This is very alarming. A survey–published in the New England Journal of Medicine!, not a conservative blog site–found that huge numbers of doctors worry they will be forced–or will want–to leave medicine if Obamacare passes. From the story:
Health Reform and Primary Care Physicians
• 46.3% of primary care physicians (family medicine and internal medicine) feel that the passing of health reform will either force them out of medicine or make them want to leave medicine.
That’s a frightening number. If only 20%-25% of primary care physicians actually leave medicine–half the number projected in the survey–we are in bigger trouble than we can begin to imagine. This survey, if nothing else, should stop the bill in its track.
The study also shows how badly Obamacare supporters have lost the debate among physicians (closely tracking the popular numbers):
Physician Support of Health Reform in General
• 62.7% of physicians feel that health reform is needed but should be implemented in a more targeted, gradual way, as opposed to the sweeping overhaul that is in legislation.
• 28.7% of physicians are in favor of a public option.
• 3.6% of physicians prefer the “status quo” and feel that the U.S. health care system is best “as is.
It’s not too late to turn back. If this debacle passes–particularly if the House tries to pass the Senate Bill without voting on it–it will tear this country into jagged pieces. But there is still time for sanity to prevail by moderating course and searching for more targeted and broadly supported reforms.
President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, and Leader Reid have driven this country to the brink of crisis in their obsession to give the government substantial control over American health care. The continuing comity of our civil society–and perhaps our ability to find a doctor–may literally be at stake in what happens in the next week.
March 16th, 2010 | 8:36 pm
Nope.
I call nonsense on the practitioners in this one.
Talk is cheap. They’ve already paid for med school (unless one does MD/PhD), and where else will they go? Wall Street – not even math wizards are getting hits there? Science – they aren’t crack researchers and don’t ask good questions, and they’re gonna slug it out with the big boys?? Publishing – that’s jam packed?
So, what are they gonna do? You chose to enter a profession, this is the cost of security. You wanna wear a robe – go be a professor, priest, or judge – that won’t work either, one is by appointment, one is by charity, and one has long waiting list.
Look at how many physicians, in polls, believe in supernatural miracles (how embarrassing, we can’t get 2/3 of diagnoses correct, yet are so confident in miracles???); is polling them worth the effort? Is their emotional opinion worth much?
Prediction – only a scant few will pull a Sarah Palin on the practice of medicine.
Such hysteria is comical. It will not ruin the country and will not tear it apart. People are already ruin themselves with all the garbage they continually shovel down their gullets.
March 16th, 2010 | 10:09 pm
Where else will they go? Try RETIRE!
A number of US physicians are in their 50′s and 60′s. Many have made their money in the profession after they have paid off their student loans and practice buy-ins. .$$$.thousands more before they begin to see a paycheck.
They will decide that it is not worth it anymore. On call 3am 5 am duty. No more. not worth it.
They will focus on their families that they have so neglegted over the years helping people. Sure some have made good money but who does not expect good pay for missing their kids b-day parties, baseball games, etc. etc. I see it every day.
March 16th, 2010 | 10:09 pm
david, you are so right. When we get this kind of drivel and alarmist garbage you wonder who actually is feeding the manure to this blog.
March 16th, 2010 | 10:17 pm
They are talking truth. No doctor wants some gov’t bureaucrat sitting in washington telling them how to treat their patients. Or what will be covered and what won’t. The gov’t already does this with Medicare, and let me tell you how hard it is now to find a doctor who will take medicare. None of them want to touch it.
We are going to end up with half the doctors we have now and twice as many people using the ones we have left.
this is what has happened in Canada, which is why if Canadians want real healthcare and have money, they come to the United States to get treated.
March 16th, 2010 | 10:23 pm
david , you sound like you are not human at all. I know personally of several doctors who are helping (pro-bono)in haiti….orangeyou glad you don’t live in haiti huhn david? If obamacare is forced through then I am guessing the immigrants who have overwhelmed the building industry will get some very educated leaders to produce some quality products. I also know a number of people who have masters degrees in a variety of fields who work in the service industries(restaurant, tourism etc.). What do you do? My wife has no misconceptions that if obamacare passes then her career is in jeopardy . She is an outstanding physical therapist who has a heart for helping people. david , are you a physician? Do you work in the medical field? Do you live in the United States of America?
