"Empty Chairs and Obamacare"

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I can't believe I actually read that whole thing.

The writing was difficult to follow because he kept switching back and forth between discussing healthcare and bashing "liberal elitism". When he spoke from the point of view of a physician, he made some good points. At the same time, it was difficult to take these good points seriously when they're surrounded by obviously biased politics.
 
While giving lip service to a new commitment for science (and medical) education, I worry about the negative messaging that we hear from media and Washington regarding anything scientific. Stories of success and medical breakthroughs are overshadowed by negative press on medical spending, pharmaceutical profits, and negative comparisons to other countries' healthcare.

Pretty true; the media is full of pundits who just bash the other party with garbage drama, and never talk about anything positive that comes out of science. Whether it's medicine, physics, NASA, etc., people would rather argue and remain "committed" to the democratic/republican stance without compromise, than talk about something positive like landing on Mars or a new medical breakthrough.

Health policy is something I really don't want to deal with as a physician, but it's obvious that I am going to have spend a lot of time getting involved in bureaucratic paper work. Hopefully it won't be too bad.

Edit: Yeah I noticed what TipToad just mentioned. I was trying to use my MCAT verbal reasoning skills but they were just not holding up with the topic switching.
 
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I skimmed it. His writing was not natural or concise. However, what I read was pretty nice and objective.
 
At the same time, it was difficult to take these good points seriously when they're surrounded by obviously biased politics.

Yup. That's the stuff I disagreed with and filtered out. But his points are dead on the mark (or at least that's how I feel)
 
Hell yeah, more Obamacare discussion. Do it up!
 
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When an additional 32 million Americans get medical insurance, who exactly is going to treat them?

Robot Doctor will see you now. :p

http://www.intouchhealth.com/products-and-services/products/rp-7i-robot/
 
No, it just means that even the most well intentioned ideas can have unhealthy consequences. It's too much too fast without enough planning.
 
No, it just means that even the most well intentioned ideas can have unhealthy consequences. It's too much too fast without enough planning.

Agreed, especially in regards to the vastly conflicting requirements for ICD10 and EMR implementation. And adding the untested ACO model on top of that.
 
No, it just means that even the most well intentioned ideas can have unhealthy consequences. It's too much too fast without enough planning.

This is a sad line of reasoning. Any social injustice when corrected, seems too fast for those benefiting from the status quo. People said the same thing about integration of schools, allowing women to vote, allowing Blacks to serve in white units in the military. There will be obstacles but it sure beats the alternative of having enough uninsured people to fill Texas and new York. And if I had to take a wild guess, you've had health insurance thanks to mommy and daddy growing up.
 
This is a sad line of reasoning. Any social injustice when corrected, seems too fast for those benefiting from the status quo. People said the same thing about integration of schools, allowing women to vote, allowing Blacks to serve in white units in the military. There will be obstacles but it sure beats the alternative of having enough uninsured people to fill Texas and new York. And if I had to take a wild guess, you've had health insurance thanks to mommy and daddy growing up.
Actually, it's a perfectly excellent line of reasoning and here is why: The nation already has a shortage of doctors. Now to add to this we have ~80% of all doctors unhappy with the new healthcare system. 66% of doctors are now talking about dropping out of government health care programs altogether. This would include Medicaid which is projected to provide for 18 million out of the total 34 million who would gain coverage over the next 10 years. On top of that an unreasonable amount of physicians are considering quitting the profession entirely. Because of this, Medicare payment has resulted in sporadic access problems for Medicare patients, and the lower Medicaid payments have already contributed to serious access problems for low-income persons and worsened hospital emergency room overcrowding.

Your example of other social injustices do not correlate whatsoever. The integration of schools did not affect anyone else's access to schooling. Allowing women to vote did not hinder males from being able to cast their own vote. This is not about a social injustice. This is about the simple fact that inflating the medical demand this fast, with less reward is going to upset the balance tremendously. I truly feel bad for those going to be on and already on Medicare/Medicaid. Finding out the only doctor in the area that could treat them for their life threatening illness is no longer accepting their insurance... and now they have to travel 4-5 hours to the only doctor that will see them. But wait, he's backed up 4 months due to demand so hopefully they can stay alive that long. This simply will not work.
 
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Nice I can't wait to see another healthcare reform thread. There definitely hasn't been 5 of them on here in the last month.

As for the article, I got about halfway through before I couldn't take it anymore. Either stream of consciousness writing or someone was hittin the medicinal marijuana before typing. What exactly were the points from someone who slogged through the whole article?
 
This is about the simple fact that inflating the medical demand this fast, with less reward is going to upset the balance tremendously.

This is probably the only good anti-PPACA point I've heard so far. This problem isn't unique to PPACA though, it's inherrent in any sort of change.

I truly feel bad for those going to be on and already on Medicare/Medicaid. Finding out the only doctor in the area that could treat them for their life threatening illness is no longer accepting their insurance... and now they have to travel 4-5 hours to the only doctor that will see them. But wait, he's backed up 4 months due to demand so hopefully they can stay alive that long. This simply will not work.

What about the guy with the same life-threatening illness that can't get sufficient treatment at all, because his only access to treatment is via an emergency room visit that you and I are already paying for?
 
What about the guy with the same life-threatening illness that can't get sufficient treatment at all, because his only access to treatment is via an emergency room visit that you and I are already paying for?
To humor me could you please put that into a more specific example?

Worst comes to worst it looks like he's ****ed too. We are no doubt in need of a "change". My argument is that Obamacare is not the "change" that is needed.
 
To humor me could you please put that into a more specific example?

Worst comes to worst it looks like he's ****ed too. We are no doubt in need of a "change". My argument is that Obamacare is not the "change" that is needed.


And what change would you recommend?
 
