- Joined
- Mar 20, 2008
- Messages
- 780
- Reaction score
- 12
Yup, figured something like this was going to happen! Glad I'm out of training, 🙄, as this will throw a monkey-wrench into a lot people's plans post-residency.
[I]Obamacare to Bring Changes for Newly Minted Doctors
by Rose McQuivey
AP News
In a move sure to shake up the training of the nation's doctors, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will announce this week what she calls a "comprehensive and proactive" change in how doctors in training receive licensure to practice medicine. Specifically, the new requirements will require that recently graduated doctors spend 200 hours per week, for 3 years annually after completion of training, serving patients from federally designated health care shortage pools, who might otherwise have difficulty finding a doctor.
Congress has, over the past couple years, begun looking at the issue of Medicare flight whereby physicians are increasingly opting to dump Medicare patients in favor of those with higher paying insurance. In order to prevent what Sebelius calls "ingrained medical practice behaviors that disenfranchise poorer patients" early in a physician's career—a bigger concern now with the impending implementation of Obamacare's health insurance exchanges—she says that requiring 200 hours of work per year at a healthcare shortage pool is a means of both supplying the physician workforce that will be needed, as well as opening young doctors' eyes to new practice options provided by federally run healthcare exchanges.
The definition of what constitutes a healthcare shortage pool will be made based on statistical analysis of healthcare usage, as well as studies measuring the amount of time people need to find a primary care physician, as well as specialty care. Sebelius notes that while a large percentage of healthcare shortage pools are located in rural counties, certain urban areas have a difficulty filling specific positions.
"We have to be proactive with encouraging newly graduated doctors to help us address workforce shortages in areas which have been, historically, underserved. We don't view the 200 hours per year requirement for licensure as onerous, but rather integral towards responsible growth of our healthcare system." Once doctors complete three years of part time service they would then be able to participate fully in federally run health care exchanges.[/I]
Wonder if they'll let folks do 600 hours in a row post-residency versus having to do 200 per year for 3. Legislators don't understand logistics.
[I]Obamacare to Bring Changes for Newly Minted Doctors
by Rose McQuivey
AP News
In a move sure to shake up the training of the nation's doctors, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will announce this week what she calls a "comprehensive and proactive" change in how doctors in training receive licensure to practice medicine. Specifically, the new requirements will require that recently graduated doctors spend 200 hours per week, for 3 years annually after completion of training, serving patients from federally designated health care shortage pools, who might otherwise have difficulty finding a doctor.
Congress has, over the past couple years, begun looking at the issue of Medicare flight whereby physicians are increasingly opting to dump Medicare patients in favor of those with higher paying insurance. In order to prevent what Sebelius calls "ingrained medical practice behaviors that disenfranchise poorer patients" early in a physician's career—a bigger concern now with the impending implementation of Obamacare's health insurance exchanges—she says that requiring 200 hours of work per year at a healthcare shortage pool is a means of both supplying the physician workforce that will be needed, as well as opening young doctors' eyes to new practice options provided by federally run healthcare exchanges.
The definition of what constitutes a healthcare shortage pool will be made based on statistical analysis of healthcare usage, as well as studies measuring the amount of time people need to find a primary care physician, as well as specialty care. Sebelius notes that while a large percentage of healthcare shortage pools are located in rural counties, certain urban areas have a difficulty filling specific positions.
"We have to be proactive with encouraging newly graduated doctors to help us address workforce shortages in areas which have been, historically, underserved. We don't view the 200 hours per year requirement for licensure as onerous, but rather integral towards responsible growth of our healthcare system." Once doctors complete three years of part time service they would then be able to participate fully in federally run health care exchanges.[/I]
Wonder if they'll let folks do 600 hours in a row post-residency versus having to do 200 per year for 3. Legislators don't understand logistics.
