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60 doctor-owned hospitals canceled due to new health law

If you read the bill, you will you would think otherwise.

Score 10 points for politicians duping the commoners again.

The commoners have not been duped until they vote for a representative who voted 'YES' come November.....;)
 
why would obama want to destroy our country's economy?

So he can rebuild it in his grand Muslim Socialist vision. It's obvious.
 
it could just be cuz he's an idiot

i mean, that's what it LOOKS like, y'know, here, from the outside
 
it could just be cuz he's an idiot

i mean, that's what it LOOKS like, y'know, here, from the outside
from the WAY outside, i'm thinking. because obama is clearly very intelligent. what are your academic credentials, btw?
 
why would obama want to destroy our country's economy? sometimes the outrageous statements i read here cause me to wonder about the sanity of some posters.

So it can be remade... the progressive way. It has a strange logical way about it. Granted it is outrageous and this vast destruction couldn't happen over night - it has to be shown that it's a failure over a long period of time. Obama's not going to destroy it by himself - that's crazy. Yet the fringe anti-Obama folks simply see him as sowing the seeds of destruction... Turning the U.S. into Europe scares the **** out of people.
 
from the WAY outside, i'm thinking. because obama is clearly very intelligent. what are your academic credentials, btw?

How do you equate intelligence with motive or intent? Just because someone is intelligent doesn't mean a thing. Ted Bundy was by all accounts intelligent... Rodney Alcala on trial now is apparently a genius. Intelligence means squat.
 
Ahhhhhhh! Suddenly 150,000 doctors went missing the day after this bill was signed!

Dolt.

The doctor shortage has been around for decades. It has nothing to do with this law.

Do you understand what the word "faces" means ???? :roll:

Even if we have the same number of doctors in five years as we do now, which is doubtful, they will be seeing 15 million more people.

It's simple mathematics.
 
Do you understand what the word "faces" means ???? :roll:

Even if we have the same number of doctors in five years as we do now, which is doubtful, they will be seeing 15 million more people.

It's simple mathematics.

Yes. But is it going to be caused by Obamacare? Or was it happening anyway?
 
Yes. But is it going to be caused by Obamacare? Or was it happening anyway?

Who added 15 million more people able to see a doctor with little or no out-of-pocket expense ???
 
Who added 15 million more people able to see a doctor with little or no out-of-pocket expense ???

I repeat, will it be caused by Obamacare or was it happening anyway?

I'll have to go read the article and see what it says.
 
This is a very simplistic analysis. Not everyone who visits a physician really needs medical care. One of the problems with the current system is that people visit the doctor for trivial things too often. Now that people will have free access to medical care, this problem will become further exacerbated and demand for medical services will invariably rise, resulting in an increase in costs.

Most people will not have "free access" to medical care.
 
I repeat, will it be caused by Obamacare or was it happening anyway?

I'll have to go read the article and see what it says.

I repeat... who added 15 million people able to see a doctor with little or no out-of-pocket expense.

Do you actually believe giving that many people free access to doctors isn't going to overload the system ??
 
From the WSJ article about doctor shortages:

"Proponents of the new health-care law say it does attempt to address the physician shortage. The law offers sweeteners to encourage more people to enter medical professions, and a 10% Medicare pay boost for primary-care doctors. … Meanwhile, a number of new medical schools have opened around the country recently."
 
I repeat... who added 15 million people able to see a doctor with little or no out-of-pocket expense.

Do you actually believe giving that many people free access to doctors isn't going to overload the system ??

Hey, it's more demand, so the free market will respond with more supply. The free market rocks!
 
Hey, it's more demand, so the free market will respond with more supply. The free market rocks!

I'm sure you are right....

There will be a huge demand for doctors and more will enter pre-med. The problem will be solved in 12 years.
 
Here are the reasons given by the American Hospital Association for limiting doctor owned hospitals:

1. Heaviest growth correlating directly to states without state regulations requiring growth based upon proven community need. Texas had largest growth with most of the doctor- owned hospitals in North Texas, many in the Dallas Ft.Worth metroplex .There is a map of Dallas area doctor-owned hospitals. [PDF] Trend WaTch (Free subscription to view).
2. A financial stake in health care facilities creates potential for conflicts of interest between patients and financial needs of doctor.
3. Doctor-referrals benefit doctors by increasing value of investment, adding personal share of facility profits in addition to normal professional fees.
4. Doctor ownership influenced where doctors directed patients for services - driving up referrals for services. Doctors tend to increase number of patient referrals to specialty hospitals if they own it.
5. Volume and spending increased as doctor-owned specialty hospitals opened. 121% increase in complex spinal fusion services with 91% performed in doctor-owned hospitals vs full-service hospitals.
6. 11% higher growth in procedures per Medicare beneficiary of artery bypass grafts performed on Medicare beneficiaries at doctor-owned facilities than by surgeons using community hospitals
7. Profit margins higher for doctor-owned facilities vs acute care hospitals; suggesting increased profits drove up the cost of health care.
8. Although laws prohibited "kickbacks" and inappropriate doctor referrals, loop holes made it easy to skirt the laws.
9. Doctor-owned, limited-service hospitals have higher than average costs - consistent with low occupancy/volume; offer no emergency services - greater control of the nonpaying patients.
10. Patient benefits include gourmet meals, private rooms, family accommodations. Doctors "cherry pick" patients - reject low income patients.
11. Doctor benefits include ability to perform more procedures in less time; no emergency on call responsibilities; predictable work hours; sharing in facility hospital profits.
12. No increased quality of care. Doctor owned hospitals get larger share of highdollar patients, leaving full hospitals with lower income patients and having to cut services because of the loss of higher paying patients.
 
the problem is medicare SCHEDULES such low pay for caregivers

ie, NOT free market

hello
 
I really don't understand why this doctor shortage issue has suddenly become a problem for the average Joe. If you have a family doctor whom you see regularly (atleast once every 4-6 months), as long as that doctor doesn't retire or change/relocate his/her practise outside your reach, there really shouldn't be a problem.

While I do understand the concern being raised, this nation's doctor/nurse shortage really is old news, folks. It's just getting alot more attention since health care reform legistlation has been passed. And while I understand the rationale behind those who honestly see this as a problem directly related to passage of the health care reform bill, I think the matter will correct itself. You'll start seeing more advertising for people to go into the medical field. The medical profession as a whole will regroup and start figuring out how to do more with less; technology will lead the way and close some of the gaps for a time, but eventually the system will correct itself. It always does when people put real thought behind a problem.
 
12. No increased quality of care. Doctor owned hospitals get larger share of highdollar patients, leaving full hospitals with lower income patients and having to cut services because of the loss of higher paying patients.

This is the most important one.
 
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