some sobering findings for those who maintain the bill(s) now being brought to "Slaughter" will improve healthcare in this country. [rquoter]Physician Survey: Health Reforms Potential Impact on Physician Supply and Quality of Medical Care Mar. – Apr. 2010 Key Findings Physician Support of Health Reform in General • 62.7% of physicians feel that health reform is needed but should be implemented in a more targeted, gradual way, as opposed to the sweeping overhaul that is in legislation. • 28.7% of physicians are in favor of a public option. • 3.6% of physicians prefer the “status quo” and feel that the U.S. health care system is best “as is. Health Reform and Primary Care Physicians • 46.3% of primary care physicians (family medicine and internal medicine) feel that the passing of health reform will either force them out of medicine or make them want to leave medicine. Health Reform, Public Option, and Practice Revenue/Physician Income • 41% of physicians feel that income and practice revenue will “decline or worsen dramatically” with a public option. • 30% feel income will “decline or worsen somewhat” with a public option. • 9% feel income will “improve somewhat” with a public option, and 0.8% feel income will “improve dramatically” with a public option. Health Reform, Public Option, and Physician Supply • 72% of physicians feel that a public option would have a negative impact on physician supply, with 45% feeling it will “decline or worsen dramatically” and 27% predicting it will “decline or worsen somewhat. • 24% of physicians think they will try to retire early if a public option is implemented. • 21% of physicians would try to leave medicine if a public option is implemented, even if not near retirement age at the time. Health Reform and Recommending Medicine to Others as a Career • 36% of physicians would not recommend medicine as a career, regardless of health reform. • 27% would recommend medicine as a career but not if health reform passes. • 25% of physicians would recommend medicine as a career regardless of health reform. • 12% would not recommend medicine as a career now but feel that they would recommend it as a career if health reform passes[/rquoter] http://www.nejmjobs.org/rpt/physician-survey-health-reform-impact.aspx
Given that the survey is entirely about a bill with a public option, and this bill doesn't have one, I'm not seeing the relevance...
True, But don't you just love these cute, doomsday catch phrases? If nothing else, the crazies are good at coming up with them.
People fear change. Doctors are no different. Of course they're skeptical about their business model changing: they would be crazy if they weren't. But the fact is that the current business model for health care is not sustainable. Things must change, and they must change now. We've already waited too long for this. And the idea that things should change "gradually" is absurd. Instead of a quick changeover with a relatively quick period of complaint, you'll get a prolonged changeover with a prolonged period of complaint. They're going to be unhappy no matter what, so might as well make the change quickly. But, of course, since this poll is about the public option, which has already been removed, this whole argument is largely academic.
Who cares what they think. We can outsource their ass. There are plenty of doctors around the world who are probably just as smart. We do it with pretty much everything else.
Ridiculous. I'll bet anything you want that not even 5% (hell, make it 2%) of non-retirement age primary care physicians quit within two years of this thing passing. There will be a couple of wingnut doctors who will make a big splash at going Galt and I'm sure they will get a lot of play on the wingnut sites, talk radio, and Fox News, but there is now way a substantial bubble of MDs leaves because of this bill.
Doctors are already losing money or at best squeaking by on Medicare reimbursement. Private practices depend on a good mix of private insurance vs Medicare to balance their practice’s profitability. If reimbursement tanks big time for private insurance, you will see a lot of private practices fold up and that will drive patients to hospitals. Most doctors do not make an unreasonable sum of money. We should want the best and brightest to provide healthcare. We don’t want a system that drives patients to healthcare providers who work the cheapest.
okay, what about regulation makes you think doctors will be paid less by private insurance? ie "reimbursement tanks"
Since Medicare enrollment isn't going up, but ~40MM or so new people will be on private insurance, it seems like that would tilt the balance such that more of their reimbursements will be from private insurers.
Doctors tend to be well-educated and all, but I don't see any particular reason to ask doctors what would happen if some form of healthcare reform happens. This is an economics question, not a medical one. How should they know what's going to happen?
Another thoughtless Space Ghost response. Fire and police aren't done with a profit motive. Do you think policemen and firefighters work for free? It's almost like people are so desperate to oppose healthcare that they just throw common sense and logic out the window.
Repped. As someone in medical school keeping a pulse on the healthcare reform debate, I find that the general public has little idea of the current economics of being a doctor. Private insurers set their reimbursement rates off of medicare. If medicare goes through with their anticipated 21% cut in medicare payments, private insurers will follow. Then most doctors running private practices will either become cash for service or just quit.
Actually, if you could read English properly, you would see that I did not even address the question of whether health care should or should not be for-profit. But to your particular question, there are many non-profits that have employees that do not work for free. So, no, not focusing on profit does not correlate to municipal employees. Another thoughtless post by basso.
