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Where do you believe the future of primary care medicine in America is going?
I think that one of two things will happen.
#1: Reimbursement will continue to fall to levels that docs can no longer afford to be in primary care. So, doctors will be forced to choose specialties to be able to pay back student loans/live like they want, etc. So, there will be no more primary care doctors. So, PAs/NPs will have to take over all primary care. Now, I can feel the fire coming from anti-mid level pre docs, but before you set your keyboard on fire, hear me out. Some will say that you are sacrificing expertise and putting the patient in danger. Well, expertise and treatment are relative when it comes to NPs/PAs vs Physicians; by that I mean if someone doesn't recognize what they see, they usually refer to a specialist, whether they are a doctor or a mid level. So, there would be more referals with the lower level of expertise. Lets face it; the vast majority of cases are cut and dry simple.
#2: Reimbursement will continue to fall to a level that causes a revolution by health care providers. It will be the gov't against the providers. If legislation will change the "free healthcare" society, it would be great for physicians and the people of America alike. I say completely reform the Medicaid system (or whatever the free healthcare for "indingents" is called in your state by cutting down the recipients to ONLY truly disabled people who can't work at any job at all, ever. And let a board of occupational docs and nurses decide who gets it. I would imagine that these people who truly need it are about 1-5% of those actually getting it. I think children with parents who are deceased/truly disabled should also be taken care of. Now, put all the billions of dollars saved by cutting the aid back so much into government subsidized health insurance programs for all employers in America. This means it is mandated that all employers in America must provide health insurance to their employees because they are getting a check from the govt to help cover the premium. Now, the docs are happy because they are finally getting paid, the people are happy because they have jobs that provide health care coverage, and the unemployment drops dramatically because now in this country if you don't work, you don't get medical care, period. So, no free rides any more.
Give us all your thoughts, since we are all about to embark on this mission of health care in America in the future.
I think that one of two things will happen.
#1: Reimbursement will continue to fall to levels that docs can no longer afford to be in primary care. So, doctors will be forced to choose specialties to be able to pay back student loans/live like they want, etc. So, there will be no more primary care doctors. So, PAs/NPs will have to take over all primary care. Now, I can feel the fire coming from anti-mid level pre docs, but before you set your keyboard on fire, hear me out. Some will say that you are sacrificing expertise and putting the patient in danger. Well, expertise and treatment are relative when it comes to NPs/PAs vs Physicians; by that I mean if someone doesn't recognize what they see, they usually refer to a specialist, whether they are a doctor or a mid level. So, there would be more referals with the lower level of expertise. Lets face it; the vast majority of cases are cut and dry simple.
#2: Reimbursement will continue to fall to a level that causes a revolution by health care providers. It will be the gov't against the providers. If legislation will change the "free healthcare" society, it would be great for physicians and the people of America alike. I say completely reform the Medicaid system (or whatever the free healthcare for "indingents" is called in your state by cutting down the recipients to ONLY truly disabled people who can't work at any job at all, ever. And let a board of occupational docs and nurses decide who gets it. I would imagine that these people who truly need it are about 1-5% of those actually getting it. I think children with parents who are deceased/truly disabled should also be taken care of. Now, put all the billions of dollars saved by cutting the aid back so much into government subsidized health insurance programs for all employers in America. This means it is mandated that all employers in America must provide health insurance to their employees because they are getting a check from the govt to help cover the premium. Now, the docs are happy because they are finally getting paid, the people are happy because they have jobs that provide health care coverage, and the unemployment drops dramatically because now in this country if you don't work, you don't get medical care, period. So, no free rides any more.
Give us all your thoughts, since we are all about to embark on this mission of health care in America in the future.