March 16th, 2010 | 11:12 pm
David, why is the favored response among those who hear a doc may leave the profession to say “Where would he go?” Instead of asking where, just ask ‘what if’? You have a monopoly on all professions now to know who is and isn’t hiring or all the skill sets employers are working for? You say you graduated Med School so you are essentially telling the world then that its not hard to be a doc since all the dumb can do it and it should be obvious that docs are not adaptable to other jobs nor are they smart enough to understand a new job. But thanks.
Investment banking (my industry got creamed) slashed workforces by the thousands. What are we doing now? A lot of us, the smart ones, either immediately jumped on with another firm or started our own firms. Many of us are succeeding WITHOUT government direct help (and the loan mkt sucks). Are doctors more stupid than investment bankers? To hear how you infer doctors are numb skulls that can’t transform skills is to make me even more worried if MaObamaCare passes…where are the smart doctors going?
Thanks for proving the conservative point on health care…that’s sarcasm their Doc!
March 16th, 2010 | 11:17 pm
Obamacare: Driving Doctors Out of Medicine!
“…it will tear this country into jagged pieces!”
Healthcare Hysteria!!
This “survey” that you attribute to the NEJM was actually not in the journal proper but was in jobs available/advertising section, and was sponsored by The Medicus Firm. From there one is directed to their website:
“Media Inquiries: For complete survey results, or to schedule an interview with a representative of The Medicus Firm, please contact:
Andrea Santiago
Director of Media Relations
The Medicus Firm | 800.779.8804 x224 office | 678.835.3945 fax
1400 Buford Hwy Ste L-2 | Atlanta, GA 30518 http://www.themedicusfirm.com”
I have requested the specifics of the study from the author, Ms. Santiago, Director of Communications & Media Relations for Medicus
and will let you know what I discover.
also from their website:
The Medicus Firm is a national, retained physician search firm that is based in Dallas, TX and Atlanta, GA. The Medicus Firm was formed by the June 2009 merger of Medicus Partners physician search in Dallas, and The MD Firm of Atlanta. With one of the largest, most experienced physician recruiting and consulting teams in the physician search industry, associates of The Medicus Firm consult with hundreds of physicians each month.
It is unusual, to say the least, that this “study” was published in the Jobs section of the Journal and was written by the Director of Communications & Media Relations for The Medicus Firm. It does not appear to be a scientific survey, and will likely turn out to be meaningless. Sorry.
March 17th, 2010 | 12:25 am
Where will the doctors go? Doctors, just like everyone else, have many choices. I laugh when you ask “where will they go?” You assume that a doctor MUST work in the medical practice to earn their living. Maybe many of these doctors will decide to take some of thier savings, and open up a different business. I knew a doctor that decided he was quite tired of the medical field, and decided to look into a franchising business. Like many of us, when a job loses its meaning, its time to look for another, its time to go elsewhere. These are professional people, most with money…They will be able to go and do many different things.
They will have many many options, without many of the headaches. We may be in a recession, but companies are still hiring, new businesses are still being formed, and the economy hasn’t come to a complete halt. Yes, they will have options
March 17th, 2010 | 12:55 am
Forgot the “Really?” test. Really, 46% of Drs would quit if health care reform is passed? Really? Does that make sense to you?
Really, would some 300,000 people give up high-paying, prestigious jobs during the worst economic times since the Great Depression? Really?
Do you really think they would throw away all those years of training?
According to you, universal health care will cause universal doctor defections. How does the US currently compare to nations that have universal healthcare? We’re well down the list in number of doctors per capita. Most wealthy nations with universal health care have MORE physicians per capita than the US. “Socialized” medicine in all those countries may have increased the number of doctors there.
