Henninger: ObamaCare's Lost Tribe: Doctors

Wall Street Journal ^ | July 5, 2012 | Henninger

[george76]

Back at the at the dawn of ObamaCare in June 2009, speaking to the American Medical Association's annual meeting, President Obama said: "No matter how we reform health care, we will keep this promise: If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor. Period."

But will your doctor be able to keep you? Or will your doctor even want to keep you, rather than quit medicine?

...

Have you noticed what got lost in this historic rumble? Doctors. Remember them?

ObamaCare has been a war over the processing of insurance claims. It has been fought by institutional interests representing insurance, hospital and pharmaceutical firms. The doctor-patient relationship, or what used to be called "the practice of medicine," has sunk beneath these waves.

[RetiredTexasVet]

I predict that many doctors, especially GPs, will take the same tact that my brother-in-law took. Cash payment only, you file the paperwork with the insurance company or government. Severely limited Medicaid (if at all) and Medicare patients. Some doctors will charge an annual fee to become a patient. Many other doctors will just quit rather than become a slave.

[txrefugee]

Expect private medical services to be set up, with memberships and cash only payments. Think of it as the Costco model of medicine. I’d join one immediately, rather than dealing with the mess that government-run exchanges will be.

[Ethrane]

I’m just waiting for Obammy to guarantee my health care now, at my age, so I can quit medicine and retire. Originally I figured I’d have to wait until age 65...but now mid 50’s sounds fine!

[Cyman]

“I predict that many doctors, especially GPs, will take the same tact that my brother-in-law took. Cash payment only, you file the paperwork with the insurance company or government. Severely limited Medicaid (if at all) and Medicare patients. Some doctors will charge an annual fee to become a patient.”

They have that problem figured out,require docs to participate in ALL government programs if you want to retain their licensure

[MtnClimber]

I would hate to be a goobermint employee having surgery! If you know what I mean. Especially the types that used to be ambulance chasers.

[TChad]

Cash payment only, you file the paperwork with the insurance company or government. Severely limited Medicaid (if at all) and Medicare patients.

So, your BIL is a greedy capitalist pig doctor who cherry-picks the profitable patients while refusing to do his fair share for the less fortunate? What part of "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need." does he not understand?

We now know that it is constitutional for the American government to tax its subjects for certain types of inactivity. Unless Obamacare is repealed, perhaps your BIL's particularly offensive type of inactivity will receive special attention from Democrats.

[Soul of the South]

“If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor. Period.”

He lied. Period.

Obama, like Lenin, Stalin, and Mao believes the end justifies the means. He has no moral reservations about lying. He will say whatever he feels appropriate at any point in time. As long as the people and the media are okay with their leader lying, he will get away with it.

The American people have grown accustomed to their leaders lying. Lyndon Johnson, Nixon, Reagan (Iran Contra), “read my lips” George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and now Obama. Even George W. Bush is widely believed to have deliberately lied about the situation in Iraq in order to get Congressional “approval” to go to war. The Republican Party is about to nominate a man (Romney) who has changed his positions on fundamental issues so many times no one really knows what he believes.

Our system is completely corrupt. Politicians lie. Corporate executives lie. Religious leaders lie. Teachers lie. Journalists lie. Bankers lie. Stockbrokers lie. Children lie to their parents about abortions. Deliberate falsehoods are part of everyday life in America.

If we willingly participate in lying and deceit in our everyday lives why should be expect better of our political leaders? Perhaps we have the government we deserve.

[ballplayer]

We have that plan now along with Millons of other Americans,its call a Health Savings account,which is targeted for extinction under Obamacare. You would think Romney would be out there touting this to those MILLIONS of Votes, oh well Business as Usual in The GOP,Nominate someone who sits and gets the Crap beat out of them,and the best they can do is Spew Platitudes that go in one ear and out the other,no specifics,cut Regulations!What Regulations?How do they affect me personally?What the hell is a Health Exchange? What care can you expect in Obamacare? Are politicians forced to buy Obamacare? How about the IRS agents? Are they under obamacare? They say people dont pay attention to elections this early,well they dont pay attention to Bilge and BS,But facts that affects their lives I believe they would pay attention to.
Obama is going up in the polls in Battleground states,WHY?He is running False Ads that say that Romney is Hiding money in Swiss Bank accounts,Independent watchers say the ads get 4 Pinochios,doesnt matter they appear to show facts about Romney that no one knows and they are moving Polls. Romney has more ammunition on Obamacare and Hundreds of other issues and Does NOTHING but Flail around like a Beached fish,this is sickening

[xzins]

I read recently that family practice docs expect to have a fee and clear income of about 200 grand a year in any case.

If they can’t have that, then why would they go through all the education, long hours, extreme responsibility, and mountainous paperwork?