Will doctors quit in response to Democrats’ health reform?

Posted on September 23, 2009 by Brian Schwartz

Writes Paul Hsieh, MD:

In a recent editorial published by Investor’s Business Daily, associate editor (and PJTV.com regular) Terry Jones revealed stunning poll data showing that 45 percent of American physicians “would consider leaving their practice or taking an early retirement” if Congress passed the proposed ObamaCare health legislation.

As a practicing physician, I’m not surprised. These numbers mirror the sentiments I’ve heard expressed by my professional colleagues. I’ve been in practice for over 15 years and I’ve never seen physician morale as low as it is today.

Read the whole article at Pajamas Media: Is Your Doctor Getting Ready to Quit?

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  • David V

    As a practicing physician in a teaching hospital for the past 19 years, I have consistently encouraged young people in pre-med or medical school to pursue their dreams of becoming a physician. This year, however, I have started discouraging them.

    Why? The pressures on physicians nowadays are not worth the decreasing pay and increasing hassle of burgeoning regulation in the form of interference by JCAHO. JCAHO regulations have more than tripled in the past 10 years, largely with no evidence-based reason other than to justify their existence. Additionally, we are going to be “encouraged” to adopt technology such as a medical home, e-prescribing, etc, which are not even available at any price. Already, I take the piece of paper which patients bring in with their list of medicines and key it in a computer and give them a computer-generated piece of paper with the same information on it – in the name of improved patient care!

    Additionally, our friends at Blue Cross will cut reimbursement this year for my practice by $150,000. This, while the CEO – who does not treat patients – pulls down a multi-million dollar salary and health premiums go up each year.

    To compound the sense of dissatisfaction, taxes will go up this year, because I am “rich” – though the up side of the Blue Cross cuts will be that taxes don’t go up as much.

    I already provide free care to the 20% of my patients who are uninsured – often representing young, healthy people who choose to drive drunk or do drugs instead of contribute to society. These very freebie patients are also the most demanding, least appreciative and most likely to sue.

    So, what’s not to love about medicine? Still, at the end of the day, helping people is what I entered medicine to do and I am still able to do it. That day is nearing an end. I will soon spend my time doing paperwork instead of taking care of patients.