hearing.
Effective: Email your position letter to edupl@leg.ne.gov and CC each committee member Senator. For a listing of the Health & Human Services Committee Senators click here. Note; emails need to be sent by noon the business day before the committee hearing. It's not guaranteed these emails will be included in the official meeting documents.

Not sure what to say?

Listed below are thought starters. Build your story around one or two of them. Quantity is not as important as a short heart felt personal story.

Here are three strong arguments to support this strong legislation:

Personalized Medicine. Protocols do not allow for a provider to treat a person as an individual. People want to trust their provider to give them personalized care that is unique to their issue. When a provider can be disciplined for providing personalized medicine, the person suffers.

Freedom to think. There is an alarming trend of medical providers being canceled over offering differing medical opinions and as risk for disciplinary action taken against them. We saw this with covid-19 as well as with gender affirming care. These cancelations are causing distrust in a once highly trusted industry.

The centralization and monetizing of healthcare. Healthcare has long been a monetary business, however in recent times the magnitude of money flowing through the business is unrivaled. When healthcare profits are prioritized over patients’ outcomes, patients lose 100% of the time. In addition, through consolidations more decisions are being made by a few entities. Similarly, it’s becoming a select few who determine what institutions get funding for research.

NEBRASKANS FOR FOUNDERS' VALUES

Board of Directors Team