A recent poll shows that most doctors give Obamacare low grades (Shortened Title)

The Volokh Conspiracy ^ | October 20, 2014 | Ilya Somin

[right-wing agnostic]

A recent survey of doctors by the Physicians Foundation finds that most give low grades to Obamacare. Some 46% of the doctors polled gave Obamacare a grade of “D” or “F” and 29% gave it a “C.” Only 25 percent give it an “A” or a “B,” including just 4% who gave it the highest grade. It’s possible that some of the doctors who chose C really meant to say that it was at least reasonably good. But in modern America, thanks to grade inflation, a C is generally considered a very bad grade. Thus, it seems likely that a large majority of doctors have strongly negative view of the program.

I. The Case for Voter Deference to Doctors’ Views on Obamacare.

The interesting question is how much the views of the doctors should influence others’ evaluations of program. This turns out to be a more complicated issue than it might initially seem.

In this recent column for The Hill, Dr. Jeffrey Singer argues that the doctors’ views should be given considerable weight. It’s not hard to see his point. Doctors are experts on health care, and they are in a better position than most of the rest of us to judge the impact of Obamacare on patients. Among the general public, there is widespread ignorance about fairly basic aspects of Obamacare. It often makes sense for “rationally ignorant” voters to defer to the views of experts with greater knowledge. Deference to doctors on health care policy might be one case where this is true.

[right-wing agnostic]

My uncle has a friend who's a cardiologist who voted for Obama in 2008, but came to regret it. He voted for Romney in 2012--but the damage was done. Any doctor who voted for Obama in either 2008 or 2012 may be educated but is as dumbass. The AMA, which endorsed Obamacare, is just asking for it. The sad thing is, things will get a hell of a lot worse before any serious attempts are made to reform or repeal it. I hope that that those that voted for Obama and now can't find a doctor or affordable health insurance suffer immeasurable pain until they die a slow death because THEY DESERVE IT. It's called Schadenfreude./rwa

[fatnotlazy]

My doctors already knew that Obamacare would be bad. They are royally pizzed that the AMA went along with it. My cardiologist is winding down his practice; my kidney doctor gave up her practice to go into research; others will not accept certain plans. They get so little in reimbursement and the paperwork and headaches are enormous.

And then there is micromanagement of their practices. I used to get a stress test and EEG every year, but unless I want to pay for it myself, insurance will only cover every other year. My cardiologist believes in yearly testing, but someone with no knowledge of cardiology is telling him I don't need so much testing.

Just wait till this all collapses and we get single payer government health care. The nightmare had just begun.

[bandleader]

What do DOCTORS know about Medicine???Obongo Knows EveryThing about EveryThing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Gay State Conservative]

My Cardiologist,a senior member of the medical staff of one of Harvard Medical School's major teaching hospitals,recently told me that he's started to wind down his practice in preparation for retirement.He told me he's retiring 5 years earlier than he had always planned to not because of failing health or anything like that but simply because of ObolaCare.He said that more than a few of his peers (that is,senior physicians) are considering doing the same.