Life Under Obamacare: Rationing Begins
1st August 2012
With the coming advent of ObamaCare, states that are bracing for the huge increase in Medicaid recipients are looking for a way to save money and they think they’ve found one; limiting the number of prescription drugs that Medicaid patients can obtain. The cost for Medicaid will skyrocket under Obamacare because of the expanded eligibility requirements.
August 1st, 2012 at 21:42
“Rationing”? This is just the Invisible Hand manifesting itself. Since we already have a market-driven healthcare system (allegedly), and you say that isn’t rationing, then how can this market-driven decision be rationing?
August 2nd, 2012 at 12:51
On top of this, one is already beginning to see a surge of qualified M.D.’s headed for the exits, as it is obvious that the Medicaid reimbursement rates will be the first thing sacrificed. This will lead inexorably to a Doctor shortage crises, which is precisely what the administration wants. “The worse the better” could be their slogan, as thy wait for the day they can start pimping for the big enchilada: a full scale, European-style single-payer system.
It is as apparent as the day is long that much of this law is engineered to force an eventual conversion of the entire healthcare system into a single-payer program, like the disastrous programs in Europe that are a large part of what is bankrupting much of the EU.
August 2nd, 2012 at 15:14
“This will lead inexorably to a Doctor shortage crises” You haven’t been paying attention, Jakey. We already have a projected ‘doctor shortage crisis’, which has been looming since the 70’s–long before Obamacare came along.
August 2nd, 2012 at 16:17
“We already have a projected ‘doctor shortage crisis’, which has been looming since the 70?s–long before Obamacare came along.”
Per usual, you distort specific trends to make a general point, then wander off as if you’ve “proved” something. In point of fact, there have surpluses of different kinds of doctors in different specialties, and shortages of others in other specialties. So, it’s more complex than just grunting “been going since the 70s!!!” and moving on.
An article I ran across on the larger issue, just Googling around, can be found here:
http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2012/04/physician-shortage-worse.html
Quote from same:
“Physicians are working less than they used to—evidence shows that as compensation declines, the motivation to work harder declines too… A decrease of just four hours a week in the average physician work week amounts to a loss of 36,000 physician FTEs per year. Today, a recent survey shows that 44% of female physicians in large groups now work part time.”
That more or less, of course, confirms what I said. Regardless, Obamacare is making it worse, and for the reasons I stated above.