RED ALERT: Healthcare Takeover Promises Extra Strain on Doctor Shortage

Already in Short Supply, the Need for More Doctors is Magnified Under Obamacare

President Obama Promised to Address the Problem of a Primary Care Physician Shortage:

“… Obama addressed waste in the current health care system, fears about rising costs and the dire need to encourage more young doctors to chose to practice primary care. He said he hopes any bill to come out of Washington will include more incentives for up and coming medical professionals to go into primary care. ‘The status quo is we don’t have enough primary care physicians,’ Obama said. ‘We’ve got no incentive to create more primary care physicians. And those people who don’t have access to primary care physicians are going to the emergency room where we’re giving them the most expensive care.’” (Kate Barrett, “Obama Calls for Swift Action on Health Care,” ABC News, 07/15/2010)

RED ALERT: Growing Doctor Shortage Will Worsen Under Dems’ Healthcare Takeover:

“Primary care physicians already are in short supply in parts of the country, and the landmark health overhaul that will bring them millions more newly insured patients in the next few years promises extra strain… recently published reports predict a shortfall of roughly 40,000 primary care doctors over the next decade, a field losing out to the better pay, better hours and higher profile of many other specialties… Massachusetts offers a snapshot of how giving more people insurance naturally drives demand. The Massachusetts Medical Society last fall reported just over half of internists and 40 percent of family and general practitioners weren’t accepting new patients, an increase in recent years as the state implemented nearly universal coverage. Nationally, the big surge for primary care won’t start until 2014, when the bulk of the 32 million uninsured starts coming online.” (Lauran Neergaard, “Health overhaul likely to strain doctor shortage,” Associated Press, 03/29/2010)

By Code Red