NYT: Too Few Primary Care Physicians in Mass. Let's Blame Universal Health Care!

Disclaimer: I'm not thrilled with the Mass plan - but that's because of how it's set up.

Now, here's the headline:

In Massachusetts, Universal Coverage Strains Care

first two paragraphs are all about the waiting lists - using an extreme example!

AMHERST, Mass. — Once they discover that she is Dr. Kate, the supplicants line up to approach at dinner parties and ballet recitals. Surely, they suggest to Dr. Katherine J. Atkinson, a family physician here, she might find a way to move them up her lengthy waiting list for new patients.

Those fortunate enough to make it soon learn they face another long wait: Dr. Atkinson’s next opening for a physical is not until early May — of 2009.

You have to go to page two, halfway down, to see the average statistic:

The share who accept new patients has dropped, to barely half in the case of internists, and the average wait by a new patient for an appointment with an internist rose to 52 days in 2007 from 33 days in 2006.

52 days? That's great! In Nashville, which does not have uni health care, I had to wait a full 66 to see my new GP, and another three months to get into the gynecologist she recommended! Instead, I opted for a one month wait with someone else I found.

Apparently what Massachusetts or someone wasn't counting on is the idea that people who pay for health insurance out of their own pockets tend to use it.

Meanwhile, it seems that no one wants to go into primary care. And why should they, when they can make 4x more as a specialist?

Here in Massachusetts, legislative leaders have proposed bills to forgive medical school debt for those willing to practice primary care in underserved areas; a similar law, worth $15.6 million, passed in New York this week. Massachusetts also recently authorized the opening of clinics in drug stores, hoping to relieve the pressure.

And the Fed? Herr Bush just wiped out $48 million in funds for training GPs and put it in the column for training MPs. Way to go!

Regardless of who the Dem nominee is, Republicans are going to use Mass. as an example of poor quality and long waiting lines for uni. Here's the link in case you decide to argue against them.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/05/us/05doctors.html

grants ans aid... privatizing collage loans was a disaster

Never mind most doctors just read by the textbook and don't think or investigate their patients... not that many have the time to do that properly in the first place! My neurologist works ungodly hours and still takes the time to listen to their patients. My previous one was very distant and speedy in his approach - on the face of it, he undoubtedly worked long hours as well.

It's a conflux of numerous unenviable conditions, but not everybody can be doctors either...

nerve grafts, tendon relocations.. total failures, never was any hope. i have my wrist grafted to my belly button for 6 weeks, will be detached Tuesday.. i have suffered constant torture for 6 months...

they know how pissed off i am, i till them i am too damned old to endure the next 6 surgery's, and cant afford them due to losing my insurance, i have lost over $15,000 in wages alone, i will end up owing over $12,000. i could have been back to work in 6 weeks with a prosthetic.. now i am totally unemployable, crippled with a ungodly painful dead hand.. that is hideously deformed.. i am not shy about expressing my displeasure.

my doctor told me on our last appointment about how many surgeries i needed 6 weeks after the graft release.. i asked her what are the odds after all that of me tyeing my shoes or picking my nose or acquiring enough movement to surpass what i would get from a prosthetic to improve my employability..

she said.. in 6 weeks i will do whatever you want to do... this has all been about being sued.. it has ruined my health, i almost died in surgery once..

When Hillary first championed the cause in the early 90's, newspaper editorials, right-wing pundits and talk radio gasbags predicted that the system would be unable to handle every patient. Not only that, but it would mean a decline into SOCIALISM! My mother's doctor cautioned us that it would mean he wouldn't be able to give enough "quality time" to every patient.

Well, now that same doctor gives his patients about two minutes of his time, unless you get one of his Physician's Assistants (for the same fee, by the way). Many of us no longer have insurance because we can't afford it; some of us have gone into bankruptcy because of accidents or illness. That same doctor now has an exclusive client base of people who can afford him.

Gee, I'm so glad we didn't decline into Socialism. :sarcasm: