Sarah Glenn

Never stop exploring

Thinking Through ObamaCare

Written By: admin - Jul• 29•12

ObamaCare needs to be repealed. Not because universal healthcare is wrong. But because it’s basic implementation is flawed.

More people with access to healthcare means a greater demand on doctors. However, the law did little to increase the supply of doctors. Demand will simply outpace supply and in basic economic terms that makes the prices go up, unless the marketplace is strategically manipulated.

Increased demand also means that quality will decrease. Do you feel comfortable having a man or woman functioning on 2 hours of sleep making decisions about your health? We need to train more doctors before glutting the system.

This article in the New York Times explains the situation very well, using the hospital area we will be in as its case study.

“In the Inland Empire, encompassing the counties of Riverside and San Bernardino, the shortage of doctors is already severe,” the article states. “The population of Riverside County swelled 42 percent in the 2000s, gaining more than 644,000 people. It has continued to grow despite the collapse of one of the country’s biggest property bubbles and a jobless rate of 11.8 percent in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metro area.”

This shortage means that doctors literally can’t accept new Medicare patients. Across the country, fewer than half of primary care physicians are accepting new patients. There are just not enough hours in the day. So those who need care the most still end up getting the shaft.

Finally, the article points out that a third of the doctors in the U.S. are 55 or older, nearing retirement and leaving a void that will be hard to fill quickly.

I would suggest reading the article and sharing your own thoughts on the future of health care in the U.S.

 

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