Nice I can't wait to see another healthcare reform thread. There definitely hasn't been 5 of them on here in the last month.

As for the article, I got about halfway through before I couldn't take it anymore. Either stream of consciousness writing or someone was hittin the medicinal marijuana before typing. What exactly were the points from someone who slogged through the whole article?


I think the whole point is "Healthcare is ****ed up. Bash liberals. We need a better system. Bash liberals. Obamacare is not the answer. Bash liberals."
 
And what change would you recommend?
No clue, I'm not a professional on healthcare policy. I'm just a regular Joe with eyes and the ability to disseminate information logically.
 
Your example of other social injustices do not correlate whatsoever. The integration of schools did not affect anyone else's access to schooling. Allowing women to vote did not hinder males from being able to cast their own vote. This is not about a social injustice. This is about the simple fact that inflating the medical demand this fast, with less reward is going to upset the balance tremendously.


Give me some real evidence that patient care in this country is affected by more insured people joining. If it's really a supply of healthcare that is the issue as you seem to argue, the solution is not to cut people out of the system, it's to add more healthcare providers in. At least, that's what would make sense.
In any case, I guess the real story here is that its easy to sit behind a computer screen and tell someone without access to healthcare that he's ****ed when you have healthcare coverage.


Finally, please tell us all what you see as the solution to 40 million uninsured Americans. If you feel that this is somehow okay, then state that.
 
No clue, I'm not a professional on healthcare policy. I'm just a regular Joe with eyes and the ability to disseminate information logically.

Yah that seems to be the problem these days. Too many regular Joes who want to comment on healthcare when they couldn't tell you anything about it.
 
I think the whole point is "Healthcare is ****ed up. Bash liberals. We need a better system. Bash liberals. Obamacare is not the answer. Bash liberals."

I'll make an outline of his points tonight, sans the liberal bashing stuff.

I'll also respond to some of the other points on here once I get back home.

Nice I can't wait to see another healthcare reform thread. There definitely hasn't been 5 of them on here in the last month.

Your enthusiasm is quite contagious, sir
 
Yah that seems to be the problem these days. Too many regular Joes who want to comment on healthcare when they couldn't tell you anything about it.
I can tell you plenty about it as I already have. What I can't provide is direct and concrete answers to every issue of healthcare reform without holes because I do not specialize in the area. Do you? I am simply stating what I believe will not work. I've already expressed I do not have the credibility of an expert. So either take my opinion with a grain of salt and move on, or prove me wrong. Perhaps you have something fruitful for me to learn about Obamacare, though it's not likely since this is easily the 30th time I've had a runaround about it.

This is like going to a gun shop and saying, "Hey your guns are loaded. That's more dangerous than if they weren't." and the gun shop owner going, "Oh yeah? Are you an expert in firearms?" Even though my post doesn't seem like it, I do agree that there are too many complainers and not enough fixers. Alas, if only I had chosen political science and public health. As far as supply of healthcare or physician shortage, it's all speculation. Just like Obamacare in its entirety. If everything had factual evidence this discussion wouldn't be as hotly debated as it is. Either way, there is a plethora of fact based opinion over physician shortage due to Obamacare. All you gotta do is Google.
 
...and as a last note, I completely agree to adding more healthcare providers.
 
This is a sad line of reasoning. Any social injustice when corrected, seems too fast for those benefiting from the status quo. People said the same thing about integration of schools, allowing women to vote, allowing Blacks to serve in white units in the military. There will be obstacles but it sure beats the alternative of having enough uninsured people to fill Texas and new York. And if I had to take a wild guess, you've had health insurance thanks to mommy and daddy growing up.

And you guessed wrong. :poke: I'm all grown up now, and have two kids of my own. :p
Why such a big chip on your shoulder, little dude? :confused:

Obama, Romney, and all of the talking heads on television want to boil something as complicated as our nation's healthcare down to crude numbers. So, why not point out the real number that affects Doctors across this country...32 Million more insured Americans. A physician shortage in the U.S. was expected even before the Affordable Care Act was signed into law in 2010.

Due to the pending doctor shortage, the AAMC has called for a 30% increase in medical school enrollment, or 5,000 more doctors each year. College universities have responded to this demand, with new medical schools. Stands to reason that the increase in the number of medical students would lead to an increase in residency positions as well, right? Wrong.Since 2001, the number of first year residency positions has increased by 3,000, compared to a whopping increase of 6,500 applicants.

So after all of the chest thumping & backslapping, confetti, balloons and of course, more speeches, who's treating these people? :confused:

A group hug ain't gonna cut it.
 
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And you guessed wrong. :poke: I'm all grown up now, and have two kids of my own. :p
Why such a big chip on your shoulder, little dude? :confused:

Obama, Romney, and all of the talking heads on television want to boil something as complicated as our nation's healthcare down to crude numbers. So, why not point out the real number that affects Doctors across this country...32 Million more insured Americans. A physician shortage in the U.S. was expected even before the Affordable Care Act was signed into law in 2010.

Due to the pending doctor shortage, the AAMC has called for a 30% increase in medical school enrollment, or 5,000 more doctors each year. College universities have responded to this demand, with new medical schools. Stands to reason that the increase in the number of medical students would lead to an increase in residency positions as well, right? Wrong.Since 2001, the number of first year residency positions has increased by 3,000, compared to a whopping increase of 6,500 applicants.

So after all of the chest thumping & backslapping, confetti, balloons and of course, more speeches, who's treating these people? :confused:

A group hug ain't gonna cut it.

Well, there are residencies spots for img and Caribbean grads so I think US grads won't have to worry too much about not being able to match in the future. I can see an expanded scope of practice for midlevels to increase the pcp workforce to deal with the physician shortage.
 
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