In March 2012, the Physicians Foundation surveyed 500 physicians aged 40 or younger. 250 were primary care physicians, 175 were Surgical specialists and 75 were hospital based specialists. The typical physician in the survey was 37 years old and employed by a medical group. You would expect these young physicians to be on top of the world, they’ve finished medical school and have promising well-paid careers. Interestingly, however, that is not the case. According to the survey,
These physicians are markedly pessimistic regarding the future of the U.S. healthcare system, with the “new healthcare legislation” ranking as a strong #1 reason for the pessimism. Many voice considerable cynicism with (what several call) government’ involvement.
Will future headlines read:
14,000 seniors with cancer DIE every year because they’re refused life-saving treatments?
The vast majority of these physicians are happy with their current practice arrangement so they are not predisposed to pessimism. A full 35% of these physicians are “highly satisfied” and another 45% being “somewhat satisfied” and most expect to stay in their current practice arrangement for 8 years or more. Of those who didn’t own their own practice (i.e. worked for medical group or hospital) 40% would like to own their own practice and many feel they could do a better job managing their own practice than the current owner does.
But 49% of the young physicians surveyed believe that the “Affordable Care Act” (ObamaCare) will have a negative effect on their practice while only 23% believe that it will have a positive effect. 57% are pessimistic and believe that it will have a negative effect on the overall healthcare system as well (not just on their personal practice) and another 30% are “highly pessimistic.” Only 4% are “highly optimistic” with another 18% “somewhat optimistic”.
Some typical quotes:
“[I] Don’t trust government to do the right thing for patients and physicians or to enact lasting improvements.”
“Government control is a recipe for disaster. They cannot run a business and cannot control expenses. How could they do a good job on healthcare? It is a real joke!”
“Government controlled healthcare will be the downfall. Anyone who has worked in government environment such as VA would know this – ask any vet who receives their care through VA how good the system is!”
“I do not feel optimistic because of all the increased regulatory burdens on physicians. There will be an increased shortage of physicians to provide primary care and decreased access to care.”
“Physicians have no say, rather insurance companies dictate care. The focus is saving money for insurance companies not patient care.”
The survey goes on to say “Even many of the responses from those claiming to be “optimistic” about the future have a negative undercurrent:” In response to the question, “Why do you feel optimistic about the future of the U.S. Healthcare System?” Several responded:
“It has to get better.”
“It can’t get any worse.”
“I am mostly optimistic but have pessimism towards congress and the public’s ability to enact decent change and regulation.”
“I feel the next president will reverse Obamacare.”
When asked why they were pessimistic about the future of the U.S. Healthcare system:
34% cited new laws or regulations
12% cited declining reimbursement
9% cited incresed costs
5% distrust the government
4% cited a problem with non-healthcare professionals making medical decisions
4% cited patient care suffering due to government intervention
3% cited an increse in patient workload
2% cited Medicare already is a mess and this will probably make it worse.
See Physician Foundation Survey
In a recent essay, Dr. Willam Campbell Douglass II notes that the cost estimates for the 10 year costs of ObamaCare have doubled from the $900 Billion estimated in 2009 to the current estimate of $1.76 Trillion. And he puts physicians fears this way:
They can pass all the laws they want, raise taxes on everyone, force us all to buy insurance, print more dollars, and even borrow billions more from China — but there’s still no way in heck they’ll be able to pay for it.
And when the money runs out, your care won’t just be rationed. It’ll be cut off when you need it most.
If you want to see how all this works in real life, just head on over to Jolly Olde England, which ObamaCare backers believe is some kind of medical utopia of controlled costs.
Sure, they manage to keep a lid on costs over there — because the powers-that-be refuse expensive treatments for the people who need them most, especially seniors.
One new look at the numbers there finds that 14,000 seniors with cancer DIE every year because they’re refused life-saving treatments that patients routinely get in other nations.
Those 14,000 deaths add up to 10 percent of all UK cancer deaths and 3 percent of all deaths in the nation from all causes at any age — and you can blame them all on cost control, not cancer.