March 17th, 2010 | 2:21 am
mike gunderson,
Actaully, Jeffery is so right. He’s a sharp cookie and nailed it. Check out his post.
drock,
I’m not sure if you are barely literate or if your reading comprehension skills rival that of a dyslexic cabbage patch doll.
Firstly, it’s “that’s sarcasm ‘there’, doc” not, “their”. Now, do you see MY sarcasm? (to be fair, I make oodles of typos, as I just spend a few minutes at coffee breaks typing these)
You ought to switch fields and enter creative writing.
I’m not even sure where to begin with your altered sense of reality. I’ll begin by saying I never mentioned where I went to school or what I do – that’s irrelevant here. Everything you wrote falls apart after that. Ignore my last post, drock, I don’t think there is enough schoolin’ in the world that will help you get it.
wow
wils,
tell your wife not to worry, seriously. If health care passes, she will be in no danger, as long as she is licensed. I like your spark, man.
Bill,
Go ahead, retire. the standards for admission to med school were lower back then anyways. older physicians also buy into the hocus pocus more; it’s really annoying. boo-hoo, missed the kid’s birthday (think of all the kids’ birthdays that Haiti will be missing), then don’t practice, they can go do something else – like I said. build a bridge and get over it. think of all the parents who are working double shifts to cover their kid’s medical expenses cause they got denied for pre-existing. god, you’re a worthless scrape of carbon consumption. nothing’s more refreshing than watching a parent, whose kid is dying and can’t be saved, come to terms with that reality at 3 am and break down, only to confide they are gonna be bankrupt and heartbroken. by the way, einstein, if physicians have a problem with the hours – accept more drs – have you looked at admission profiles, or served on a committee – no shortage of qualified candidates. pay any attention to the AMA the last two decades and how they suppress the numbers? and don’t give me the crap about quality – you know about the folks you get 38s on the MCAT and don’t get accepted. geezus, man.
(no, none of this is me)
Beverly,
they aren’t touching medicare for reasons besides government control. The issue the public faces is health care, not compensation – that’s an issue faced by physicians, staff, and hospitals. Try paying for health care out of pocket. My gosh, you give drock a run for his money.
And finally,
as usual, Jeffery is (nearly) correct*. It’s not a peer-review survey published in NJEM as a study!!!! I was wondering how I could have missed something in peer-review.
IT’S NOT A STUDY!!!
God almighty. HELLO!!!! DING DONG!!!!
Do you people seriously buy this nonsense?
It was an ad from a business.
Let me explain for drock:
The survey is a crock of nonsense. Here is why:
it was conducted by a business. this business wants to make money. to do this, it wants clients. to attract clients, it markets to those who may find this advertising appealing – those considering leaving. they see the survey and say, ‘that’s me, I’m gonna check ‘em out’. the business gets clients.
*Jeffery, firstly, good work. Secondly, NEJM has several affiliate newsletters whereby folks submit info on a variety of topics – career trends, odds and ends, product reviews, etc, etc. that’s where this “study” (hahaha) came from
Osiris almighty, people.
March 17th, 2010 | 2:23 am
[...] New England Journal of Medicine study has found that 46% of doctors could leave medicine if Obamacare passes. If you try to cover 30 [...]
March 17th, 2010 | 6:29 am
As a doctor, I have said this from the start. Many doctors can not pay their overhead with the Medicare & Medicaid rates of payments. My practice overhead is $25,000 per month. This is the cost of office rent, electricity, my employees, malpractice insurance, office supplies, & medications. I don’t have a nurse to cut cost. My malpractice insurance cost $80,000 per year and I have had no claims. Doctors simply will not be able to afford to practice particularly if a public option that pays at Medicare rates passes. A large number of doctors already do not accept Medicaid & an increasing number are opting out of Medicare.
