Is this the END of the American Physician Dream!

[redapple123]

With the universal system ( socialized medicine ) the physicians should expect a decrease in their pay check as they will be salaried.

This will make the US healthcare system as good as UK, canada, europe , asia.

Is US no longer a melting pot for doctors around the world?

Will certain specialities will suffer big time ?

Your input appreciated !

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[TexasPhysician]

Who is socializing medicine again?

 

[masterofmonkeys]

Personally my dream was to go into a career that I found intellectually challenging, personally satisfying, and that would enable me to make as much of a positive difference in peoples' lives as possible.

Last time I checked, I can still do that. I'm not worried about a decrease in income. I am on the other hand so scared that I'm practically bowel-prepped that medicaid and whatever else comes in its wake will stifle my ability to practice ethically and provide the most effective care for my patients.

 

[notdeadyet]

With the universal system ( socialized medicine )

Ugh. This old tired thing....

Google "universal healthcare". It is not synonymous with a social medicine model. Universal healthcare means everyone gets it. This can be done with private insurance.

Obama's model has been to supplement private insurance (note: it's not going anywhere) with government programs for those who can not afford it. We have this today, called medicaid/medicare. He is planning on expanding them.

the physicians should expect a decrease in their pay check as they will be salaried.

Source? There's been no talk of this. When they rolled out the first expansion of medicare/medicaid, physicians salaries rose. I wouldn't expect that to necessarily happen now, but to think we'll move to a government-employed model of work is just silly.

This will make the US healthcare system as good as UK, canada, europe , asia.

All of which have very different healthcare models from each us and from each other.

Seriously, read a book about the subject and you'll understand the issue a lot more clearly. I'd recommend "Understanding Health Policy" as a quick-read starter text. You'll have a better handle on why our system isn't so great and why comparative systems aren't so bad.

And read a bit on Obama's policy statements on healthcare. He's talking about expanding coverage to those who don't have it. Private insurance isn't going anywhere. And anyone who tells you they can predict what will happen to doctor's lifestyles/salaries right now is peering into a crystal ball.

 

[OldPsychDoc]

Ugh. This old tired thing....

Google "universal healthcare". It is not synonymous with a social medicine model. Universal healthcare means everyone gets it. This can be done with private insurance.
...
Seriously, read a book about the subject and you'll understand the issue a lot more clearly. I'd recommend "Understanding Health Policy" as a quick-read starter text. You'll have a better handle on why our system isn't so great and why comparative systems aren't so bad.

And read a bit on Obama's policy statements on healthcare. He's talking about expanding coverage to those who don't have it. Private insurance isn't going anywhere. And anyone who tells you they can predict what will happen to doctor's lifestyles/salaries right now is peering into a crystal ball.

Gotta reiterate--check out the book by Ezekiel Emanuel, brother of Obama's soon-to-be-Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel. It will give you an idea of how a universal model might be established--and you gotta think that these ideas are going to be tossed around the West Wing quite a bit if Rahm is running things!

 

[BobA]

There's actually a video about Obama's plan on NEJM.org if you're a member or your institution has a subscription.

 

[notdeadyet]

Gotta reiterate--check out the book by Ezekiel Emanuel, brother of Obama's soon-to-be-Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel. It will give you an idea of how a universal model might be established--and you gotta think that these ideas are going to be tossed around the West Wing quite a bit if Rahm is running things!

Meh, I'm underwhelmed. Folks ran around saying the sky was falling when Clinton came into office and wanted to tackle heatlhcare as well. Socialized healthcare didn't go down under his presidency and with Obama inheriting an expensive, unpopular war, unfathomable debt and an economic crisis, it's not going to happen under his as well.

He'll patch together an extension of some social programs for the poor uninsured and leave those who pay for private insurance in their hands. I'd love to see a dismantling/rebuild of the system to addressed the real issues and got rid of the 31% of the healthcare budget spent on paperpushing, but it ain't going to happen now.

This would be a great discussion to have once he actually proposes doing something meaningful. In the meantime, it's the same old tired song of small victories and attention paid elsewhere. I'll start listening to the alarmists when there is some kind of substantial change afoot. I'm not holding my breath.

 

[whopper]

There are several ways to universalize healthcare.

Most industrialized nations have a universal healthcare system. Several of those countries such as Canada & the UK have very different systems despite them both being socialized & universal, with highly different levels of doctor satisfaction.

New changes to the healthcare system will solve problems, but can also cause new ones. If there are changes made, we as doctors should lobby to push the improvements, while preventing problematic legislation from being introduced.

And I wouldn't call the current system a "dream". It is riddled with problems. I am though cautious with any proposed changes to the system.

 

[wolfvgang22]

Another red scare, such as the one in 1913, and recurred again in the 1950's would only make psychiatrists more indispensable, provided we aren't also labeled at socialist commies.