File this under unintended-but-foreseen consequences.
The massive influx of newly-insured folks in California, and the battery of mandated free services under ObamaCare meets the finite supply of physicians. And quality-of-care takes a back seat to the “fierce urgency of now” in the California legislature.
They are working on proposals that would allow physician assistants to treat more patients and nurse practitioners to set up independent practices. Pharmacists and optometrists could act as primary care providers, diagnosing and managing some chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and high-blood pressure.
Of course, defenders of the status quobama will argue that it’s about time these other medical professionals got more respect, and that we busted the doctor’s godlike aura. But the Golden State isn’t considering these measures to hike the status of the underappreciated, but to deal with the impending tsunami of new office visits.
Supply meets artificially-enhanced demand, and they spawn longer lines, and lower quality of care.
BTW, do California lawmakers think there’s a glut of physicians’ assistants, nurse practitioners, etc., or that the existing pool of them have been sitting on their stethoscopes wishing they had something to do?
This should keep the malpractice lawyers very, very busy.
Meanwhile I’m sure some bright-idea imbecile in Washington is developimng legislation to make it illegal to choose not to see a doctor for symptoms that might (<0.01% of the time) be something serious. Those of us who have been content to practice medicine on ourselves will be denied that option.
“I quit when medicine was placed under State control, some years ago,” said Dr. Hendricks. “Do you know what it takes to perform a brain operation? Do you know the kind of skill it demands, and the years of passionate, merciless, excruciating devotion that go to acquire that skill? That was what I would not place at the disposal of men whose sole qualification to rule me was their capacity to spout the fraudulent generalities that got them elected to the privilege of enforcing their wishes at the point of a gun. I would not let them dictate the purpose for which my years of study had been spent, or the conditions of my work, or my choice of patients, or the amount of my reward. I observed that in all the discussions that preceded the enslavement of medicine, men discussed everything — except the desires of the doctors. Men considered only the ‘welfare’ of the patients, with no thought for those who were to provide it. That a doctor should have any right, desire or choice in the matter was regarded as irrelevant selfishness; his is not to choose, they said, only ‘to serve.’ That a man who’s willing to work under compulsion is too dangerous a brute to entrust with a job in the stockyards never occurred to those who proposed to help the sick by making life impossible for the healthy. I have often wondered at the smugness with which people assert their right to enslave me, to control my work, to force my will, to violate my conscience, to stifle my mind — yet what is it that they expect to depend on, when they lie on an operating table under my hands?” “I have often wondered at the smugness with which people assert their right to enslave me, to control my work, to force my will, to violate my conscience, to stifle my mind—yet what is it they expect to depend on when they lie on an operating table under my hands? Their moral code has taught them to believe that it is safe to rely on the virtue of the victims. Well, that is the virtue I have withdrawn. Let them discover the kind of doctors their system will now produce. Let them discover, in their operating rooms and hospital wards, that it is not safe to place their lives in the hands of a man whose life they have throttled. It is not safe, if he is the sort of man who resents it—and still less safe, if he is the sort who doesn’t”.
“I quit when medicine was placed under State control, some years ago,” said Dr. Hendricks. “Do you know what it takes to perform a brain operation? Do you know the kind of skill it demands, and the years of passionate, merciless, excruciating devotion that go to acquire that skill? That was what I would not place at the disposal of men whose sole qualification to rule me was their capacity to spout the fraudulent generalities that got them elected to the privilege of enforcing their wishes at the point of a gun. I would not let them dictate the purpose for which my years of study had been spent, or the conditions of my work, or my choice of patients, or the amount of my reward. I observed that in all the discussions that preceded the enslavement of medicine, men discussed everything — except the desires of the doctors. Men considered only the ‘welfare’ of the patients, with no thought for those who were to provide it. That a doctor should have any right, desire or choice in the matter was regarded as irrelevant selfishness; his is not to choose, they said, only ‘to serve.’ That a man who’s willing to work under compulsion is too dangerous a brute to entrust with a job in the stockyards never occurred to those who proposed to help the sick by making life impossible for the healthy. I have often wondered at the smugness with which people assert their right to enslave me, to control my work, to force my will, to violate my conscience, to stifle my mind — yet what is it that they expect to depend on, when they lie on an operating table under my hands?” “I have often wondered at the smugness with which people assert their right to enslave me, to control my work, to force my will, to violate my conscience, to stifle my mind—yet what is it they expect to depend on when they lie on an operating table under my hands? Their moral code has taught them to believe that it is safe to rely on the virtue of the victims. Well, that is the virtue I have withdrawn. Let them discover the kind of doctors their system will now produce. Let them discover, in their operating rooms and hospital wards, that it is not safe to place their lives in the hands of a man whose life they have throttled. It is not safe, if he is the sort of man who resents it—and still less safe, if he is the sort who doesn’t”.
Dr Thomas Hendricks
Atlas Shrugged
Refer them to Mexico. They got docs there.
