Doctors sure seem unhappy these days. Just take a look at the downbeat results from a survey out from the Physicians’ Foundation. Here are some of the bracing findings from 11,950 primary care docs and specialists who responded to the survey:
94% said the time they’ve devote to non-clinical paperwork in the past three years has increased. 63% said the paperwork has meant they spend less time per patient. 82% said their practices would be “unsustainable” if proposed Medicare pay cuts were made. 78% believe there is a shortage of primary care docs in the U.S. 49% said that over the next three years they plan to reduce the number of patients they see or stop practicing entirely. 60% would not recommend medicine as a career to young people. 42% said professional morale is either “poor” or “very low.” 17% rated the financial position of their practices as “healthy and profitable.” 6% described morale of their colleagues as “positive.”
An_American_Karol
· 1 year ago
I have a pediatrician friend who told me he was very unhappy and is working to get out of medicine. It doesn't pay to be a medical doctor anymore. There is money in healthcare, just not being a doctor.
MNUSA
· 1 year ago
Perhaps we should encourage more of our own young people to go to medical school and ensure they don't graduate with hundreds of thousands in dollars in debt.
Kerry
· 1 year ago
I agree, but how do we do that and still ensure that the education is on par. It costs a lot for a reason...it's good quality education. It will not help this country to have more doctors if those doctors are less qualified.
An_American_Karol
· 1 year ago
The Democrats need to get this through as a lasting legacy for Senator Kennedy; however, with the way the Dems have been acting, they will shoot themselves in the foot first.
Kerry
· 1 year ago
First, show me where in the Constitution we are guaranteed the 'right' to health care. I've read the document many times and I have yet to find that part. Second, if you read what I actually wrote, I said that police and firefighters are working as agents to the state. Of course they are doing their jobs, very well too I might add. But doctors, nurses, etc are privately employed (except for those serving in the military of course) and are not obligated to give their services to anyone. If by 'progressive blog' you mean one small step away from Communism, then I get it. Communism is the only system of government that I know of that forces individuals to offer their services to others. Third, I never suggested people should have to decide between food and health care. They should work to get the money for both. And above all else, they should not expect the rest of the country to pay for it. Finally, there is no reason to start calling people names. I realize that fringe liberals have only so many words in their vocabulary, but maybe we could try.
Kerry
· 1 year ago
Do you really believe that health care is best left up to the state? Just look at the Gulf War Syndrome. In 1998, Congress decided to appoint a committee to investigate the legitimacy of the ailment. 10 years later they finally decided to officially recognize GFS as a real condition. Is this the efficiency we can expect from our "progressive" government? Do you really want to wait 10 years to be approved for treatment? If this is how our government treats the most courageous of our citizens, how will it treat the rest of us? Contrary to popular 'leftist' belief, health care is not a right of the citizenry. As an American, you do not have the right to the services of any other individual. You have the right to the services of the state: police force, fire fighters, etc. To guarantee the services of a private individual is to diminish the value of the services they offer. Health care is not a right. Just get used to that. You can save for your own health care or you can choose not to. Just as you can choose to save for a new car or not. It still is something you have to pay for. If you think the cost of health care is out of control, I agree with you. The answer to that is tort reform, not socialization. Just look at Canada. An aunt of a friend of mine had to wait 18 months to see a specialist for her pancreatic cancer. She died 4 months before her appointment. Say hello to socialized health care (a la Hilary). If you think that Obama can do better, think of this...He out lefted Hilary! Do you think he's going to turn Capitalist now? As Americans we have no choice now but to buckle down and hope that Barack does not have a socialist America in mind. Although everything he says points that way, we have to hope.
An_American_Karol
· 1 year ago
Kerry, do you know you're on a very progressive blog? We worked hard for Obama to become president and this Universal Health Care. Everyone has the RIGHT to be healthy in this country. I can't believe anyone in their right mind would suggest people should choose between feeding their family or taking a sick child the the ER, or choosing between paying their rent or house payment or medication. What kind of values do you have?
An_American_Karol
· 1 year ago
And while I'm at it, are you suggesting our police and firefighters are not doing their job? Do you think it would be better if we had a private company handle the jobs of our police and firefighters? How about Blackwater? They have done such a good job in Iraq. Good god, there is a reason you dumbasses lost.
MNUSA
· 1 year ago
Health care is a right for every man, woman and child!
Dave
· 1 year ago
Expanding Healthcare is dynammite..socialized medicine is stupid would hurt the economy. Done properly, expanding healthcare could increase competition to private healthcare companies...hopefully this would reduce costs and increase care...hopefully
stymie
· 1 year ago
Not a chance in hell because of the way the sysytem is set up now. Remember HMOs and how they would save the day, reduce costs and improve care...ha! All it did was consolidate monies to a few while eliminating the legal hurdles to deny care/coverage to who could not afford it. Sound familiar?? Just like to greed in the financila sector , so it goes in a free market of health insurance.
MNUSA
· 1 year ago
We need universal health care for everyone now! A national health care program has been a topic since President Theodore Roosevelt. It's long past time it was accomplished.
Kerry
· 1 year ago
It has been accomplished - in the UK & in Canada. And those people are coming here to be treated!
SouthernYankee
· 1 year ago
Its time for it to happen and happen now. He will never have a chance again. I just don't understand why the republicans don't want to do it because it would even help businesses.
All Comments
Doctors sure seem unhappy these days. Just take a look at the downbeat results from a survey out from the Physicians’ Foundation. Here are some of the bracing findings from 11,950 primary care docs and specialists who responded to the survey:
94% said the time they’ve devote to non-clinical paperwork in the past three years has increased.
63% said the paperwork has meant they spend less time per patient.
82% said their practices would be “unsustainable” if proposed Medicare pay cuts were made.
78% believe there is a shortage of primary care docs in the U.S.
49% said that over the next three years they plan to reduce the number of patients they see or stop practicing entirely.
60% would not recommend medicine as a career to young people.
42% said professional morale is either “poor” or “very low.”
17% rated the financial position of their practices as “healthy and profitable.”
6% described morale of their colleagues as “positive.”
There is money in healthcare, just not being a doctor.
Contrary to popular 'leftist' belief, health care is not a right of the citizenry. As an American, you do not have the right to the services of any other individual. You have the right to the services of the state: police force, fire fighters, etc. To guarantee the services of a private individual is to diminish the value of the services they offer. Health care is not a right. Just get used to that. You can save for your own health care or you can choose not to. Just as you can choose to save for a new car or not. It still is something you have to pay for. If you think the cost of health care is out of control, I agree with you. The answer to that is tort reform, not socialization. Just look at Canada. An aunt of a friend of mine had to wait 18 months to see a specialist for her pancreatic cancer. She died 4 months before her appointment. Say hello to socialized health care (a la Hilary).
If you think that Obama can do better, think of this...He out lefted Hilary! Do you think he's going to turn Capitalist now? As Americans we have no choice now but to buckle down and hope that Barack does not have a socialist America in mind. Although everything he says points that way, we have to hope.
Everyone has the RIGHT to be healthy in this country. I can't believe anyone in their right mind would suggest people should choose between feeding their family or taking a sick child the the ER, or choosing between paying their rent or house payment or medication.
What kind of values do you have?
Good god, there is a reason you dumbasses lost.