Socialized Medicine

[Framecontrol]

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Hey whats up everyone. Yea I am new to the forums by the way.


Do you guys think that socialized medicine will effect us negatively when we become optometrists? I am seriously questioning if I want to continue with optometry just because of this issue.

Anyone with some knowledge on this topic please share.

Thanks
-Matt

 

[KHE]

Hey whats up everyone. Yea I am new to the forums by the way.


Do you guys think that socialized medicine will effect us negatively when we become optometrists? I am seriously questioning if I want to continue with optometry just because of this issue.

Anyone with some knowledge on this topic please share.

Thanks
-Matt

To the extent that optometrists are allowed to participate in the system I think it will generally be a good thing for optometry. How it will affect the health care system as a whole is a bit of a different matter but I think for optometry it will be good. (Again, providing that we are included in it)

 

[Framecontrol]

To the extent that optometrists are allowed to participate in the system I think it will generally be a good thing for optometry. How it will affect the health care system as a whole is a bit of a different matter but I think for optometry it will be good. (Again, providing that we are included in it)

i understand, by how will it be good? what positive manifestations will it bring?

 

[hye345]

i understand, by how will it be good? what positive manifestations will it bring?

As far as I know, currently there are quite a few insurance panels that discriminate against optometrists. If optometrists are allowed to participate in socialized medicine, then they might be able to bill for more stuff.

Also, there is always money on the retail side of optometry; this will probably not get affected by socialized medicine.

 

[alleigh79]

What is socialized medicine? Maybe just an unfamiliar term...😕

 

[hye345]

What is socialized medicine? Maybe just an unfamiliar term...😕

Socialized medicine is universal health care.

 

[JAZZEYE]

Goverment managed health care.
Lots of ?????
Nobody has devised a practical plan yet.
Hillary Clinton's never flew.... most other politicians want to leave that box alone.

I would be really interested to hear the senior Docs here speculate on how this might play out for Optoms.

 

[gochi]

I agree with KHE.

If optometrist's obtain rights to perform surgery, like opthamologists, then socialized medicine will effect optometry, in general.

But I really don't have a clue as to whether it will have a positive or negative overall impact, perhaps it will not have an imapact whatsoever.

Actually now that I think of it, socialized medicine may as well have a huge impact on the retail side of optometry.

 

[KHE]

I agree with KHE.

If optometrist's obtain rights to perform surgery, like opthamologists, then socialized medicine will effect optometry, in general.

But I really don't have a clue as to whether it will have a positive or negative overall impact, perhaps it will not have an imapact whatsoever.

Actually now that I think of it, socialized medicine may as well have a huge impact on the retail side of optometry.

In no way was I referring to "surgical rights" when I was talking about optometrists acceptance into a socialized system.

 

[cpw]

In no way was I referring to "surgical rights" when I was talking about optometrists acceptance into a socialized system.

no way.

Socialized medicine would mean people in the US now with no access to health care or vision care would be able to see someone. (and we'd actually get reimbursed) Granted, the reimbursement would probably be less but many more people who don't get routine exams would. Kind of a trade off.

 

[Dr Gump]

If you study socialized medicine logically, it would seem evident that it will not emerge in the United States, soon. Third party payors like Blue Cross/Blue Shield, United Healthcare, Aetna and Humana make billions of dollars selling health insurance. They are also masters at delaying payments to physicians to utilize their "float" to gain interest to achieve even more wealth. This fact drives their strong lobbyists to ensure that politicians understand who "butters their bread". Hillary can talk all she likes about socialized medicine, but I just don't see it transpiring.

I believe a better question students and doctors should ask is "How do we get organized enough to create a more efficient medical insurance model that benefits its patients fairly and reimburses its physicians in a timely manner?" If Optometrists developed such a system and organization, we would not need to worry about being included. So, all you multi-talented students and doctors out there......get started and develop this system. You have my support!

 

[AwesomeSauce]

It would be a disaster. Think about the fee schedules. Right now, in order to get doctors on panel, the insurance companies must compete with each other’s fee schedules. If they drop the fee schedule too low, the providers will quit, this is not good for the insurance company.

In a socialistic universal healthcare program there would be only a single payer, the federal government. What is the incentive to pay us reasonable fees? Suddenly they have made the competition illegal.

Need to balance the budget? just cut doctor pay. The same people who propose universal healthcare think doctors "make too much money" anyway.
Doctors will be seeing more patients while making less money.
Reimbursements will be below what medicare pays today. Keep in mind that medicare is already a "discount" program.

make no mistake about it, intentional or not, universal healthcare is an attack on doctors perpetrated by well-intentioned fools.

Quality of care will decline as we can no longer afford to buy the latest technology. The 255 million Americans that have health coverage will suffer to benefit that 45 million that don't. When your practices net suffers, do you think you will still buy that scanning laser that can detect glaucoma before the patient sustains some field loss?

 

[Framecontrol]

wow this really isn't good....

instead of focusing on the negative we need to do what Dr. Gump says and instead be proactive....

Dr. Gump, any suggestions on how to get started?? I haven't got the first clue as to what insurance is all about let alone creating my own model that would be implemented across the USA. Yet I will give it 100% of my energy to make something happen... hmmm

 

[Dr Gump]

wow this really isn't good....

instead of focusing on the negative we need to do what Dr. Gump says and instead be proactive....

Dr. Gump, any suggestions on how to get started?? I haven't got the first clue as to what insurance is all about let alone creating my own model that would be implemented across the USA. Yet I will give it 100% of my energy to make something happen... hmmm

What is the old saying? "A journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step." I'm sure I misquoted that, but you get the idea. Medical insurance is a very complicated business. It is made that way on purpose, so a simpleton like myself will get tired of trying to make sense of it and accept it. I don't think todays system is very efficient. The process could be broken down into a credit card-type of transaction and funds could (and should) be transferred immediately.
As you proceed into the medical world, you will find that third party payors have lots of leverage in how we treat patients. It shouldn't be that way. There are many models of alternative plans, but a large financial backing would be necessary to implement a "new" process.
The first step every future medical professional could take would be to unite into a cohesive team. No bickering needed. We are in this for the same thing...patient care. It is that simple. Payment for those services should be that simple too! Oh, well. In a perfect world maybe, but greed and corruption seem to be the norm today.
Figure out how to form this cohesive team and then we'll have some leverage of our own.
Good luck.