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This doesn't address the question of where the doctors will come from to treat 45 million new patients. It's that combined with the President's plan to pay for healthcare by having half the money coming from tax increases and the other half from reduced spending on Medicare that has made this an issue for seniors.
Originally Posted by Who?Me?! future MD shortage if Obama Care happens
What? You mean everyone who has affordable health care insurance will suddenly get sick or have an accident because they have care???
AND: Since the repubs have always insisted that ANYONE can get health care in this country with or without insurance ...
W H Y
would there be more sick or injured just because a bill passes?????
This doesn't address the question of where the doctors will come from to treat 45 million new patients. It's that combined with the President's plan to pay for healthcare by having half the money coming from tax increases and the other half from reduced spending on Medicare that has made this an issue for seniors.
I think it's really incumbent on the naysayers to demonstrate that there are not enough doctors to treat the entire population.
Yeah I do think there will always be long lines of students striving to get into medical school. For every one that decides he'd really rather work on the factory floor and GM than go the medical school there are 9 qualified applicant who will take his place.
Anyone with the ability to be a doctor is not going to work for minimum wages, they will be engineers, managers, and so on. You have to get straight A's to be a doctor. Ridiculous to say a pre-med is only qualified to work on a factory floor, and by the way, what factories? Most have left the country.
Ridiculous. "servants of the state"? They are ALREADY "servants of the insurance companies"!! My own Dr has to constantly check to see what my current plan is, what specialists she can refer me to, whether I can have name or generic meds, etc. The office staff is huge and has to keep up with all the various insurance plans that different people have.
And about a Dr shortage... the argument seems to be that if everyone were able to see a Dr then there might not be enough. The theory is that in order for those of us with insurance to see a Dr in a timely manner we to make sure "tens of millions" of people don't get to? That's kind of sick. Wrong, but sick.
Of course there will be a physician shortage.
Most of the docs 55 years old and greater would probably quit, to avoid the trouble of a new system.
People considering medical school would rethink that option, given the high cost of education and limited ability to pay off thier loans.
Options-
1. take over the cost of medical education and pay people in training (not just residency)
2. reduce the standards for admission to medical school
3. use more ancillary providers like nurse practitioners
Location: Jonquil City (aka Smyrna) Georgia- by Atlanta
16,259 posts, read 24,758,986 times
Reputation: 3587
Quote:
Originally Posted by roosevelt
Anyone with the ability to be a doctor is not going to work for minimum wages, they will be engineers, managers, and so on. You have to get straight A's to be a doctor. Ridiculous to say a pre-med is only qualified to work on a factory floor, and by the way, what factories? Most have left the country.
You do not have to get straight As to be a doctor. You have demonstrate a good grasp of chemistry, biology and science. If you get a C in English Lit, it is not going to keep you out of med school.
And there are many qualified people who want be be doctors. Doctors make a good living and, for the most part, they are looked up to by the community they serve. Being a doctor and having an MD after your name means alot to you and your family.
Location: Jonquil City (aka Smyrna) Georgia- by Atlanta
16,259 posts, read 24,758,986 times
Reputation: 3587
Quote:
Originally Posted by hawkeye2009
Of course there will be a physician shortage.
Most of the docs 55 years old and greater would probably quit, to avoid the trouble of a new system.
People considering medical school would rethink that option, given the high cost of education and limited ability to pay off thier loans.
Options-
1. take over the cost of medical education and pay people in training (not just residency)
2. reduce the standards for admission to medical school
3. use more ancillary providers like nurse practitioners
Import more doctors from India and Cuba.
Build more medical schools in the USA. We should perhaps close about 1/3 of the law schools and open about the same number of medical schools.
Finally, START EARLY!!! Why don't we have a program to identify shining science stars in high schools or even jr high schools and GET them interested in becomimg doctors??? We not have a "Junior Doctor" program- take the best students in science out of school for a few days a month and let them spend the day helping a real doctor and seeing what a doctor does. Or even better have a "Medical High School" in each large district that such students would go to. We have schools for the arts and trades and even a few business high schools so why not a Medical High School? If we did this and we opened more medical schools, we would get more doctors!
This doesn't address the question of where the doctors will come from to treat 45 million new patients. It's that combined with the President's plan to pay for healthcare by having half the money coming from tax increases and the other half from reduced spending on Medicare that has made this an issue for seniors.
Obama stated that there will be no cuts in Medicare. Those are lies from the right, not "the President's plan."
Most of the docs 55 years old and greater would probably quit, to avoid the trouble of a new system.
People considering medical school would rethink that option, given the high cost of education and limited ability to pay off thier loans.
Options-
1. take over the cost of medical education and pay people in training (not just residency)
2. reduce the standards for admission to medical school
3. use more ancillary providers like nurse practitioners
I disagree with your overall premise, but I think option #3 is a very good idea for health care in general.
Anyone with the ability to be a doctor is not going to work for minimum wages, they will be engineers, managers, and so on. You have to get straight A's to be a doctor. Ridiculous to say a pre-med is only qualified to work on a factory floor, and by the way, what factories? Most have left the country.
You mean the way the NHS in the UK has less of a doctor shortage problem than we do (especially in rural areas) because doctors are paid a (substantial) salary?
A friend of mine in the UK is a pediatrician with about 5 years experience, and his "wage" is about £110,000, which is around $183,000 here.
Are there not laws that require hospitals to treat seriously ill patients regardless of insurance status or ability to pay? Are there not already state/city/county health departments that provide wellness, immunization, etc. clinics on a sliding fee scale throughout the country that state and local taxes already pay for? We have them here in the Chicago area.
You didn't read the NYT article, did you? Obama's admin officials have already acknowledged that as a problem.
"Obama administration officials, alarmed at doctor shortages..."
The law states that any hospital receiving federal funds has to provide care for a life-threatening illness/condition. In other words, if you show up at the ER in the throes of a heart attack, they have to take you and stabilize you. They do not however, have to do your elective surgery. Hospitals do not really provide medical care except in the ER.
Some areas have state/county/city health depts (usually city or county) that provide some care, and some don't. Most health depts in smaller population areas don't provide much, if anything, beyond immunization services. Some provide well care but not sick care. The intent of public health services is not to provide comprehensive care. In big cities that have medical schools, the schools often have clinics that do provide sick care; these are usually staffed by residents.
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