What has been happening in CA is a picture of what is coming nationwide with the new healthcare. There has been dr. shortages for some time now, and almost none will take the state welfare Medi-Cal, which unfortunately has Medicaid rolled into it so there is NO Medicaid here. Only the failed Medi-Cal. They have been allowing the usage of nurse practitioners more and more the last few years, to the point of extremely frightening and dangerous now. Most doctors I have talked to HATE the new bill, and wish they would never have gotten into medicine. While some years ago many just moved to other states, with the nationwide healthcare coming, MANY are just getting out of medicine period. A few quick examples of medicine here lately, just off top of my head, with my aged mother and her siblings:
One doctor office/group in town has SIX nurse practitioners seeing/diagnosing/treating patients, all under the ONE doctor.
Her cardiologist has a nurse practitioner seeing/diagnosing/treating patients in his office. Not only do they NOT have the education of a dr., they do not have the experience, or internship of a dr. And they absolutely do not have the invaluable education and NECESSARY experience of a SPECIALIZED DR! I cannot emphasize this enough!!! Yet they are seeing/diagnosing/treating, not only patients of a run of the mill MD, but also ACTING as SPECIALISTS and seeing/treating/diagnosing patients in SPECIALIZED MEDICINE!
My mom was in/out of ER, by ambulance. ER dr. instructions said see regular dr. AND cardio both, within ONE WEEK. Neither dr. would see her for AT LEAST THREE WEEKS, due to shortages.
Back to ER, about to just release her again, I ended up DEMANDING a cardiologist in hospital, which by law they must abide. Tests, bad, sent to nearest larger hospital, more tests and two stints. Said see normal cardio dr. within two weeks. Could not get in for THREE.
Took to cardio app., and in walks NURSE PRACTITIONER! I made app for cardiologist, after the recent major heart problems, and she only gets to see a nurse practitioner!?! Who, by the way, only told her how to EAT PROPERLY! Then said, “Oh, your Mom’s blood pressure is such a problem. Come back in two months.” END of appointment!
I changed her dr’s. (Both of them!) One artery surgery and two more stints!!
Some of the doctors working at the local hospital are also part owners of a home nursing company. They now release ALL patients after their stay with a home nurse, whether they need it or not! Talk about conflict of interest! Not to mention many are going home WAY too soon.
She had what we were told was cancer. From one dr. to the next, ended up having a gynecological oncologist surgeon, and surgery. Did surgery and NEVER SAW HIM AGAIN in hosptial! From there he sends in his NURSE PRACTITIONER for her care! We had NO IDEA he did this! Not only does this person lack the education and experience as a dr., but also as a gynecologist, as a surgeon, AND as a cancer specialist!!!
AND, Mom had post surgical problem, and nurse practitioner REFUSED to allow her to see dr! Said SHE is in touch with him, WE don’t need him! Then refused to talk to ME anymore, and would only ALLOW my mom to speak to her!
After home, on to follow up app. with surgeon. I tried discussing this, and he just didn’t want to hear it! (Thank goodness it ended up not being cancer and my Mom is okay! And we never have to see him again!)
Then there is the, tick the box, way that dr’s treat patients here now too. Basically it’s a symptom checker, and it is probably the reason my mom kept getting sent home from hospital time and again, misdiagnosed. It’s probably also why her care had gotten so substandard, resulting in her cardio health deterioration.
They use the same, tick the box, with medicines they use for whatever ails you. When released from hospital there is a list of medicines with boxes next to them, and they tell you the list is not the medicines they used, but the medicines they would have been ALLOWED to use! Only the ones with a tick were actually used. Each list based on what kind of ailment you have, cardio, gastro, etc.
This tick the box symptom checker medicine, is most likely also how two others I know were misdiagnosed, both with major heart problems. One, treated for stress, thankfully finally got a FIVE WAY BYPASS, before she died! Another to ER by ambulance, treated for pneumonia for three days, before they realized it was her heart! Thankfully again, new heart valve before dying!
Another had outpatient surgery. Was sent walking out door to car while blood pressure was extremely low. Passed out in hall. A nurse would know better, (any working brain would know better), but these are all nurses AIDS. There are a given amount of aids for every ONE nurse, per given amount of patients. And the education they are getting in these, “get certified quick” schools, are severely lacking! We had several phlebotomy specialists, whose only job is to poke needles, unable to get a vein, only to have the nurse or dr. hit it first try!
Another in hospital, and patient sharing room had epilepsy brain surgery. Middle of night had major seizure. Dr. came in and asked nurse if any seizures, and TWO nurses or aids said NO, NONE. My family member told Dr. NOT TRUE! He finally got them to admit. They didn’t even note it in chart. Why? They get bonuses for NOT CALLING DR., because their patients APPEAR better cared for if dr.’s not called! My mom had this happen too, as nurse wouldn’t call dr. when too much pain. Finally did when I threw a fit.
That brings me to another part of the new healthcare. Hospitals and dr.s will be rewarded with bonuses and/or payment(s) withheld, based on how healthy their patients APPEAR ON PAPER! This will only lead to them NOT doing tests and finding problems, NOT treating problems they know exist, NOT telling patients there is or could be a problem with their health. It is DESIGNED to NOT treat patients, and WILL lead to exactly that! Just like with the nurses! Especially since they cut their pay from Medicare every year already!
These true stories are the tip of the ice-burg, off the top of my head, experiences here lately. It is a nightmare, and due to get much worse. And it is going nationwide.
Please everyone, pray.