To: T L Comiskey who wrote (89323 ) 2/11/2013 12:43:43 PM From: longnshort Respond to lead to a dearth of doctors ---the plan will drive doctors away from accepting medicare, and would expand insurance coverage to an estimated 34 million people who now lack it creating a demand for services that could be difficult to meet initially and could lead to price-increases, cost-shifting and/or changes in providers' willingness to treat patients with low-reimbursement health coverage.LA Times says its already happening in CaliforniaAs the state moves to expand healthcare coverage to millions of Californians under President Obama's healthcare law, it faces a major obstacle: There aren't enough doctors to treat a crush of newly insured patients.Some lawmakers want to fill the gap by redefining who can provide healthcare. As a diabetic, I do not want my quarterly checkups to be with a physicians assistant, there are too many associated conditions that come with diabetes---I want a doctor."We're going to be mandating that every single person in this state have insurance," said state Sen. Ed Hernandez (D-West Covina), chairman of the Senate Health Committee and leader of the effort to expand professional boundaries. "What good is it if they are going to have a health insurance card but no access to doctors?" That's what comes with social programs such as Obamacare--no-one gets great coverage--everyone gets sub-par coverage. And that sub-par coverage is being legislated across the country.Doctors say giving non-physicians more authority and autonomy could jeopardize patient safety. It could also drive up costs, because those workers, who have less medical education and training, tend to order more tests and prescribe more antibiotics, they said. As the nation's earliest and most aggressive adopter of the healthcare overhaul, California faces more pressure than many states. Diana Dooley, secretary of the state Health and Human Services Agency, said in an interview that expanding some professionals' roles was among the options policymakers should explore to help meet the expected demand. This is the future of America...not enough doctors and healthcare provided at "lower levels." It's already happening in California.
