Alarmed by a shortage of primary care doctors, Obama administration officials are recruiting a team of “mystery shoppers” to pose as patients, call doctors’ offices and request appointments to see how difficult it is for people to get care when they need it, reports NYT.
The administration says the survey will address a “critical public policy problem”: the increasing shortage of primary care doctors, including specialists in internal medicine and family practice. It will also try to discover whether doctors are accepting patients with private insurance while turning away those in government health programs that pay lower reimbursement rates.
Don't be surprised if the "results" of this survey will imply that more government control of the sector is required, including making it mandatory for doctors to accept government healthcare programs. And that newly graduated medical students be required to "serve the country" by being required to practice for a period in a region of the country where no one wants to go.
Bottom line: If you are a physician under 45, you should be packing now, and pick up your practice somewhere in South America, or perhaps the Caribbean.
Source
The administration says the survey will address a “critical public policy problem”: the increasing shortage of primary care doctors, including specialists in internal medicine and family practice. It will also try to discover whether doctors are accepting patients with private insurance while turning away those in government health programs that pay lower reimbursement rates.
Don't be surprised if the "results" of this survey will imply that more government control of the sector is required, including making it mandatory for doctors to accept government healthcare programs. And that newly graduated medical students be required to "serve the country" by being required to practice for a period in a region of the country where no one wants to go.
Bottom line: If you are a physician under 45, you should be packing now, and pick up your practice somewhere in South America, or perhaps the Caribbean.
Source
1 comment:
The University of Maryland Medical School sends students to rural and underserved areas in Maryland, including the Eastern Shore, to assist local doctors. My wife did it outside of Easton and found it to be a rewarding, educational experience. As a result she has talked about one day setting up a practice in the area. So, while I think "forcing" doctors to spend time in a rural area after school may be a bit much, programs that reduce student loan debt for doctors who agree to practice in under privileged areas for a fixed period should be supported.
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