Obamacare and OMFS. Good, bad or neutral?

[duknowme]

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Just wanted to get a feel for what everyone thinks about this issue. I know this could get very political and heated but let's just try to be open to other peoples ideas and points.

In few words, I am more of the opinion that Obamacare will not affect OMFS much at all due to the elective nature of most of our procedures.

Your thoughts???

 

[Adversary]

If it is anything like what is in Canada, dentistry is completely excluded from the health care system. In the past, certain provinces attempted to include dental care into the universal health care only to find that it cost way too much and soon abandoned it.

Just wanted to get a feel for what everyone thinks about this issue. I know this could get very political and heated but let's just try to be open to other peoples ideas and points.

In few words, I am more of the opinion that Obamacare will not affect OMFS much at all due to the elective nature of most of our procedures.

Your thoughts???

 

[duknowme]

What about things like TMJ surgery and Orthognathics. Insurance already sucks for ortho cases and getting worse by the year. TMJ is hard to get reimbursement for as well. OMFS is by far the experts on these two types of surgery. May be tough to get them done anymore.

Who knows though. Maybe trauma will start paying more? Right now the way things are these things are almost exclusively done by academic institutions. I would love to do Trauma when I get out. I would also love to pay off my student loan debt. Tough to do both right out of residency.

 

[senpai]

Anything reimbursed through Medical Insurance will be less & less, Obamacare takes $500 billion out of Medicare (health-care part of Social Security that you have been paying into your entire life; you'll end up getting less) and expands Medicaid (Health-care for 'poor' which reimburses ~55% of market fees), there are new, additional taxes for ObamaCare which you'll have to pay (to pay for others insurance since you make too much money), and the issue of being a small business owner and being MANDATED to provide Health-Insurance for your employees (those who work over 120 hours/month; ends up costing minimum $7,000/year/employee).

Basically, to avoid doing work for free or losing money, stay away from anything reimbursed through Medical Insurance, do not accept Medicare or Medicaid, make sure none of your employees are working 120+ hours/month, get ready for the government to rip you a new one with unprecedented levels of taxation, and lastly be active in lobbying to keep government out of Dentistry and keep controls on our leaders in the ADA to avoid any sort of Socialist Crusade like the AMA has done which has destroyed medicine. Medical physicians have been disgusted with the AMA for years, only about half are even members as a result, and they have done nothing but harm to medicine with their ultra-left agenda.

2 good videos about the impact of ObamaCare on Doctors and Small Business owners:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77Lf7k-Q-jo&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUQHS6t89fM

 

[uva09]

Dentistry was excluded from Obamacare sans a pediatric provision pegged for 2014.

Will Obamacare affect dentistry?

That probably depends, in part, on who wins the general election this coming year and/or if the Supreme Court rules in favor or against the act's constitutionality. The high court is slated to begin oral arguments in late March of this year. Whether or not we will see a verdict before the presidential election remains to be seen.

As senpai noted, avoid Medicare and Medicaid. Obamacare is poised to expand Medicare enrollment by some 18 million individuals without doing anything to responsibly or effectively alter reimbursement policies or rates.

I have heard that within the bill there is some language suggesting taxes on medical appliances, which would included dental appliances - crowns, implants, dentures, etc.

In general, increased government bureaucracy and regulation is bad news and puts the dental community well within the crosshairs of future legislation. The law seems to have many "eggs" - convoluted language and framework with the potential to affect the dental industry in the future.

 

[senpai]

Dentistry was excluded from Obamacare sans a pediatric provision pegged for 2014.

Will Obamacare affect dentistry?

That probably depends, in part, on who wins the general election this coming year and/or if the Supreme Court rules in favor or against the act's constitutionality. The high court is slated to begin oral arguments in late March of this year. Whether or not we will see a verdict before the presidential election remains to be seen.

As senpai noted, avoid Medicare and Medicaid. Obamacare is poised to expand Medicare enrollment by some 18 million individuals without doing anything to responsibly or effectively alter reimbursement policies or rates.

I have heard that within the bill there is some language suggesting taxes on medical appliances, which would included dental appliances - crowns, implants, dentures, etc.

In general, increased government bureaucracy and regulation is bad news and puts the dental community well within the crosshairs of future legislation. The law seems to have many "eggs" - convoluted language and framework with the potential to affect the dental industry in the future.

This is true. Add 2.3% to any and every dental appliance you buy. Doesn't seem like much, bit it adds up.

 

[yappy]

I had a discussion with an older radiologist who was telling me the story of medicare. He said that they believed it would destroy medicine; however, he has said on average his salary has continued to go up and up. As a family friendI have never asked him how much he makes; though, based off of MGMA's last year survey it is not unreasonable to say 500k+ with a 4% raise from the previous year. I wouldnt say that medicine has been ruined.

Though, I see a negative trend.

Is Obamacare the new medicare? Maybe, I dont know. I think overall the less people dependent on gov health program the better. I've noticed a shift in peoples thinking on blogs, message boards, and through talking to the older members of my family. It seems that because so many people are on these programs they think that medical care is something they deserve. As a result they're becoming bitter towards the prices and earnings of providers - I've even heard people say "providers should make no more than X". They justify this because they're concerned about the national debt BUT are not willing to let go of their medicare or contribute more of their own money.

The irony is that the market value of what providers do is being undervalued. My hope is that dentisry doesnt get effected by gov programs; however, I can see the potential for more and more gov involvement. Esp when you consider that everyone has wisdom teeth - many need them extracted - and it's expensive. There are some votes to be bought right there...

EDIT: In health care reform there was also money provided for the development of mid-level training / pilot programs.