March 17th, 2010 | 12:29 pm
Hey David- I’m a physician who particularly doesn’t like the looks of where Barry O’s absurd government-run health care crusade operating under the pretense of reform is headed. Oh yeah, I also happen to have a chemical engineering degree sitting at home collecting dust. So, wanna call my bluff? Maybe you should think twice. I could leave practice tomorrow and have a solid, high-paying job within a week or two; one which would offer arguably comparable pay once I’ve accounted for no longer having to purchase malpractice insurance and no longer having to pay to maintain medical licensure or for continuing medical education costs.
I wouldn’t be so quick to underestimate either the ability or determination of physicians to move to other careers or simply retire if this goes through. This profession isn’t exactly the work of mindless laborers. Anyone who has the ability to gain acceptance to medical school has to have a pretty high level of cognitive functioning and scholastic achievement. My medical school class included students with MBA’s, JD’s, MPH’s, pHD’s, and plenty of work experience in other fields before they matriculated to medical school. These are some of the brightest and most talented people our country has to offer the workforce. Medicine is becomeing more and more prohibitive and stressful to practice, not to mention that there are numerous among us who take serious issue with the prospect of being forced into involuntary servitude by the federal government.
And of course, even as they prepare to do this and possibly chop into our incomes, independence, and patient care resources, our malpractice premiums will only continue to rise without tort reform. Of course, tort reform never was and never will seriously be considered as part of healthcare reform by the Democrats, as we all know the trial lawyers are in their back pockets. Apparently the Dems’ own special interests are untouchable.
The bottom line is, if you don’t take this seriously, you should. It could most definitely happen.
March 17th, 2010 | 12:40 pm
Bryan,
Absolutely correct.
We have two issues at stake here that people may not be addressing. 1) access to health care 2) health care “policies”, if you will (Medicare/Medicaid, malpractice, #’s of physicians, cost, etc)
Reimbursement rates will need to increase, which means higher taxes, required/greater co-pays, and/or no more hunting around for Casper the ghost’s WMDs. If America can afford Iraq and the military-industrial complex, we ought to afford taking care of our people.
Generally speaking, it seems liberals address issue #1 very heavily at the neglect of #2.
Everyone demands their carbohydrate laden, lipid drenched cake and the right to ingest, digest, and excrete it as well.
March 17th, 2010 | 1:26 pm
I agree with Ryan that the over head cost of running a practice has gotten to the point where doctor can’t make a return for their services from Medicare/Medicaid.
The President and the Congress have failed to include the actual medical community who provide care. Congress has failed to realize many doctors will not accept Medicare and Medicaid due to major reductions in payment for service. Many of us work long hours already and this President wants us to work more hours for less money. He apparently does not care what we think! His white coated individual claiming to be doctors represent a very small population of doctors.
Doctors should be in control of patient care not a non-medical committe in D.C. I also believe that the Health Reform will bankrupt the U.S.
My answer to this was to retire at 60 which I did five years ago. I enjoy my slower life. I have time for my hobbies, fly, etc. I have time with my wife and our adult children and their families.
I give care through a non-profit organization made up of Medical Doctors, Dentist, therapist, and other health related services. The folks that come pay nothing and are grateful.
The proposed health plan has non-medical add on, ear marks, special deals, etc. Where are the honest Senators and Congressmen.
Thomas
March 17th, 2010 | 1:27 pm
David, thank God for peoples wike you tu helps me wit my gramerze probems.. insoolting 1′s intewigence is da key 2 changin mines.
good work smarty.
Then I guess we can assume that the study that was done in Sept about how 60+% of docs favored the public option then is bogus since it was funded by a private organization? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/14/majority-of-doctors-back_n_286352.html. Liberals used this to further their position but seemingly understandable to a rational human being as to why there is no ‘public option’ right? I mean, doctors didn’t want it at the end of the day. So was that study at all correct then?
Amazing that I guess according to the geniuses, Jeffrey and David, that the only legitimate studies are those done by our government since they clearly don’t have a dog in the fight, right?
When common sense and a shred of logic enters your skulls, can you please post here letting us know that we are dealing with intelligence instead of ideology.
