Nearly One-Third of Doctors Could Leave Medicine if Health-Care Reform Bill Passes

[carpro]

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/62812

Nearly One-Third of Doctors Could Leave Medicine if Health-Care Reform Bill Passes, New England Journal of Medicine Says

Tuesday, March 16, 2010
By Christopher Neefus

(CNSNews.com) - Nearly one-third of all practicing physicians may leave the medical profession if President Obama signs current versions of health-care reform legislation into law, according to a survey published in the latest issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

The survey, which was conducted by the Medicus Firm, a leading physician search and consulting firm based in Atlanta and Dallas, found that a majority of physicians said health-care reform would cause the quality of American medical care to “deteriorate” and it could be the “final straw” that sends a sizeable number of doctors out of medicine.

More than 29 percent (29.2) percent of the nearly 1,200 doctors who responded to the survey said they would quit the profession or retire early if health reform legislation becomes law. If a public option were included in the legislation, as several liberal Senators have indicated they would like, the number would jump to 45.7 percent.

 

[KenH]

I wonder what profession these doctors think they will go into with the skill set they have or would they go back to college to get a degree in something else.

 

[carpro]

My personal physician is in his early fifties and has said he will retire. Many of our most experienced physicians will do the same. There are already too few primary care physicians. There will be even fewer.

Another choice is to refuse to accept medicare and medicaide patients.

The effect is the same. Less patient access to doctors and longer waits for treatment.

 

[KenH]

My personal physician is in his early fifties and has said he will retire.

I hope he has lots and lots of money saved if he is going to live off savings for potentially around 30 -50 years.

 

[carpro]

I hope he has lots and lots of money saved if he is going to live off savings for potentially around 30 -50 years.

I'm sure it won't be a problem or he wouldn't do it. I'm also sure he would appreciate your concern for his financial condition.

 

[StefanM]

I don't believe it. Payments on BMWs are quite high.

I understand retirement, but quitting the profession? Gah. It sounds like the people who say they will leave the country.

 

[webdog]

I don't know if this is more of a knock on the healthcare bill or the doctors.

 

[Alcott]

This might be a good time to enter medical school. I regret that I'm too old-- couldn't expect to have 10 years to practice.

 

[Robert Snow]

My personal physician is in his early fifties and has said he will retire. Many of our most experienced physicians will do the same.

Good! That will make room for younger more educated doctors to fill the gap. As long as there are patients, there will be doctors.

BTW, my doctor is in his mid-sixties, and he has not said anything about this bill affecting his career.

 

[JohnDeereFan]

My personal physician is in his early fifties and has said he will retire. Many of our most experienced physicians will do the same. There are already too few primary care physicians. There will be even fewer.

Yeah, this is something I've talked about with my doctor, too.

He says that two things are going to happen. The first is that you're going to see a huge number of doctors retire or go "underground" (and I don't mean "underground" in the illegal sense, only in a non-traditional sense) and offer their services for cash. The second thing is that the problem of the mass retirement of doctors is going to be compounded by fewer people deciding to go into medicine.

My doctor has told me many times that he and his partners have to have a staff of twenty people just to handle all of the paperwork and that if it wasn't for that, they could greatly reduce their overhead and charge people less to pay cash than they're paying now with insurance deductables.

Imagine what a nightmare this is going to be with increased paperwork and bureaucracy.

Another choice is to refuse to accept medicare and medicaide patients.

Many doctors refuse now.

The effect is the same. Less patient access to doctors and longer waits for treatment.

Many liberals already regret voting for Lord Barry. Just imagine the first time they're told "we can fit you in in two months".

It's going to be bad enough in the next election cycle and in 2012, but if this bill goes through, it's going to be the end of the Democrat party.

 

[JohnDeereFan]

Good! That will make room for younger more educated doctors to fill the gap.

First of all, older doctors are not less educated. They're required by law to undergo continuing education. Not to mention that what they may lack in "education", they more than make up for in experience.

Second, I don't want a younger doctor. I want a doctor my age or older, because I just don't trust young people today.

As long as there are patients, there will be doctors.

The question isn't whether or not there will be doctors, but whether or not there will be enough doctors to make up for the mass exodous among currect doctors, and whether there will be enough to accomodate "48 million" (Mao-Bama's own estimate) potential new patients.

 

[carpro]

Good! That will make room for younger more educated doctors to fill the gap. As long as there are patients, there will be doctors.

BTW, my doctor is in his mid-sixties, and he has not said anything about this bill affecting his career.

Here's betting you haven't asked him, making your statement irrelevent.

If you had, he would have said something, one way or the other.

 

[Robert Snow]

Here's betting you haven't asked him, making your statement irrelevent [sic].

If you had, he would have said something, one way or the other.

No, I didn't ask him directly, it's not really any of my business what his plans are. We did, however, discuss this pending legislation, and he did not say anything about retiring.

 

[carpro]

No, I didn't ask him directly, it's not really any of my business what his plans are. We did, however, discuss this pending legislation, and he did not say anything about retiring.

At his age, it's not a big deal. He can probably retire anytime and doesn't really care what takes place.

If it's more trouble than it's worth, he'll walk away. If not, he may hang around a few years.

Are you ready to look for a new doctor if he doesn't like what happens? That makes it very much your business, just not your decision.

 

[billwald]

Don't worry. There are plenty of good doctors in India who speak good English and would be pleased to come to the US.

 

[righteousdude2]

I Don't Think That Many Will Leave..

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/62812

Nearly One-Third of Doctors Could Leave Medicine if Health-Care Reform Bill Passes, New England Journal of Medicine Says

Tuesday, March 16, 2010
By Christopher Neefus

(CNSNews.com) - Nearly one-third of all practicing physicians may leave the medical profession if President Obama signs current versions of health-care reform legislation into law, according to a survey published in the latest issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

The survey, which was conducted by the Medicus Firm, a leading physician search and consulting firm based in Atlanta and Dallas, found that a majority of physicians said health-care reform would cause the quality of American medical care to “deteriorate” and it could be the “final straw” that sends a sizeable number of doctors out of medicine.

More than 29 percent (29.2) percent of the nearly 1,200 doctors who responded to the survey said they would quit the profession or retire early if health reform legislation becomes law. If a public option were included in the legislation, as several liberal Senators have indicated they would like, the number would jump to 45.7 percent.

While I expect some to leave, I don't think it will be that many. They spent to much money, and sacrificed to much personal sweat and time to give up their profession.

I hope, for the sake of mankind, that this is pure hype.

That doesn't mean the bill is good in any way. It is a "political farce" and people will soon have their eyes opened all the way [should the bill pass] as they see that NOT ALL Americans will be automatically insured: that their cost for this insurance will decrease; when they are told that a certain Rx is no longer available; when they lose the right to have their regular doctors and specialists; when they are told to wait for a life-threatening surgery; when they are told... well, why am I preaching to the choir? You know more than I do, what a bag of lies this health care plan is!