Obamacare: Fewer Doctors, More Demand

National Review ^ | 09/10/2014 | Michael Tanner

[SeekAndFind]

Obamacare, as its advocates increasingly point out, has succeeded in expanding the number of Americans with insurance. Even though this achievement came at enormous cost, still leaves millions of Americans uninsured, and dumped millions more into Medicaid, this is still one of the few “successes” that the health-care law can claim.

However, health insurance and access to health care are not the same thing. And evidence is growing that Obamacare is likely to make it harder for us to see a doctor or otherwise obtain care.

Of course, we already know that the limited network of physicians available through most Obamacare exchange-based insurance plans is making it more difficult to see the doctor of your choice. Despite efforts by state regulators to mandate that insurers include more doctors and hospitals in their networks, most Obamacare plans, especially the comparatively low-cost bronze and silver plans, continue to have restricted networks. Nationwide, roughly 70 percent of Obamacare plans offer fewer doctors and hospitals than typical pre-Obamacare plans.

But there is an even bigger issue lurking below the surface.

Even without Obamacare, the Association of American Medical Colleges warns us that we face a shortfall of at least 130,000 doctors by 2025. While both enrollment in medical schools and graduation are up slightly, the increase is nowhere near enough to offset expected retirements. Roughly 40 percent of current doctors are age 55 or over. Moreover, the United States already trails many other countries in the number of physicians per capita, at just 2.5 per 1,000 people. This is compared to nearly 4 per 1,000 in Germany and Switzerland.

Medicine is simply no longer the profession that it once was. In 1970, the average income of general practitioners was $185,000 (in 2014 dollars).

[MrB]

There’s not a policy of the left that isn’t promoted for providing equal access for all,

but in reality, every one of them results in reduced access for all except the rich or politically connected.

And I fully believe this is the intent.

[Gay State Conservative]

My cardiologist,a senior faculty member at Harvard Medical School,told me recently that he's now getting ready to retire...five years earlier than he had originally planned.He laughed and said “I worked for the government once (he was a Navy Medical Officer) and I'm not going to do it again”.And he's a liberal Democrat (we're friends as well so I know this).He went on to say that more than a few of his professional colleagues,also senior physicians,are also considering early retirement because of OsamaObamaCare.

[camle]

gee. now who could have predicted this?????

ok shorter list - who didn’t?

[Petrosius]

Which anyone who understands the Supply and Demand Curves and basic economics rather than living in the fantasy world of liberal academics could have predicted.

[Buckeye McFrog]

I have a family member in nursing school who has been trained in how to give a complete physical.

Just sayin’

[MortMan]

Obamacare, as its advocates increasingly point out, has succeeded in expanding the number of Americans with insurance.

The last I saw, net "gains" in covered individuals were NEGATIVE.

[ridesthemiles]

Small Federal financed clinics could have been created all over the USA to serve ‘the uninsured’. Destroying the American health care system that worked for 80% of the citizens to force everyone into a nationwide health care system was just plain nuts. Hillary wanted to destroy the American health care system & Obama did it for her.

Even Walgreens is installing small clinics inside their stores.

I cannot wait until one of the politicians needs serious health care & it is no longer available. Maybe they will have problems with Ebola virus via their household help.

[hinckley buzzard]

It is useful to understand that from the beginning, Left wingers have been convinced of the notion that central planning and a command economy can override economic laws. They have tried as hard as they can for nearly a century now, in various countries and venues, but they have failed every time. Obamacare is a relatively limp effort that will fail sooner than most of its misbegotten predecessors.