Posted on 10/08/2013 3:34:58 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
"If you've got a doctor that you like, you will be able to keep your doctor," President Obama assured the public as he worked to sell Obamacare in 2010. However, in July 2013, visitors to Healthcare.gov received a less confident "you may be able to" in answer to the question, "Can I keep my own doctor?" Beginning October 1, users of the Maryland Health Connection, that state's Obamacare insurance exchange, might have an even more basic question: Are there any doctors?
A consumer information update dated the day the exchange opened informed users (at least those who took the time to read the updates) that the doctor search function was not yet operational and they would need to visit an external website to find out which doctors accept which plans. The full update reads as follows [emphasis added]:
Search for your physician. If you are interested in understanding which health plans a particular doctor participates in, please visit https://providersearch.crisphealth.org – a new service sponsored by Maryland Health Connection. For the time being, doctors and other providers are not yet available in Maryland Health Connection; therefore, if you choose to search for them on the website, you will receive a message that “no doctors are found” message.
This update and several other consumer updates might help explain why as of noon on Monday, October 7, only 326 people in the state had successfully completed the application process. For example [emphasis added]:
REVIEW OUT-OF-POCKET COSTS CAREFULLY
The application’s built in calculator may underestimate total out-of-pocket costs in some cases. Remember that if you are eligible for reductions in cost sharing, only silver plans will qualify. So a bronze plan might cost less in premium, but more in total out of pocket cost. We expect this to be fixed in the very near future, so if you would prefer, please check back in the next several weeks.
SHOP ONE PERSON AT A TIME
In some cases, the application has trouble processing multiple applications at once. In case this happens to you, there is a solution: shop for each person separately. The price will be the same as if you are shopping together
SALARY CALCULATION
Please calculate your salary using annual, weekly, quarterly or monthly calculations. Our application is currently miscalculating the bi-weekly salary. You will be able to see the calculated salary to ensure that the information you input is correct.
The consumer update page does not yet indicate that any of these issues have been resolved.
(VIDEO-AT-LINK)
If they haven't been able to do the site development in 3 years I don't know at this point what would make them show any kind of rapid improvement on the sites going forward.
The goal is that they will all be ZERO'S DOCTORS.
FUBAR. ... if you threw a party and no one showed up ....
Good news for all those medical tourism folks, though. Real good news.
In many locations out of the urban sewers there are new Docs in a Box. They are geared for rapid care and will handle the 10% increase with economies of scale for routine visits
People who have doctors will not need to go there except on weekends or maybe after hours
ALL doctors will become Obamacare doctors.”
What they obviously forgot to include was the fact that there will be no doctors remaining in the state. Services will be provided by PA’s who are, however, quite adept at filling out a form and then wallah - out will pop your diagnosis and treatment plan.
There you go again - taking to make a logical argument against an illogical system.
laughter is the best medicine :)
Appears that will be all we have left.
Physicians are leaving the profession, in droves.
When the republicans send a CR to the senate asking for fairness and that everyone be given a one year delay, they’re saying Obama has the power to change the law. They should be screaming from the rooftops telling people they don’t have to sign up for a year.
And where are those docs coming from. In MA with Romneycare an initial appointment with a PCP is about 300 days out.
Your Doc in a box is not going to cut it.
Stupid hurts.
Only the stupid will buy through the exchanges. But the really stupid, will fall for the vendors with sites covertly run out of Belarus and the ‘navigators’ that are really door to door ID thieves.
They don’t want it to work. It fails then its the evil insurance companies and single payer is the only answer...
This doc will not be an Obamacare doc. I’ll sell pencils on the street corner before I will work in a single payer system
Very impressive indeed.
This doc will not be an Obamacare doc.”
Well, if your area is anything like ours, you’re going to have plenty enough patients. Both my internist and orthopod now take only private pay patients and unless you’ve been a long time patient, it’s tough to get seen. Several of my doctor clients are getting off managed care panels. Amazing how many patients are willing to be seen at private pay rates.
There will always be a need for good, caring doctors and patient’s who don’t want their medical history all over the internet are seeking them out.
Fortuanately or unfortunately I am an internist who practices solely in the hospital ( a hospitalist). If we go single payier my only recourse will be to retire. I want to get my kids out of college first, but I won’t work in a NHS type system. I’ll work something else out first.....
I know a couple of formerly independent practitioners who closed their practices and went to work as hospitalists to escape the burden dealing with insurance companies and also to insulate their salaries from accounts payable uncertainties. So why would you be especially concerned already being a hospitalist? Regards.
Meant accounts receivable
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.