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+--- Thread: Hospital Crisis and Obamacare (/showthread.php?tid=138918)
Re: Hospital Crisis and Obamacare - lafinfil - 07-17-2012
No offense to you personally, because I am sure that you are a good doctor. As I see it one major problem with the malpractice "crisis" is the refusal over the years for the medical profession to police itself and rid itself of the bad actors instead of looking the other way (primarily state medical licensing) Get rid of the revolving door of drug addicted anesthesiologist, the sloppy surgeons, etc... would be a start. Letting them walk away to go practice in a different state may solve a local problem but not a systemic one. In all your years have you ever questioned the actions of a peer? If so did you speak up ?
I was an observer from within for 15 years and an observer / advocate from the patient side for more than that (still am) If my mother or uncle is in need of care, I work my list of old contacts and ask for "non-recommendations". Who should we avoid, and then who should we see. Docs I know were complaining about the same (malpractice) over 30 years ago so this is nothing new IMHO - just a new convenient target. It's one of those "heal thy self" things but the overseers of the profession don't seem willing.
Re: Hospital Crisis and Obamacare - Acer - 07-17-2012
Every other supplier in the world expands when the demand increases, but in American health care we keep hearing threats that supply will shrink. How can we fix that?
Re: Hospital Crisis and Obamacare - swampy - 07-17-2012
I have to agree somewhat with lafinfil. When my long time family doctor died I lost my medical gate keeper. I relied on him to direct me to the best doctors and who to avoid.
Re: Hospital Crisis and Obamacare - Pam - 07-17-2012
wowzer wrote:
[quote=Pam]
Hate to tell you, but it's already happened. Tossing Obamacare won't change the path we're already on.
True, but at least it wont bring down the rest of America. The only places where this was happening was the heavily democratic states (NY, MA, RI, CT, etc). That's because the democrats love trial lawyers and frivolous lawsuits. By creating an extension of medicaid, it will expand the trial lawyers' influence on the rest of America. This is going to get very, very ugly. I'm glad that I'm in mid-career...and wont have to feel the repercussions too much. I'm really concerned about our kids and the next generation.
Well no, it's happened in Virginia as well.
I don't and never have seen Obamacare as a rigid document. In my dream world, after the election, both sides can put their partisanship aside and iron out some kinks. It's fine if it's in back rooms and they snipe in front of the cameras. As long as it's done.
Re: Hospital Crisis and Obamacare - Pam - 07-17-2012
swampy wrote:
When 83% of current doctors say they have considered getting out of medicine due to Obama care, there won't be enough doctors to staff hospitals since there are not enouh doctors in the pipeline to make up the loss.
I see only those able to pay cash getting medical care in 20-30 years. Look at Canada. The shortage of doctors has lead to long wait times to get seen. The rich come to the USA pay cash and get care.
False http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2012/jul/12/jeff-duncan/gop-lawmaker-jeff-duncan-repeats-survey-finding-83/
Re: Hospital Crisis and Obamacare - mrbigstuff - 07-17-2012
That's because the democrats love trial lawyers and frivolous lawsuits.
I was willing to listen up to this point in the conversation. Frivolous lawsuits are not anyone's domain. Although the poor typically have more to gain from lawsuits, and our system is rather broken in this regard, it's hard to ascribe political partisanship to their goals. In fact, it's downright nonsense.
Re: Hospital Crisis and Obamacare - michaelb - 07-17-2012
This thread makes no sense to me, what issue are we discussing?
The ACA has quality incentive payments built into to Medicare reimbursement? How is that a bad idea generally?
The ACA will dramatically reduce the number of uninsured going to hospitals for acute care. This is a major problem for hospitals everywhere. Having coverage for most everyone wil outweigh reimbursement rate issues (which actually aren't going down) by 10 to 1. The States that opt out of the Medicaid expansion are of course going to have major problems that they will be completely responsible for bringing on themselves. Their money will flow for once to the states that do expand so that will be a nice change of pace. The overwhelming pressure and obvious need will flip those states, it is just a matter of time (but yes, some of their hospitals may collapse due to the uninsured).
Malpractice lawsuits are not a major factor in overall health care spending. But States are free to adopt all the changes and restrictions they want. Malpractice is not a federal issue, that is left to the states. The States that have adopted malpractice reform haven't seen any meaningful cost reductions. But reasonable reform makes sense to me too.
Re: Hospital Crisis and Obamacare - swampy - 07-17-2012
Pam, Politifact it all you want, but I think the number does reflect a majority of doctor's feelings about Obamatax.
I have seen a great many doctors and medical practicioners over the past three years and have discussed current trends in health care. _None_ that I talked with liked the future they saw coming. Not a one! Most agreed that costs would rise, care would be rationed in some degree and overall patient care will decline due to lack of doctors. Tort reform was a major concern for them financially.
Their other big concern was the USPSTF. It was my oncologist who pointed out that the the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, that recommended mammograms for women under 50 were not beneficial, did not have a single clinical oncologist or breast surgeon on the panel. Her fear is that this panel will be the determiner of patient care and health decisions will be bast on cost effectiveness.
Re: Hospital Crisis and Obamacare - wowzer - 07-17-2012
Acer wrote:
"Yet Medicaid has never been especially popular."
I wonder why...oh, here's the answer! "Medicaid beneficiaries have limited means, and their low incomes usually translate into below-average political influence."
Nobody who's got money is a fan of Medicaid until Mother runs out of money but still needs another 3 years of nursing home care.
While what you say is partially true, there is far worse. Medicaid patients will sue doctors more often and for more frivolous reasons. Thus, as a doctor, you lose money on attending a medicaid patient AND you get sue by them more often. Why would any physician want to accept medicaid patients?
Re: Hospital Crisis and Obamacare - davester - 07-17-2012
swampy wrote: Most agreed that costs would rise, care would be rationed in some degree and overall patient care will decline due to lack of doctors.
In other words, they expect exactly the same thing to occur that has been happening prior to the ACA. Don't they think there'll be any changes at all?