The Future of Medicine in the USA
I don't often blog about politics,but the deterioration of medical care in this country is so appalling, I can't restrain myself. The future of Medicine in our country looks very bleak to me. Doctors who are already in practice will be very unhappy, but even worse will be the patients. Future doctors won't know any different as medical care will become completely socialized. By removing the "free market spirit" from medicine it will become a very bad business model for any doctor or potential doctor to consider. Our medical system will look more like Canada's or Kaiser Permanente.(By the way, did you know Obama hired Canadian medical programmers to write the software for The Obamacare website?) This will involve long waits for appointments unless there is an urgency, intense scrutiny on all procedures to keep cost down and frequent denials for tests and services. All the while we will be shelling out good money for these restricted services. I know first hand that people in Canada sometimes have to wait months to get a heart catheterization when they are having chest pain,as it is being managed with medications. During these waiting periods the individual can be seriously debilitated by the illness while waiting for a treatment. I know a few fourth year medical students who are applying now for residency positions in their chosen specialty. I was shocked to learn that the best and the brightest are opting for Emergency Medicine, my specialty. When I went into Emergency Medicine 25 years ago,it was looked down on by the medical community as being not a very sophisticated specialty. Not so anymore! Young aspiring Doctors do not want the hastle and aggravation of trying to run a medical business with rent,salaries,insurance costs spiraling out of control while reimbursement is being severely restricted and cut back by government driven insurance companies. What this translates to is the general public will have access to the top Doctors only in a public setting like an ER. Gone will be the days of the brilliant private Doctor who gets to know his patients and their families. Medicine will become more and more de-personalized until it resembles going to the post office or the DMV. (By the way, the postal service isn't even doing very well these days. Notice all the closings of the big,ornate post offices?) Guess what ? That's what's going to happen to medical offices. Doctors will not be able to afford nice office space, furnishings or well paid educated staff, unless you are willing to pay big bucks out of pocket for services such as Plastic Surgery or Cosmetic Dermatology(Two other sought after specialties by graduating medical students) The up and coming young doctors want to practice in Hospital based environments so they will not have to deal with the expenses of running a private practice. Specialties such as Radiology,Anesthesiology,Intensive Care,Neonatology and Emergency Medicine are now the most popular. No one wants to be a General Internist,Gynecologist,Pediatrician or Family Practice Doctor. This will translate into very poor quality Primary Care and very depersonalized service with long waiting lines and short visits, not unlike the DMV. Unfortunately ,I don't think anything can be done about correcting it either. Our government(the Obama administration) has legalized public insurance for the masses, which will ultimately bring all medical care down to the level of the lowest common denominator,so it will be affordable for all. The only way around it will be people who can afford to pay out of pocket for better service and care. That's my view into the crystal ball. All my Best in Radiant Health,
Howard Liebowitz,MD
310.393-2333 TOLL FREE (877) 397-4953
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