Hospital Crisis and Obamacare

[wowzer]

When hospitals have less margins, as Obamacare will cause:
http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article....id=1217207
http://capsules.kaiserhealthnews.org/ind...udy-warns/

It will begin a slow (and long) trickle of hospitals closing. In NY, it took about 30 years. Initially, the hospitals will reduce amenities and not reinvest into the look and feel of the institution (because they have no money). Then it will reduce services (social workers, aides, etc). When hospitals close entire departments (i.e. Obstetrics), it is already severe. When they stop buying insurance because they need to hire nurses, it is a heartbeat from closure. When enough hospitals close, it becomes a crisis because all of those medicaid patients will then flood into surrounding hospitals and cause their slow demise as well.

The real kicker is that medicaid patients are much more likely to sue than patients with private insurance. Here's an example of what malpractice is doing to hospitals:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/16/nyregi....html?_r=1&hp

And lets not forget one of the main causes for St. Vincent's Hospital in NYC to close: malpractice costs. How are we supposed to take care of our own, when we keep suing these institutions into closure?


Just my 2 cents worth (I know many here wont value what I've got to say at even that much)...

[Avenger]

What do you know? You are just a doctor. I will have to wait to hear from the rest of the gang here.

[Pam]

Hate to tell you, but it's already happened. Tossing Obamacare won't change the path we're already on.

[wowzer]

Here is another 'rosy' view of Obamacare:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/15/busine...-view.html

[wowzer]

Pam wrote:
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.

[Avenger]

You tell the doctor's office you have Medicaid and they practically hang up on you.

[Acer]

"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.

[Avenger]

Acer wrote:

I wonder why...oh, here's the answer! "Medicaid beneficiaries have limited means, and their low incomes usually translate into below-average political influence."

No, it is because it is a lousy insurance.

[swampy]

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.

[Acer]

No, it is because it is a lousy insurance.

Because it low-balls its payments. How can we fix that?