Comments on: How the primary care doctor shortage threatens Obama’s health reform plan http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/04/how-primary-care-doctor-shortage.html medical blog Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:59:44 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: D http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/04/how-primary-care-doctor-shortage.html/comment-page-1#comment-91091 D Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:36:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2009/04/how-the-primary-care-doctor-shortage-threatens-obamas-health-reform-plan.html#comment-91091 I think the bigger issue here is will doctors (current & new) want to practice in a single-payer environment?<br /><br />In 2003, Obama confessed his goal is single-payer health care:<br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpAyan1fXCE<br /><br />Then on April 18, Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), admitted the goal is to squeeze out the private insurance industry and create a single-payer system:<br />http://www.verumserum.com/?p=5118<br /><br />If we are indeed following Obama's goal, single-payer, won't that turn the industry completely on its side? No more private practice - all patients similar to medicaid/medicare. I think the bigger issue here is will doctors (current & new) want to practice in a single-payer environment?

In 2003, Obama confessed his goal is single-payer health care:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpAyan1fXCE

Then on April 18, Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), admitted the goal is to squeeze out the private insurance industry and create a single-payer system:
http://www.verumserum.com/?p=5118

If we are indeed following Obama's goal, single-payer, won't that turn the industry completely on its side? No more private practice – all patients similar to medicaid/medicare.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/04/how-primary-care-doctor-shortage.html/comment-page-1#comment-91085 Anonymous Thu, 30 Apr 2009 03:42:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2009/04/how-the-primary-care-doctor-shortage-threatens-obamas-health-reform-plan.html#comment-91085 The above comments are dripping with envy and anti-liberty statist solutions. What ever happened to the self-responsible independent-minded physicians. I was taught if you don't like your lot, change it. Don't try to tear the other guy down. I make about 150,000 a year and am happy with that. It is what I expected to make doing what I do. I could have become a radon, or gas-passer or whatever and tripled that but didn't want to do what they do. Isn't it the same with you? Come on people grow up or your envy will put you in a trap! The above comments are dripping with envy and anti-liberty statist solutions. What ever happened to the self-responsible independent-minded physicians. I was taught if you don’t like your lot, change it. Don’t try to tear the other guy down. I make about 150,000 a year and am happy with that. It is what I expected to make doing what I do. I could have become a radon, or gas-passer or whatever and tripled that but didn’t want to do what they do. Isn’t it the same with you? Come on people grow up or your envy will put you in a trap!

]]> By: steve.levine@texmed.org http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/04/how-primary-care-doctor-shortage.html/comment-page-1#comment-91070 steve.levine@texmed.org Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:12:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2009/04/how-the-primary-care-doctor-shortage-threatens-obamas-health-reform-plan.html#comment-91070 Excellent analysis and discussion the medical community will need to continue, in earnest, for quite some time.<br /><br />To further the discussion, I offer up the <a HREF="http://www.texmed.org/uploadedFiles/Governmental_Affairs/Texas_Legislature/mededconsensus.pdf" REL="nofollow"> 2009 Medical Education and Physician Workforce Consensus Statement</a> from the Texas Medical Association and all eight Texas medical schools. Excellent analysis and discussion the medical community will need to continue, in earnest, for quite some time.

To further the discussion, I offer up the 2009 Medical Education and Physician Workforce Consensus Statement from the Texas Medical Association and all eight Texas medical schools.

]]> By: Dr. Mary Johnson http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/04/how-primary-care-doctor-shortage.html/comment-page-1#comment-91043 Dr. Mary Johnson Tue, 28 Apr 2009 10:54:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2009/04/how-the-primary-care-doctor-shortage-threatens-obamas-health-reform-plan.html#comment-91043 Anon 12:01, with all due respect, add three more years of indentured servitude to the mix (to people who have already worked for well over a decade to do what they want to do) and you WILL have a real doctor shortage.<br /><br />I fear Anon 12:51 is spot-on. Anon 12:01, with all due respect, add three more years of indentured servitude to the mix (to people who have already worked for well over a decade to do what they want to do) and you WILL have a real doctor shortage.

