Myth: "Universal coverage means better care"

Richard Reece interviews . . . himself, and talks about health care reform:

Q: Any other myths?

A: Yes. That somehow federally-run top-down care will be more even-handed, equitable, and fair to all. As a matter of act, centralized government is a lousy way to distribute resources. Take Medicare. Its payment schedules are so low and convoluted in paying primary care doctors, that primary care is on the verge of collapse. Or take Medicaid, Its payment rates are so low and its bureaucracy so unwieldy, that 40% to 50% of doctors refuse to take Medicaid patients.

Related posts:

1. Universal coverage and primary care
2. Will the lack of primary care doctors make universal coverage useless?
3. Universal coverage will fail without fixing primary care first
4. Universal coverage without primary care
5. Primary care incomes and universal health coverage
6. Universal coverage without primary care access is useless
7. How specialists view universal health care

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Tagged as: health reform, Medicare, patient, primary care