UPDATED 11/3/2010 - Alabama has a dermatologist as its governor-elect. Dr. Robert Bentley, a Republican dermatologist from Northport, has won the contest to become the state's next governor.

Dr. Bentley, who was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives in 2002, credits his strong showing in the race in part to his opposition to the health reform law. A survey released Oct. 25 by the University of South Alabama Polling Group indicated that 48% of voters said they would choose Dr. Bentley, while just 35% voiced a preference for his opponent, Democrat Ron Sparks.

Dr. Robert Bentley, a Republican dermatologist from Alabama, has been elected the state's next governor.

Dr. Bentley will head a small but growing contingent of dermatologists who have become involved in political office (see box below).

"The fact that I'm running as a doctor has helped tremendously," in large part because of public distaste for the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Dr. Bentley told Skin & Allergy News digital network. He opposes the law, as does the majority of Alabama residents, he said.

"Sixty-nine percent of state residents want this bill repealed," he said, quoting recent polling data. "I have read excerpts of the entire bill and understand how it is going to affect not only businesses and individuals – especially the elderly – but how it's going to affect our state." Alabama residents respect that, he said.

This election is the first in which Dr. Bentley has actively run as a physician.

"In this race, I have marketed myself as a doctor," he said. "We've used the slogan, 'The people of Alabama are hurting, and they need a doctor.' I think that's helped me. I would not have done that if this health care legislation had not been an issue right now."

Dr. Bentley supports repeal of the ACA, and favors replacing it with provisions that would:

Make health insurance portable across state lines.
Allow the self-employed to deduct 100% of the cost of their health insurance.
Institute a $250,000 cap on noneconomic damages in malpractice.
Increase Medicare payments to hospitals and primary care physicians.

Dr. Bentley also supports establishing a statewide health insurance exchange, independent of the federal government. An exchange would encourage more companies to offer health insurance policies for people in Alabama, he said.

Dr. Bentley also said that Medicaid is an important issue in Alabama.

Dr. Bentley speaks at a rally in Oak Hollow (Auburn), Ala.

"Being a doctor has helped also with understanding Medicaid and what providers and nursing homes face [under the program]," he said. He supports changes in Medicaid funding so that states with high rates of low-income residents, such as Alabama, would receive more federal Medicaid money, regardless of what the state itself spends.

In addition, he said Alabama should immediately adopt a statewide, interconnected electronic medical records system tailored for each medical specialty, and said that Alabama residents should own their own personal, portable health records in electronic format, allowing them to bring their records to any physician they see.

To encourage medical students to choose primary care, Dr. Bentley supports dedicating 25% of each class at both of Alabama's medical schools to students who plan to enter family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics-gynecology, and general surgery.

In addition, he supports awarding $40,000 per year in scholarships to any student who pursues primary care, in exchange for 4 years of full-time service in a medically underserved area of Alabama.

Dr. Bentley also said that medical school curricula and residency programs should be modified to teach students and residents about reducing health care costs.

He acknowledges that, as Alabama's governor, he won't have control over federal physician issues, such as cuts mandated by Medicare's sustainable growth rate (SGR) rules. But as governor, he said, he can work with the state's congressional delegation to enact a permanent fix.

Dr. Bentley said that being a dermatologist has helped him become intimately familiar with various aspects of health care reimbursement, and has helped him understand the concerns of small business owners. As doctors, he said, "we run a small business. We have hands-on experience."

Jobs and the economy rank as the No. 1 concerns of about half of Alabama residents, he said, while education and health care come in second and third.

While Dr. Bentley has not been able to attend his dermatology practice for over a year due to the heavy campaign demands, he said he plans to keep up his medical license and maintain his efforts to address his continuing medical education.

"I will always be a doctor," he said. "What I'm doing now is public service. I will always be a doctor at heart."

Dr. Robert Bentley Elected Governor of Alabama