The doctor is disappearing in America.
And by most projections, it’s only going to get worse — the U.S. could lose as many as 1 million doctors by 2025, according to a Association of American Medical Colleges report.
Primary-care physicians will account for as much as one-third of that shortage, meaning the doctor you likely interact with most often is also becoming much more difficult to see.
Tasked with checkups and referring more complicated health problems to specialists, these doctors have the most consistent contact with a patient. But 65 million people live in what’s “essentially a primary-care desert,” said Phil Miller of the physician search firm Merritt Hawkins.
Without those doctors, our medical system is “putting out forest fires — just treating the patients when they get really sick,” said Dr. Richard Olds, the chief executive officer of the Caribbean medical school St. George’s University, who is attempting to use his institution’s resources to help alleviate the shortage.
Dr. Ramanathan Raju, CEO of public hospital system NYC Health + Hospitals, goes even further, saying the U.S. lacks a basic primary-care system. “I think we really killed primary care in this country,” said Raju. “It needs to be addressed yesterday.”
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Must be nice to be able to go to the doctor. Ever since Obamacare came along I can no longer afford to go. I used to be able to pay a copay now I have a huge deductible before they pay a cent. I guess someone benefitting but it sure isn't the working class.
ReplyDeleteNo one should be surprised by this. Obamacare has made it virtually impossible for doctors to keep their costs down and with the onslaught of nuisance lawsuits from people who get pissy with doctors, malpractice insurance is through the roof. Costs high but Obamacare doesn't pay much back at all, leaving doctors with huge costs (and medical school loans to pay off) can't function and have any profit. People should have thought more about this before letting their representative vote for this train wreck.
ReplyDeleteInsurance is government mandated thievery at its finest.
ReplyDelete10:18 Ditto
ReplyDeleteI must be missing something. I have had insurance through every employer I've ever worked for and when I retired (at 45), I went on my wife's employer's plan. Can't name one person I know that didn't have insurance and was "forced" to get an obamacare plan. Our insurance has not changed substantially in the past 6 years. $10 co-pay for dr., $10-25 for majority of prescriptions, no cost dental cleaning 2x per year and no cost vision checkup/glasses every other year.
ReplyDeleteI'm 55 years old. Is it to late for me to become a physician?
ReplyDeleteExpected by reasonable people
ReplyDelete1:27 That is most peoples experience but it doesn't fit the gloom and doom narrative.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous Anonymous said...
ReplyDelete1:27 That is most peoples experience but it doesn't fit the gloom and doom narrative.
April 5, 2016 at 9:35 AM
what survey did you conduct to reach that conclusion? I'm like the other guy above, a large deductible before the ins. co. pays a cent. And when I go to see a doctor I wait forever, see some P.A. or some other assistant, rarely get to even talk to a doctor, and on the rare occasion a dr. makes an appearance, they are in a rush, talk 80mph while looking at a laptop and then rush out before you can remember to ask anything.
It seems they don't listen, take their marching orders from CDC or some other agency in D.C. and could care less what they patient wants or says.
We used to have good insurance too a long time ago. Company mergers, change of ins. plans, increased co-pays and deductibles. a "specialist" for every part of the body etc., I will only go to a doctors office now if I can't bear the pain or symptoms any longer.
If you have insurance that you like, good for you. But don't think that is the case for "most".