With ObamaCare, Will It Help Or Hurt Doctors?

[anthony d]

And Why?

[Gee Wally]

My doctor said they won't have to chase down bad debts anymore. Imagine a low life debt collector losing his or her job. Thank you Obama!

[Lois L]

You need to see first the fine print of the Medicare. Here in Canada, doctors are better off with our medicare because it gives doctors the number of patients they need and it helps the patient knowing he can afford any doctor since only specialist get paid more.

[ndmagicman]

No effect on doctors.
Why? Nothing is really going to change for them.

[Entropy]

According to the American Association of Medical Colleges, we face a shortfall of more than 150,000 doctors over the next 15 years. This shortfall, combined with skyrocketing demand due to demographics, third party payment, and other issues is why medical prices are skyrocketing. ObamaCare did not even attempt to solve these core issues and instead focussed on the SYMPTOM of coverage.

Estimates suggest that on average physicians are reimbursed at roughly 78% of costs under Medicare, and just 70% of costs under Medicaid. ObamaCare is going to increase the number of people on Medicare. That is how they got rid of the public option, they just assume Medicare will pick up the tab and eventually people will advocate for something better than medicare since Medicare is a lousy program.

Roughly 40% of doctors are age 55 or over. Are they really going to want to stick it out for a few more years if all they have to look forward to is more red tape (both government and insurance company) for less money? Remember, the average medical school graduate begins their career with more than $295,000 in debt.

A 2010 IBD/TPP Poll found that 45% of doctors would at least consider leaving their practices or taking early retirement as a result of the new health care law. And, an online survey by Sermo.com, a sort of Facebook for physicians, found that 26% of physicians in solo practices were considering closing

In fact, we have already seen the start of this process in Massachusetts, where Mitt Romney's health care reforms were nearly identical to President Obama's. Romney's reforms increased the demand for health care but did nothing to expand the supply of physicians. In fact, by cracking down on insurance premiums, Massachusetts pushed insurers to reduce their payments to providers, making it less worthwhile for doctors to expand their practices. As a result, the average wait to get an appointment with a doctor grew from 33 days to over 55 days.

[Angry Candy]

Given the fact that a bureaucrat will determine what kind of care that a patient gets, the patients will likely die before the doctor has a chance to provide his/her services.

[tigeress]

Most doctors are in favor of having more people insured. Plus, they are tired of Big insurance tell them how to practice medicine. Doctors just want to get paid, it takes a lot of money to run a medical office, and their malpractice insurance is very expensive. The more people who are insured the more patients for them because people who don't have health care insurance simply won't go to the doctor.

[byHisgrace]

Hurt. The government wants to regulate their pay.

[John E]

Obamacare will hurt enough people that the hurt to physicians will be relatively equal or slightly more. Obamacare has nothing to do with helping people receive health care, it has to do with government taking over an industry. Obama gives not one $hit about any human except himself, any liberals care to deny that?

[mani]

obama care taking care of all people , including doctor's.