Health for the Universe

[peduncle]

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this thread was started for other fields as well so I thought "what the hey..."

How do you think the onset of Universal or Socialized Healthcare will affect radiologists in the future. In your honest opinion...

 

[f_w]

this thread was started for other fields as well so I thought "what the hey..."

How do you think the onset of Universal or Socialized Healthcare will affect radiologists in the future. In your honest opinion...

In my honest opinion, there is no universal or socialized healthcare on the horizon for the US. The role of the goverment in funding healthcare will increase just based on demographics, but that is not the same as socialized or even universal care.

All I hear are a small but loud minority of people who try to create the impression that 'we are moving towards socialized healthcare' and that it is 'inevitable'.

I do see some efforts to move towards universal healthcare though. A couple of states are trying to accomplish this and I am all for it (I disagree with some of the methods used, the goal is a good one).

I just don't see us all as goverment employees dispensing a tax-funded benefit (socialized healthcare in the narrower sense).

 

[peduncle]

so you see no drastic reimbursement decreases.. etc.. etc.. thats pretty good. Other forums seem to have painted at least a slight gloomy picture as far as their particular specialties go.

There seems to be no negatives in Radiology...

 

[f_w]

so you see no drastic reimbursement decreases.. etc.. etc..

Didn't say that.

The goverment which is the primary payor for more than half of the medical care will try to squeeze us, no doubt. And the larger their share of the pie gets, the more market power they have.

I just don't see the scenario of a canadian style single-payor sozialized system coming our way.

 

[nutcancer]

if healthcare becomes socialized, radiology will be the first field to take a hit as imaging costs are the biggest burden. all physicians will take a hit but radiologists first. that's what i think...

 

[f_w]

if healthcare becomes socialized, radiology will be the first field to take a hit as imaging costs are the biggest burden. all physicians will take a hit but radiologists first. that's what i think...

Imaging represents anywhere between 10 and 15% of total healthcare cost. While it is easy to point at that $600 CT scan as being 'expensive', if it allows to send a patient home after a 2 hr ER stay for $500 rather than a 24hr observation for $2600, it is highly cost effective.

The fastest areas of growth in imaging are in self-referred clinician imaging (OBs doing US, cards doing myocardial perfusion imaging and echo etc.). Anyone planning to cut the froth will do well to look at that area first.

 

[peduncle]

"The fastest areas of growth in imaging are in self-referred clinician imaging (OBs doing US, cards doing myocardial perfusion imaging and echo etc.). Anyone planning to cut the froth will do well to look at that area first."


So other fields will try to engulf imaging techniques into their arsenal. Hasn't this been a possibility for a while? Radiology doesn't seem to be affected by this.

 

[nutcancer]

does the radiology community have any lobbyists? seriously, this is the only way things get done in washington. why haven't radiologists been more unified and protecting their interests from day 1? what can us future radiologists do to help?

 

[f_w]

So other fields will try to engulf imaging techniques into their arsenal. Hasn't this been a possibility for a while? Radiology doesn't seem to be affected by this.

Overall the imaging sector is growing, so the additional imaging performed in physicians imaging doesn't cut into the amount done by radiologists (only into the proportion). Otoh, the expansion of this in-office imaging (and of independent testing facilities) has not been linked to improved outcomes.

 

[f_w]

does the radiology community have any lobbyists? seriously, this is the only way things get done in washington. why haven't radiologists been more unified and protecting their interests from day 1?

The radiology community has lobbyists, mainly through the american college of radiology.
The problem is that the AMA is firmly in support of self-referred clinician imaging. Whenever the ACR tries to get medicare/congress to restrict self referred imaging (e.g. through the Stark II law), the AMA and ACC drag out some little old lady from a rural community that would have to drive 5 hrs to get an ultrasound done if it wasn't for self-referral.....

what can us future radiologists do to help?

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