March 17th, 2010 | 2:05 pm
Hi David. You’re whistling in the dark. I am a physician (pathologist) who has been in practice for 19 yrs and if Obamacare passes I’m retiring. I know several colleagues (in other specialties) who will also be retiring if Obamacare passes. You might want to check out Australia. Everybody there has health insurance, but nobody can find a doc. Good luck with your socialized medicine, mate. I’ll be SCUBAing the Great Barrier Reef.
March 17th, 2010 | 3:13 pm
Lobo,
Australia has more physicians per capita than does the US. Your observation that “nobody can find a doc” is not substantiated by evidence. It’s merely your opinion. To which you are entitled.
I was in Melbourne (a wonderful city with wonderful people!) recently and at dinner two different times with Australian physicians was quizzed on what they regarded as America’s bizarre fetish with for-profit health care. They seemed to think that the Australia system, while not perfect, was good. Do you have evidence to the contrary?
Enjoy your retirement. I suspect the rest of us will too.
March 17th, 2010 | 3:23 pm
David,
I’ve contacted the author of the “study” requesting more information and also for the criteria for getting such a “study” published in the Jobs section. I suspect the “studies” publish as soon as the check clears. I also suspect that the professional editors at NEJM would be mortified if they knew this was being used to undermine legitimate discussions on health care.
drock,
You are correct to question the Keyhani and Federman article. One difference between it and the Medicus Firm “study” is transparency. The Keyhani article contains all the info to evaluate the study on its merits. The Medicus “study” does not.
March 17th, 2010 | 3:24 pm
Doesn’t anyone check their facts anymore?
http://mediamatters.org/research/201003170046
Conservative media figures and outlets have falsely claimed a New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) survey found that 46 percent of primary care physicians would consider leaving their profession if Democrats’ health care reform bill passes. In fact, NEJM says that the 3-month-old email “survey” was not published in or conducted by NEJM.
The physician recruitment firm that produced the unscientific and bizarrely stilted chicken little “survey” about how the sky will supposedly be falling if health care reform is passed touted the importance of physician recruitment firms after health reform is passed and implemented.
A for profit business producing self serving and highly questionable advertising propaganda.
Propaganda that might prove useful if its origin wasn’t laughable.
March 17th, 2010 | 3:35 pm
Googling ‘obamacare 46% doctors quit’ yields over 300,000 hits. Looking over the first few pages reveals a who’s who of conservative blogs. This illustrates the evolution of another false right-wing meme.
As has been pointed out, the basis of this scheissestorm is unsubstantiated and likely false.
Within a few days every conservative will “know” that enacting health care reform will cause doctors to quit.
This MAY be true, but there is not enough evidence at this point.
Sigh….
March 17th, 2010 | 3:45 pm
drock,
“according to the geniuses, Jeffrey and David”
While David may be a genius (his posts almost always offer novel insight), I certainly am not. In fact, I’m not even considered very bright in liberal circles. But precisely because I’m so simple I always insist on credible evidence to substantiate an important claim. The “evidence” for Wesley’s claim is weak if not absent. That being the case, I’m amazed at further discussion on the issue. What’s left to talk about? I have to assume if Wesley had better evidence he would have presented it.
As my uncle used to say, “Opinions are like a$$holes, everybody has one”. Unc was wrong of course in that most people have several. Opinions, that is. But I got his point.
March 17th, 2010 | 6:32 pm
[...] http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/secondhandsmoke/2010/03/16/obamacare-driving-doctors-out-of-medicin... [...]
March 17th, 2010 | 6:54 pm
Jeffrey,
Pray to God you are right. Every time I hear some liberal try and tell me and others that some article or set of facts is wrong I just laugh no matter how credible the source is of them…since to liberals the only facts, economist or doctor that matters is when its their guy! If their guy has a different conclusion then that’s gospel.
If, to you, this is lacking in credibility but is substantiated by other people (including myself) who know individuals in the medical community who echo the findings of this type of report, then ask yourself ‘what if?’
