But we do have midwives, which have taken over a large number of deliveries in our community. perhaps this is for the best since it reduces overall costs, but if residencies keep pumping our new docs and CNM programs keep pumping out new midwives… do the math.

The angst that physicians will see reduced pay with single payer or public option are misguided. Just stop seeing Medicare pts if you don’t like the reimbursement . If you are all saying the free market is ideal, then act like it.

Initially, doctors and nurses did treatments, then finally highly trained technicians monitored 4-5 patients at a time. It was a profitable business that took to looking at ever shrinking margins (and actual decreases in reimbursement) to stay barely viable. If not for medication reimbursement, it would NOT stay afloat.

The point being… the reimbursement rate stagflation means that technicians, not physicians (or even nurses) now run dialysis companies.

Technicians are amazing, fantastic and wonderful… but if this is the model you want for primary care medicine… go ahead and vote for the public option.

Would there even be an access problem? Are there really a lot fewer doctors for this than the press leads us to think or are they all mouth, no action? How many of these “leftist” docs at the elistist institutions go to their chairman and say “Look, I am going to spend 1/3 of my time treating people for free so put me on 2/3 status and pay”

No, they don’t say that. They want to nurture their delusions of moral superiority by dissociating themselves from revenue generation but without taking responsibility for reduced revenue consumption. They want someone else to pay the freight for their moral fancies.

At least there will be some semblance of market forces in this case, instead of the complete price fixation within Medicare.

Kev .. this is just another ploy by the single-payer crowd, many from Harvard Medical School.

Well .. in single-payer countries, the MDs make MUCH LESS than in the U.S.

Does that mean the HMSers involved with single-payer are offering to take an immediate 35% pay cut? What is good for the goose is good for gander?Also: no new plan should be foisted on the public — without FIRST being tested on Congress for five years. Let them live with it for a while, before the public does. If they really want to lead — and not just eat lobbyists’ lunches.

Now. The question I have for you. How do you make a family of four pay $40,000 a year in health care tax to fund a health care system. Unless of course you excuse 1/2 the population from their obligations. In favor of votes and further put the burden on the backs of those who already pay a disproportionate amount

Socialized medicine will collaps on it’s own Free=More weight, and it will in every country in the world, unless overt rationing is in place.

When doctors start leaving government sponsored plans out of economic necessity, and they will, insurance without access will bring us closer to a cash only business for those that can afford. And long government waits for those that can’t. And those with money will get preference to care. We will have our codified two tiered system.

If anybody reading this blog thinks things will be any different with another govt run plan, come back to reality with the rest of us.