I fear Anon 12:51 is spot-on.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/04/how-primary-care-doctor-shortage.html/comment-page-1#comment-91042 Anonymous Tue, 28 Apr 2009 05:01:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2009/04/how-the-primary-care-doctor-shortage-threatens-obamas-health-reform-plan.html#comment-91042 Forgive some debt, delay some debt, and require all med school grads to work in primary care for 3 years before being allowed to specialize further. Forgive some debt, delay some debt, and require all med school grads to work in primary care for 3 years before being allowed to specialize further.

]]> By: The Happy Hospitalist http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/04/how-primary-care-doctor-shortage.html/comment-page-1#comment-91039 The Happy Hospitalist Mon, 27 Apr 2009 21:57:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2009/04/how-the-primary-care-doctor-shortage-threatens-obamas-health-reform-plan.html#comment-91039 This is what happens when the government sets prices. It doesn't matter what formula you use, how much more primary care gets, taking X from Y,giving P to Q. As long as anything other than the market sets the prices, you will have economics that don't make sense. <br /><br />The will of 300 million people will set the price far better than any politically charged and lobbyist controlled central governing body.<br /><br />What exactly about government makes you believe they have the magic power to decide the appropriate price on anything? This is what happens when the government sets prices. It doesn’t matter what formula you use, how much more primary care gets, taking X from Y,giving P to Q. As long as anything other than the market sets the prices, you will have economics that don’t make sense.

The will of 300 million people will set the price far better than any politically charged and lobbyist controlled central governing body.

What exactly about government makes you believe they have the magic power to decide the appropriate price on anything?

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/04/how-primary-care-doctor-shortage.html/comment-page-1#comment-91038 Anonymous Mon, 27 Apr 2009 21:48:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2009/04/how-the-primary-care-doctor-shortage-threatens-obamas-health-reform-plan.html#comment-91038 As with everything in life it is best to be prepared for such shortages. Here is a link to the Army Medicine Strategic Map. http://pfx.me/NI As with everything in life it is best to be prepared for such shortages. Here is a link to the Army Medicine Strategic Map. http://pfx.me/NI

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/04/how-primary-care-doctor-shortage.html/comment-page-1#comment-91037 Anonymous Mon, 27 Apr 2009 20:57:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2009/04/how-the-primary-care-doctor-shortage-threatens-obamas-health-reform-plan.html#comment-91037 The specialists I know personally have at least two homes (a couple have 3 or 4), four cars (porsches, mercedes, bmw's). Good for them. But, really, if you cut their pay by half, they'd still be making enough to support their lavish lifestyles. Cutting proceduralists' pay and increasing PCP's pay makes the most sense.<br /><br />With more access to good primary care, there is likely to be less NEED for proeduralists, um, excuse me, specialists. The specialists I know personally have at least two homes (a couple have 3 or 4), four cars (porsches, mercedes, bmw’s). Good for them. But, really, if you cut their pay by half, they’d still be making enough to support their lavish lifestyles. Cutting proceduralists’ pay and increasing PCP’s pay makes the most sense.

With more access to good primary care, there is likely to be less NEED for proeduralists, um, excuse me, specialists.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/04/how-primary-care-doctor-shortage.html/comment-page-1#comment-91036 Anonymous Mon, 27 Apr 2009 20:42:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2009/04/how-the-primary-care-doctor-shortage-threatens-obamas-health-reform-plan.html#comment-91036 The reason people go to specialists is because they are sicker. It would stand to reason that they have a higher mortality rate as they are taking care of the sicker population. You can try to "correct" for this, but I guarantee the corrections cannot account for the fundamental difference in job function that specialists versus primary care has. The reason people go to specialists is because they are sicker. It would stand to reason that they have a higher mortality rate as they are taking care of the sicker population. You can try to “correct” for this, but I guarantee the corrections cannot account for the fundamental difference in job function that specialists versus primary care has.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2009/04/how-primary-care-doctor-shortage.html/comment-page-1#comment-91035 Anonymous Mon, 27 Apr 2009 19:40:00 +0000 http://clients.emmense.com/kevinmd/2009/04/how-the-primary-care-doctor-shortage-threatens-obamas-health-reform-plan.html#comment-91035 "By increasing family doctors by 1 per 10,000 population you decrease mortality by 9%"<br /><br />Human mortality rates continue to be 100%, as far as I know. “By increasing family doctors by 1 per 10,000 population you decrease mortality by 9%”

Human mortality rates continue to be 100%, as far as I know.

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