Quote:
Originally Posted by rjdoc74
Other then probably PCPs, psychiatry and a few non-hospital based specialties, it is yet to be proven that this system works long term.
Plans to tie YOUR medical license to accepting government insurance are in the works as we speak.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/scottatl...vitably-fails/
Yes, and this system is and will be working quite well within an HMO based model such as KP.
Please imagine a scenario where 90% of fee for service patients (PPOs/EPOs, etc.) are forced to convert to some form of HMO-type model. How do you think you proposed system will hold up purely on cash paying patients? |
Making docs take a single payer system will simply never happen here. So that is not of concern.
And doesn't matter if people are forced into an HMO system as every single cash payer who pays cash to a pcp/psych or whoever doing cash pay still carries insurance, they simply pay above and beyond to get quality care and then use insurance to cover tests, hospitalizations or expensive procedures.
American's are creative. Just like in Canada now where they used to be a single payer system, province by province is now seeing all the craze of cash-pay private doctors opening up clinics and laws are changing in the other direction. So its quite funny how we are tauting canada as the great system when they are now moving largely toward a private system of cash pay with a gov't option which is fine by me and I think the best of both worlds.
People with cash who want the best care will simply pay to have a doctor with the highest credentials and ability to know them, spend time with them and be available to them regardless of cost. Them having a PPO privately, HMO or a gov't run plan will do nothing to this group of affluent people with whom I am talking about and who consumes 99 percent of private cash pay doctors.
The system sucks but doctors wanting to provide good care will find ways and patients will pay. You can pile on legislation but as I said any doctor can simply ditch their liscense, and become a consultant. Hiring a PA to do all the orders, scripts etc. Easy way around. So its of no concern to anyone familiar or practicing a cash model now.
Anyway, bottom line is we will all be ok, make decent money and have job security. It will be less than perfect for most but its already that way. I still would recommend anyone wanting to do medicine to do it if their prime reason is to really help people.