But that’s right, liberals only deal in the ‘here and now’ right? You guys don’t ever see the ‘Utopia’ of how you WANT the world to be? Nah…not Alinsky loving progressives, never.
March 17th, 2010 | 7:38 pm
where will all the people in socialized countries go for medical care if we pass obama care? Haven’t any of you a heart for them? There may be more doctors per capita however there is such a thing as quality….I Know specifically of some very botched medical experiences in Australia and the individual after months and monies finally got the proper care in the US.
March 17th, 2010 | 10:12 pm
drock,
TruthComesOut supplied this link
http://mediamatters.org/blog/201003170036
which explains the sad affair that David and I pointed out earlier. What is demonstrated is the all too familiar ignition of conservative misinformation spreading like wildfire through conservative blogs such as this one.
Mr. Smith cited what turns out to be advertisement copy as evidence that physicians will quit practicing if health care reform is enacted. By all rights, he should withdraw this post.
That the claims support your own opinion or personal experience is irrelevant. What was the size of the physician population you sampled? Four? Ten? Twenty?
Do you really wish to base US policy on “what if’s”? What if Saddam has weapons of mass destruction? What if the Earth warms by 10 degrees by 2100?
This is not about liberals vs conservatives it is about credible evidence vs opinion.
Your conclusions can be no better than the evidence used to support them.
March 18th, 2010 | 7:01 pm
Wesley,
FOX “News” corrected their mistake
http://mediamatters.org/research/201003170070
“On the March 17 edition of Fox News’ America Live, host Kelly noted that the survey “was conducted by the Medicus Firm, which is a national physician search firm.” She added: “The New England Journal of Medicine, which was originally responsible for posting, not publishing, but — not conducting the survey, but for posting it on its website — later removed it. It’s not a scientific poll; it’s a survey.”
“Media Matters for America contacted NEJM and received confirmation from spokeswoman Jennifer Zeis that the study had “nothing to do with the New England Journal of Medicine’s original research.” Zeis also made clear that the study “was not published by the New England Journal of Medicine.”"
Shouldn’t you?
March 18th, 2010 | 7:33 pm
Jeffery,
Good for you. Nice work, yet again. I admire your patience, thoughtfulness, and excellence in research, from what I’ve seen (to be fair, I have not examined all your posts here).
Further, I believe Jenn Zeis at NEJM released a statement or gave an interview regarding the “study” Smith (and Faux News) cites. I don’t have the time to dig this one out and cite it. (one should be looking for an official release, not a hear-say media interview)
The “study” Smith cites, was apparently, touted at “Faux News” – the propaganda outlet he turns to for insight, apparently. You may want to point out, with evidence, that this likely originated, as a media source, from “Faux News”. (I call this “propaganda” because Roger Ailes did not state his network practices journalism when directly questioned)
This would again demonstrate the deplorable research and scholarship of Smith as it is not a study. Just because “Faux News” calls it a study, does not make it so. This is a false syllogism – an error which has been repeated here many times before.
http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/262/2010/march/18/doctor-report-not-linked-to-medical-journal.html
Lobo has a troubling thought process. He goes with his alimentary canal, to use a new vernacular. His gut tells him Australia has a shortage – therefore it must be true!! No need to cite anything. Disturbing for one, presumably, in medicine.
I do disagree with you, Jeffery, on the assumption that Smith would present better evidence if he had it (there is sound evidence to argue against the present health care bill from the Senate). The question is, would Smith recognize quality data and evidence if he came across it? The body of evidence thus far suggests no such possibility.
Don’t sell yourself short, Jefferey. Many research professors are not as thorough in their sourcing as you are. Be skeptical, fearless, and uncompromising in quality when confronting data.
