Universal Healthcare and You !!

[MSKmonky]

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Would some of you more knowledgeable SDN-frequenters like to enlighten me on possible effects that a Universal System of Healthcare (not that we will every be totally 100% universal) will have on us?

(If you can sum it up in 3 word I'll give you 10 extra points)... but please elaborate.

 

[drusso]

Would some of you more knowledgeable SDN-frequenters like to enlighten me on possible effects that a Universal System of Healthcare (not that we will every be totally 100% universal) will have on us?

(If you can sum it up in 3 word I'll give you 10 extra points)... but please elaborate.

Depending on the details of the financing, the three words could either be "work for free" or "medicine's golden age."

A strictly government financed and managed system (aka "socialized medicine") will likely suck out all of the remaining entrepreneurial life left in medicine.

A public/private system with multiple revenue streams (ie government, employers, individual medical savings accounts) coupled with cost-containments (liability reform, loan forgiveness, and pay for performance, tax incentives for healthy lifestyle choices, etc) would be a huge boon.

It all depends...in general, "universal coverage" = good for doctors; "universal payor" = bad for doctors.

 

[PMR 4 MSK]

# of pts with insurance then $/RVU then
_______________________ X __________ = ????
# of pts with insurance now $/RVU now

More patients will have insurance, so they'll use it = more pts to be seen.

We'll have less doctors according to most analyses I've seen (# retiring > # graduating).

that = more pts/doctor.

At best we could hope that it pays as much as Medicare, more likely somewhere b/w Medicare and Medicaid.

On the plus side, there may be less hassels for pre-certification.

 

[PT2MD]

Have most of the single-payer proposals included some form of tort reform? I would imagine the increase in pt/physician ratio must have some impact on error rates.

Sorry for talking out of turn here. I normally just read everyone's posts but was curious how the single-payer programs are prepared to handle this. The folks who back single-payer systems are typically in line with trial lawyers who would stand to lose a ton with massive tort reform.

If I get into school this year, I may be asking more stupid questions as I'm looking to possibly go into PM&R. Happy Thanksgiving!

 

[ampaphb]

Have most of the single-payer proposals included some form of tort reform? I would imagine the increase in pt/physician ratio must have some impact on error rates.

Sorry for talking out of turn here. I normally just read everyone's posts but was curious how the single-payer programs are prepared to handle this. The folks who back single-payer systems are typically in line with trial lawyers who would stand to lose a ton with massive tort reform.

If I get into school this year, I may be asking more stupid questions as I'm looking to possibly go into PM&R. Happy Thanksgiving!

You answered your own question, I believe

Dems favor health care reform, but also align themselves with the trial lawyers financially, and so are not going to address tort reform.

Docs are therefore stuck in the middle, as usual - reform the system OR fix the medicolegal crisis, but not both, unless there is a consensus, and that seems far too utopian to actually ever come to fruition

 

[Gauss]

(If you can sum it up in 3 word I'll give you 10 extra points)... but please elaborate.

Ok
IT IS INEVITABLE
there ya go
I'd rather have universal coverage for my family and myself and to hell with how it affects my career. Talk to your patients and you will come to 2 conclusions: Don't get sick and don't get old.

 

[TRAMD]

Depending on the details of the financing, the three words could either be "work for free" or "medicine's golden age."

A strictly government financed and managed system (aka "socialized medicine") will likely suck out all of the remaining entrepreneurial life left in medicine.

A public/private system with multiple revenue streams (ie government, employers, individual medical savings accounts) coupled with cost-containments (liability reform, loan forgiveness, and pay for performance, tax incentives for healthy lifestyle choices, etc) would be a huge boon.

It all depends...in general, "universal coverage" = good for doctors; "universal payor" = bad for doctors.

This post is well thought-out, succinct and easy to understand. Bravo.