As a physician is see nothing in the future but socialized medicine. And the people who are to blame for this is the citizens of the US. Yes, we gave up free market care many years ago and the death blow was medicare. I hear people bitch all day long when they have to pay their 10-20.00 co-pay. They are mad that the insurance company does not cover everypenny. Of coarse they do not pick out or directly pay for their insurance their employer bears the cost. I hear every day the 65 and over group complaining " I have to live on a fixed income" I want to say who doesn't. And futhermore you have that measely fixed income from SS because you wanted government to take care of you and see arn't they doing a better job than you could have. You get exactly what you were promised a socialezed welfare check that is not determined by you but by the GOVERNMENT. When was the last time anyone knew the price of what they are buying in the doctors office before the service was rendered. If doctors had to compete in a free market the price of medicine would go down.
As a physician I see nothing in the future but socialized medicine. I'm afraid you are right, which means an end of medicine, probably for the world.
There is one basic human flaw that all this can be attributed to and that is the desire to have something for nothing, or at least more than one can earn, and the belief that government can provide it.
I am very sorry for all those in the medical profession who are in it because they really have a love and desire to practice medicine. I do not feel sorry for those who believe they have a right to medical service, whether they can pay for it or not, and find what they are getting is worth exactly what they pay for it, nothing.
(With all its problems, the best medical service in the world is in the USA, because it is still the most free, and most people get better medical treatment than they deserve. Those same people are doing everything they can to destroy it, however.)
Hank