Lobo,
Firstly, I am not your mate. While I do not know your chromosomal arrangement, my mate selection is for XX. Secondly, good, retire. The next generation will step up. They’re brighter anyways. Yeah, as a path I’m sure you see soooooo many patients and deal with sooooo many children lacking coverage (I’m therefore skeptical of the implicit viewpoint of your argument, I am not skeptical of your stated desire to retire – whether you actually do so, well, the experiment must be run…) You can go hang out with Deepak Chopra and other faith healers during your retirement, if you find that emotional world-view more fitting. You failed to present evidence and data supporting your premise. Further, your mentions of recreational activities upon a wonderful natural biome do impart any emotions within me. I am relentlessly driven by data, evidence, and the truths of Nature, not recreation. Goodbye, Lobo; thank you for trying to make a point, though.
drock,
I can’t keep correcting you; it is tiresome. When addressing someone, a comma is in order. So, it should be, “good work, smarty”. This is something you should have learned in middle school.
March 18th, 2010 | 8:29 pm
jeffery ,
My Wife deals with medicare billing in her treatments. The clinics that she works with try to follow all of the “rulings” that medicare creates for billing. More often than not the bills are rejected. The only way that these clinics stay afloat, outside of the gym memberships is private insurance that understands the need for physical therapy(preventative) vs. surgical alternatives(which also require physical therapy yet is not always factored in). Is this the petri dish for obamacare funding? If it is…it should be reformed as well. By the way jeffery personal experience has a greater empirical value than consensus!
March 18th, 2010 | 9:05 pm
Oh by the way jeffery why don’t you go ahead and sample some of the U.S. medical fields finest and see if medicare is part of their regime. This may have more impact .
March 19th, 2010 | 8:42 am
wils,
I’m sorry your wife has trouble with Medicare billing. Although personal experience and anecdotes can be powerful propaganda tools they are no substitute for quantitative evidence.
Over 500 million Europeans from at least 30 nations quite successfully utilize some form of universal health care (what you would no doubt call ‘socialized medicine’) that, on average, costs about 1/2 what US citizens pay. Each and every year we spend as much as $1 trillion more than necessary on health care! For comparison, note that the entire cost of the current health care reform bill is less than $1 trillion for 10 years. The CBO estimates that tort reform would save $0.054 trillion over those same ten years. While $5 billion a year in savings is nothing to sneeze at, it represents less than 0.5% of annual health care spending. Put another way, enacting the cornerstone of most conservative health care plans, tort reform, would reduce our average spending from $8000 per person to $7960.
Back to the point of Mr. Smith’s original post: He relied on unsubstantiated information to support his point that health care reform will cause physicians to quit their jobs in droves. This is a typical ploy used by right-wing hacks like Limbaugh, Hannity and the odious Jim Hoft to “plant” their memes. I just expected better from Mr. Smith.
If someone has credible evidence that this is indeed true, by all means present it!
March 19th, 2010 | 11:52 am
jeffery,
move to europe
March 19th, 2010 | 1:18 pm
wils,
many physicians are not accepting medicaid, now, and/or taking new medicaid patients. this is a problem. reimbursements need to increase for starters at the outset. Personal responsibility among the corpulent, sedentary populace would be a nice addition. I would like to see taxes leveled on junk food, for example, to bolster medicaid funding. We could also stop all the nonsense military spending and this along would pretty much cover it. Further, insurance companies who have profited heavily for many years by killing children through denied coverage (I will leave it you to research this), could have their profits taxed heavily to pay more in medicaid. Finally, if we have a progressive tax system, a few of us could pay just a little more to likely save children’s lives and give them a healthy start.
Personal experience may, in most individual’s psyche, hold greater value than consensus. One is not stronger than the other. Consensus can be right or wrong as can conclusions from experience. For assessing the truth, both play second fiddle to empirical evidence – especially when this evidence is obstianed through methodological naturalism.
Jeffery,
You are correct, Smith should point out the flaw and error in his post. I trust by now that readers are well aware of his seriously flawed presentation and hold his propaganda in doubt.
March 19th, 2010 | 1:21 pm
haha, obstained…. obtained
March 19th, 2010 | 3:54 pm
wils,
And leave my country to the likes of you?
No, I’ll continue to help elect progressives here in an effort to repair the severe damage caused by conservative policies.
