The Washington Times (7/24, Devaney) reports, “As if the problem weren’t already bad enough, several medical professionals told a House panel that the Obama administration has made things worse with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, among other health care reforms.” The Times notes that “doctors are finding it increasingly difficult to run private practices and are fleeing to hospitals,” and “the trend is likely to continue as doctors’ preferences have changed.” Notably, “Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle appeared interested in solving the problems that plague medical professionals” 
Blogfinger Medical Commentary: By Paul Goldfinger, MD, FACC
The medical profession is currently in a state of high anxiety. The entire healthcare industry has been strategizing as to how to deal with the new healthcare law. Even though much of the law’s contents has yet to be revealed, the deck is currently being reshuffled by healthcare providers.
One of the changes is for large health systems to be organized so as to incorporate hospitals, labs, doctors practices, electronic medical records and even insurance coverage as they worry about staying afloat under the new system.
Doctors are particularly concerned about reimbursements. Medicare payments for doctors, especially specialists, may be severely cut. Increased practice regulations will put pressure on doctors to change their ways. Doctors fear government interference with the doctor patient relationship. Many doctors do not see how they can make a profit if new regulations force them to increase their business costs, such as with increased paper work and data entry.
My own doctor is an internist who said that he may not be able to continue running his office due to increased costs of doing business. I found this shocking since he is a very good physician, but he is not the type to look for gimmicks to increase his income. Another doctor I know is a member of a large private heme-oncology practice which is under pressure to join a giant hospital system where he works. So far his group is resisting, but they may be forced to sell out. Also, new med school graduates have lowered expectations and don’t mind working for a salary in exchange for an easier lifestyle.
Many doctors will reluctantly leave practice, and the promises made by Obamacare will be stifled by shortages of doctors and other providers. I never thought I would see the day where doctors drop out due to business failure; but it is happening.
So if your doctor seems grouchy, give him a hug and lend him a few bucks.
While I’m not an expert on this subject, I do know that the Washington Times is notoriously anti-Obama. See refererences to the Washington Times in the following New York Times article.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/14/health/policy/14panel.html?_r=3&hpw
I’m no expert either, but I do remember, in the mid-1960s, how vociferously the AMA and other doctors’ organizations fought against the passage of Medicare and Medicaid, and how critical they were for years thereafter of Medicare in particular, disparaging it as a form of socialized medicine. It’s ironic now to read that the AMA and other professional organizations are opposed to cutbacks in Medicare payments. It’s hard to figure out what the medical profession does want in the way of government involvement in health care. But the statement that “doctors are particularly concerned about reimbursements” certainly rings true.
I think it was an error to continue to permit the private insurance companies to run the health care system. They should have just expanded Medicare to everyone. Michael Moore has said, “The private insurance companies are still running the show, and that is going to screw things up down the line.”
But it is good, as Michael Moore said, that the worst Oliver Twist nature of the old healthcare system are gone. Denying patient coverage is dead. Let’s hope the worst abuses against patients by the insurance companies don’t return.
This article is about the concerns that practicing physicians have regarding Obamacare. Everything stated in the article is true, so to condemn the AMA’s news source as being “anti-Obama” doesn’t change the truth of what was said.
As for the AMA, they did resist Medicare when it was passed nearly 50 years ago, but the medical profession has been supportive of Medicare for a long time. It should also be noted that the AMA did support the “Affordable Care Act” when it was passed two years ago.
And to be cynical because doctors need to make a living is a cheap shot at those who work tirelessly to provide quality care to their patients.
Health care professionals in the past ten years are pressured to see more patients per hour, are required to take more continual education, are subjected to more lawsuits AND they make less money. Let’s not be shocked that there is a doctor shortage.
Nothing wrong with working for a hospital -
A dear man that I know (a sculptor these days) retired after many productive years with Mayo Clinic. He said it was great to be salaried and was happy with his living.