No news is good news. Not necessarily, these days, but the Healthcare Reform has not been in the news this week. Other issues, such as the Finance Reform Bill, and the oil spill in the gulf have taken over the headlines.
Let’s look at some of the unintended consequences (or maybe not unintended consequences) of the healthcare reform.
A poll of practicing medical doctors, taken before the passage of the healthcare reform bill, resulted in 41% of the doctors polled saying that they would retire or consider early retirement if the bill were to pass. While this is probably more talk than action, it does indicate that the doctors are unhappy with the bill. If even a small percentage of these doctors carry out this action; then it has to decrease the availability of doctors available to treat patients. Since it takes 10-12 years to fully train qualified doctors, a doctor shortage may develop. With millions of additional Americans now being covered by healthcare insurance, this greater demand for healthcare, coupled with fewer doctors, may lead to longer wait times for treatment or rationing of healthcare.
A more significant consequence may be the number of young persons entering the medical profession. While some people will still become doctors because they truly want to help people, many others will take a hard look at the financial prospects of being a doctor under the new guidelines. The Healthcare Reform Bill places limits on re-imbursement for medical procedures, reduces Medicare payments to doctors, and increases regulations and paperwork. Many of our best and brightest young adults may decide not to become a government employee and seek education in other fields of employment. This decrease in new doctors will not be felt for several years, but it will surely be felt.
Maybe, that is why the Healthcare Reform Bill also includes the reform of the student loan program. Since the government now controls the actual student loan process, not just guaranteeing private loans, the government will have a greater say in which areas of study the student loans are available. I can easily see where the government will direct students into areas of study that the government desires more people by allocating student loan funding into these specific programs of study. If student loans are more readily available for medical students, the government can direct more students into medical schools to try to alleviate the doctor shortage that may be caused by the Healthcare Reform Bill. Could this a first step into directing people into occupations that the government feels is best for the country?
Can you say, “Welcome to America, Comrade?” I knew you could.