March 19th, 2010 | 8:24 pm
“Huge numbers?”
The survey states: “About 25 percent of respondents were primary care physicians (defined as internal medicine and family medicine in this case), and of those, 46 percent indicated that they would leave medicine — or try to leave medicine — as a result of health reform.”
Now the article doesn’t give us a margin of error, but 46% of 25% comes out to 11.5% which, while not an insignificant number, is hardly “huge.”
As far as I’m concerned if all this group of roughly one in ten primary care providers is worried about is how much less money they might make, then the profession is probably better off without them. God forbid they might have to trade in their BMWs for Chevys.
March 23rd, 2010 | 11:26 pm
Jeffrey,
I appreciate your honesty and thoroughness.
David,
When lobo wrote “You might want to check out Australia. Everybody there has health insurance, but nobody can find a doc. Good luck with your socialized medicine, mate. I’ll be SCUBAing the Great Barrier Reef.”, you responded “Firstly, I am not your mate. While I do not know your chromosomal arrangement, my mate selection is for XX.”. If you are deliberately misinterpreted lobo’s use of the word “mate”, don’t. It makes you look stupid. If you really meant it, I suggest you get out more, watch a “Crocodile Dundee” movie or something.
Um, “Faux News” might look clever in print but do you know how “faux” is pronounced?
It is somewhat amusing to see an arrogant know-it-all cluelessly display ignorance.
March 24th, 2010 | 3:05 am
they hate us for our freedom!
March 27th, 2010 | 2:01 am
As a medical student about to graduate in 3 weeks I can say I am afraid for the future of our healthcare system. At last count I will finish with $249,000 in debt with an income of approximately $50,000/yr for the next 3-7 years. After which the reimbursements for health care coupled with insurance and overhead costs make me wonder why I chose this field. The nightmare of medical school and the 100hr work weeks and stress of residency for the next few years are all for what? Minimal compensation, long stressful hours, and constant dear that even if you do your job right you may be sued? I didnt go into this for the money but I also didnt choose this path and give up a life until I’m in my 30′s to just scrape by. The brain drain from medicine that is going to take place will be astounding. The brightness minds across the country will no longer choose medicine when they find out there future prospects of being successful.
Several of the physicians I have worked with over the past 2 years have discussed retirement with the prospects to lie ahead. I can’t blame them and think they are making the right choice. May as well enjoy there time left.
Wesley J. Smith Reply:
March 27th, 2010 at 11:23 am
You should be afraid, Daniel. More importantly, we should all be afraid.
March 29th, 2010 | 12:17 pm
Well,
Being a physician for the last 25 years I am tired about all the recent crazy changes/obamacare; medicare: paycuts. Each patient needing a page of daily progress notes .typed documentation and electronic medical records, daily justification of why the pt. needs to be in the hospital, as if the small amount of money paid by medicare in follow ups is worth it . It is years of growing older and closer to the patient that makes us consider them as family , I personally
will fight any health care system to protect my patients . Medicaid which hardly pays us anything any way, can also deny us payment
but we have to take care of these patients and they can sue us regardless of the patient outcome. Computerized order entry /Documentation/ Case mangers/Utility staff paging us by the minute has made life difficult and miserable for us. Hence now with Obamacare. I am tearfully going to say goodbye to all my patients with Medicare. will stop making inpatient visits and go part time .My malpractice insurance will cut down drastically I will only accept select insurances and cut down on my office staff, and I believe I will only make marginally less then what I’m earning now!!!!!!! . I will teach primary care to local medical school and I will double the time I spend in my free weekly clinic for the indigent. Believe me am not going to let years of experience go waste.!!!!
April 7th, 2010 | 4:23 pm
Obamacare is socialism. Those who act like nothing will go wrong, do not know history are therefore are doomed to repeat it.
April 15th, 2010 | 2:34 pm
[...] to grow to be the worst in three decades and could rival that of the Great Depression… doctors will be driven to leave the medical profession once ObamaCare really kicks in… thousands of Americans will be attending tea parties across [...]
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