There are 14 members of Congress who are doctors. Here's why they left the exam room for Capitol Hill

Being a doctor is easier than being a member of Congress...

In Republican Rep. Ralph Abraham's district in Louisiana, many people have opted to take a penalty rather than buy insurance on the ACA exchanges, he said. For doctors, it is frustrating to hear about high deductibles and high premiums and to find they can't refer a patient to a specialist because that doctor is not in-network. He knows. The 63-year-old family practitioner still works pro bono in a small, rural clinic seven or eight miles from his home several times a month. 

"We can say they have insurance, but do they really?” Abraham said.

The doctors who are Democrats have not yet responded to requests for comment.

As a physician, Abraham feels doctors' frustration over issues such as the time drain from the use of electronic health records and insurance company denials.

"Let us decide what the patient needs," he said.

The GOP Doctors Caucus allows the healthcare professionals serving in Congress to meet with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Health and Human Services officials and provide their perspective. "They've been listening, I hope," he said, about the government's efforts to reduce regulatory requirements and unnecessary paperwork to give doctors more time with patients. 

To read the full story, click here.