Author, Doctor, Speaker, Joseph Bentivegna

Doctor Bentivegna is an ophthalmologist living in Connecticut. He has written numerous op-ed pieces for The Hartford Courant and The New York Times regarding health care, tort reform, and the political situation in Haiti.

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Connecticut is Morphing into a State of Rich and Poor

       The election of Greenwich plutocrat Ned Lamont marks a watershed in Connecticut’s history as he is pursuing policies that ensure that the rich remain in Fairfield County, the poor stay invisible while sequestered in the inner cities, and the middle class heads for the door. Let’s look at what at what he is proposing:       1. A tax on everything. Democrats are proposing extending the sales tax to virtually every product and business service except for lawyers – who make up a large portion of the legislature – and doctors – not because doctors have any politically clout - but because the seniors would riot. When this plan hit the newspapers, five patients came into my office in one day and said they were leaving Connecticut.       2. Tolls, tolls and more tolls. In one of the best political whoppers since President Obama promised you can keep your doctor, Lamont has reneged on his promise to only place tolls on incoming trucks. The Democratic legislature is poised to do so, but there are a few bugs to be ironed out. Fairfield County is upset. Thus, Lamont is considering not … [Read more...]

No Senator Warren – Doctor and Nurses are not Racists

      The mortality rate for black mothers is about three times higher than those of white mothers and Massachusetts senator and presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren knows why. While speaking at Texas Southern University, a historically black college, she stated the following:        “The best studies that I’ve seen put it down to just one thing: prejudice. Doctors and nurses don’t hear African American women’s medical issues the same way as they hear the same things from white women.”       In other words, Senator Warren believes that that we doctors and nurses deliberately give black patients inferior care. Let’s look at the stats.       According to both the United Health Foundation and the World Health Organization, the maternal death rate per 100,000 is for 47 for blacks, 18 for whites and 38 for American Indians. To put this in perspective, the rate in 1900 was 900 (there is no data on different races at this time), so overall, the situation has improved tremendously for all women since the dawn of modern medicine. … [Read more...]

Journalism Needs to Regain its Credibility

Years ago when I was running for the Republican nomination for US Senate, a patient was referred to me for decreased vision. This patient was aware my campaign and was an unrepentant liberal. Thus, our meeting began with a spirited but cordial discussion over our political differences. Eventually we agreed to disagree. Our attention then turned to the real reason for his visit, his eyesight. I examined him and concluded that changing his glasses would result in minimal improvement in his vision and that if he wanted to see better, he needed cataract surgery. Without hesitation, this patient consented to put his eyesight in my hands. I am not recounting this story to market my skills as a physician. I am telling it because even though this patient knew I had strong political differences with him, it never even dawned on him that it would affect his care. This patient knew that I was a member of a profession that promised to always put his interests first, regardless of his race, social class, insurance status, gender or political views. Perhaps there was a time when journalism commanded such respect, but not anymore. While journalists have always been left of center, most … [Read more...]