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May 2028: Where Is Your Doctor?
We are beginning to learn more and more about the major health care crunch that is expected to develop in America. Sure, most of us will live longer, healthier lives. The over-85 age group is the fastest growing USA demographic. This 'good news' will create an enormous burden on our already-stretched health care system.
To make matters worse we will likely not have enough doctors. There are two reasons: an insufficient supply of new physicians and a steady exodus of existing practitioners.
The American Association of Medical Colleges calculates that there is an immediate need for an annual 30% jump in medical school enrollment in order to keep up with the exploding demand for services. This past year the increase was a measly 6% boost. It appears that we will not be able to rely on medical schools to meet the challenges of 2028.
So, what can be done to encourage doctors to keep working? Glad you asked!
According to a recent report published in Forbes, doctors are leaving the profession because they are overworked and underpaid. Many specialists accrue monstrous debt during their training and begin their practices under a dark financial cloud.
Medicare is chopping reimbursements by 15.6% between now and January 2009. That automatically means that other insurers will do likewise. Would you keep working with a 15.6% pay cut?
Let's recap: Overworked, tired, broke, disillusioned. Hey, we didn't mention sued!
Many hardworking physicians cannot afford malpractice insurance. Some surgeons pay over $250,000 a year (if insurance is available at all). Sure, let's identify and deal with unsafe, reckless doctors, but at the same time we need to curtail frivolous malpractice claims. Did you know that only 6% of malpractice claims ever go to trial, and the plaintiff loses 91% of the time.
Bottom line: Over half of practicing physicians discourage their children from becoming doctors.
Twenty years from now I'll be needing cataract surgery and coronary artery bypass surgery. What will you and your family need? There will not be enough experienced medical professionals around in 2028 unless we take action now.
REFERENCE: Reasons Not to Become a Doctor. Forbes 05/05/2008.
Related Topics: Technorati Tags: doctors, physicians, medicine, health care, medical school, malpractice, vision, health and wellness
Photo: Salim Fadhley
The American Association of Medical Colleges calculates that there is an immediate need for an annual 30% jump in medical school enrollment in order to keep up with the exploding demand for services. This past year the increase was a measly 6% boost. It appears that we will not be able to rely on medical schools to meet the challenges of 2028.
So, what can be done to encourage doctors to keep working? Glad you asked!
According to a recent report published in Forbes, doctors are leaving the profession because they are overworked and underpaid. Many specialists accrue monstrous debt during their training and begin their practices under a dark financial cloud.
Medicare is chopping reimbursements by 15.6% between now and January 2009. That automatically means that other insurers will do likewise. Would you keep working with a 15.6% pay cut?
Let's recap: Overworked, tired, broke, disillusioned. Hey, we didn't mention sued!
Many hardworking physicians cannot afford malpractice insurance. Some surgeons pay over $250,000 a year (if insurance is available at all). Sure, let's identify and deal with unsafe, reckless doctors, but at the same time we need to curtail frivolous malpractice claims. Did you know that only 6% of malpractice claims ever go to trial, and the plaintiff loses 91% of the time.
Bottom line: Over half of practicing physicians discourage their children from becoming doctors.
Twenty years from now I'll be needing cataract surgery and coronary artery bypass surgery. What will you and your family need? There will not be enough experienced medical professionals around in 2028 unless we take action now.
REFERENCE: Reasons Not to Become a Doctor. Forbes 05/05/2008.
Related Topics: Technorati Tags: doctors, physicians, medicine, health care, medical school, malpractice, vision, health and wellness
