When facts become ‘arrogance’: Physicians push back against political theater

Physicians don’t show up to legislative hearings expecting applause. In fact, most arrive knowing the vote may already be decided. They come anyway — on their own time, at their own expense, often canceling clinics or trading call shifts — because patient safety is worth two or three minutes at a microphone.

What they don’t expect is to be personally attacked for telling the truth.

Yet that is exactly what happened during a recent Florida legislative hearing on a bill that would allow psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners to practice independently, without oversight by a psychiatrist. After calm, evidence-based testimony from multiple physicians outlining differences in training, patient safety risks and noncompliance with existing law, the bill sponsor closed not by rebutting the data — but by attacking the physicians themselves.

They were described as “arrogant,” “obnoxious” and “greedy.” The sponsor claimed doctors were profiting off nurse practitioners, earning thousands of dollars per month per clinician, joking that physicians could use the money to “buy a plane and go to The Bahamas.”

It was not a debate over policy. It was political theater — and physicians were cast as villains for refusing to play along.

Read more at MedicalEconomics.com.

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Editor's note: Episode timestamps and transcript produced using AI tools.

0:00 – Florida legislator’s closing remarks attacking physician testimony

0:24 – Episode introduction: Physicians speak out against unsupervised psychiatric nurse practitioner legislation

1:38 – Dr. Vicki Norton’s committee testimony on training differences and patient safety

4:23 – Interview with Dr. Norton: Reaction to lawmaker’s comments

7:22 – Introduction of Dr. Ankush Bansal

7:57 – Dr. Bansal’s testimony on physician education, ethics, and access to care

9:58 – Dr. Bansal reacts to sponsor’s personal attacks

13:32 – Introduction of Dr. Mays DeBose (South Carolina advocacy effort)

13:57 – Dr. DeBose on physician image, humility, and legislative communication

15:11 – South Carolina “turf war” characterization

15:43 – Dr. DeBose describes committee hearing experience

16:02 – Dr. Phil Schaefer testifies on lack of data

16:18 – Legislator comments about AI replacing radiologists

16:42 – Dr. Schaefer responds to AI comment

18:27 – Florida bill sponsor closing remarks (“It’s going to be cool”)

19:06 – Dr. Schaefer on legislators’ understanding of medicine

19:46 – Call to physician advocacy

20:34 – Dr. Norton on overcoming personal attacks and getting involved

22:48 – Dr. Bansal’s advice for physicians interested in advocacy

23:43 – Dr. Schaefer on why physicians struggle to engage politically

24:33 – Dr. DeBose on supporting organized medicine

26:05 – Dr. DeBose on collective voice and combating learned helplessness

28:20 – Final encouragement to join local and state medical societies

29:02 – Closing remarks from host Dr. Rebecca Bernard