Is anyone one a little concerned that the new healthcare reform could hurt you more than help you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain why they want to tax "expensive" health plans?

Also, why does the family who decides not to buy insurance have to pay a penalty?

Because, if you only add a bunch of previously un-insurable people (with expensive pre-exisiting conditions) into the risk pool, your expenses will go WAY up and everyone will end up paying more in premiums. You also need to add in a good number of the young and healthy who will pay premiums but not utilize care. These young and healthy people are exactly those who might chose not to purchase insurance without a mandate/fine.

What about the tax for the fancy policies, and what about those large families like the Amish and Mennonites, who live by the grace of god? Tis will be expensive for them, almost like an annual tax for having kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm worried that if more people get health insurance, they will start going to see doctors more and trying to get more access to health care. Good for them, of course, but we're going to need more doctors or else waiting times will get longer. especially if you want to switch to a new doctor.

Of course, it may mean less time in the emergency room when you have a true pediatric emergency because there won't be a guy ahead of you with the sniffles who decided to come ot the ER because he doesn't have a primary care physician because he lacks health insurance.

Actually we will likely all spend MORE time in the ER because they will be inundated by newly insured patients who want to see a physician but can't find primary care physicians to see them. As a physician, every physician I know is wondering who the heck is going to take care of the newly insured? And this is the hot topic in the editorial sections of most journals and on physician geared websites/message boards. Most hospitals are prepping for a deluge of new ER patients.

PP, ignore that fool, I am a doctor too, and completely get where you are coming from. That poster probably has never said than you to anyone from techs to nurses to doctors who took care of her/him.
And what a caring physician you seem to be?

How is this not caring? I am currently seeing patients every 7 minutes in primary care. Would you want me to increase that to every 4 minutes?
It is not an issue of not caring. It is simply an issue of not having enough hours in the day.

Try and find a primary care physician. There's a post every other day on these boards from people unable to find one who is accepting new patients. And it's not because we're uncaring or sitting on our behinds or taking Fridays off. I'm working 10 hour days every day and I'm still booked solid for the next 3-4 months (as is every colleague I know).

I'm not being uncaring in stating that that the newly insured won't be able to find physicians. It's just the reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm worried that if more people get health insurance, they will start going to see doctors more and trying to get more access to health care. Good for them, of course, but we're going to need more doctors or else waiting times will get longer. especially if you want to switch to a new doctor.

Of course, it may mean less time in the emergency room when you have a true pediatric emergency because there won't be a guy ahead of you with the sniffles who decided to come ot the ER because he doesn't have a primary care physician because he lacks health insurance.

Actually we will likely all spend MORE time in the ER because they will be inundated by newly insured patients who want to see a physician but can't find primary care physicians to see them. As a physician, every physician I know is wondering who the heck is going to take care of the newly insured? And this is the hot topic in the editorial sections of most journals and on physician geared websites/message boards. Most hospitals are prepping for a deluge of new ER patients.

And what a caring physician you seem to be?

How is this not caring? I am currently seeing patients every 7 minutes in primary care. Would you want me to increase that to every 4 minutes?
It is not an issue of not caring. It is simply an issue of not having enough hours in the day.

Try and find a primary care physician. There's a post every other day on these boards from people unable to find one who is accepting new patients. And it's not because we're uncaring or sitting on our behinds or taking Fridays off. I'm working 10 hour days every day and I'm still booked solid for the next 3-4 months (as is every colleague I know).

I'm not being uncaring in stating that that the newly insured won't be able to find physicians. It's just the reality.

PP, ignore that fool, I am a doctor too, and completely get where you are coming from. That poster probably has never said than you to anyone from techs to nurses to doctors who took care of her/him.

[Anonymous]

pp - your post makes no sense. repost to make your point please

[Anonymous]

There is a religious exemption for the Amish and others.

[Anonymous]

Nope, not worried at all. I'm very happy that my mother, who had breast cancer 10 years ago, will now be eligible for insurance.

I'm also thankful that I don't have to wonder what would happen if I lost my job. I'm a fed, so I have awesome insurance, but I also have asthma. If I lost my job for any reason, how on earth would I have gotten coverage??

[Anonymous]

Let's see, I have insurance through county government. This is what I think will change for me (negatively):

* OTC stuff will no longer be eligible under my health flexible spending account.

* I might end up with a higher cost-sharing percentage, depending on whether I've got one of those cadillac plan and they have to modify the actuarial value to avoid the taxes.

* We (my family) may possibly get hit with the increased withholding for Medicare Part A from our paychecks. That will be assessed against families with incomes over $250,000. We aren't quite there yet. But that's a marginal increase.

I don't think that's too bad.

There will be some growing pains for sure as the market adjusts, but in the end I think it's worth the fact the great majority of Americans will have access to fairly regular care. Much better than what many face today.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm worried that if more people get health insurance, they will start going to see doctors more and trying to get more access to health care. Good for them, of course, but we're going to need more doctors or else waiting times will get longer. especially if you want to switch to a new doctor.

Of course, it may mean less time in the emergency room when you have a true pediatric emergency because there won't be a guy ahead of you with the sniffles who decided to come ot the ER because he doesn't have a primary care physician because he lacks health insurance.

And all those new primary care physicians are going to come from where? I made my "well woman' appointment and the earliest date was 12 weeks! Before "reform"! So much for using my birthday as a reminder for a well woman appt ... way off the calendar schedule now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm worried that if more people get health insurance, they will start going to see doctors more and trying to get more access to health care. Good for them, of course, but we're going to need more doctors or else waiting times will get longer. especially if you want to switch to a new doctor.

Of course, it may mean less time in the emergency room when you have a true pediatric emergency because there won't be a guy ahead of you with the sniffles who decided to come ot the ER because he doesn't have a primary care physician because he lacks health insurance.

And all those new primary care physicians are going to come from where? I made my "well woman' appointment and the earliest date was 12 weeks! Before "reform"! So much for using my birthday as a reminder for a well woman appt ... way off the calendar schedule now.

Create the market and they will come. And there will be a much larger use of nurse practitioners and physician assistants as well. Lots of new career opportunities.

[Anonymous]

Our family is on my husband's plan, which is excellent. However, because of ObamaCare his employer will likely stop offering insurance to save the costs of providing it because employees can turn to the gov't. That's a big negative to me.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:Our family is on my husband's plan, which is excellent. However, because of ObamaCare his employer will likely stop offering insurance to save the costs of providing it because employees can turn to the gov't. That's a big negative to me.

You are the second poster in this thread who seems to misunderstand a fundamental fact of the bill. There is no public option. Your husband and his colleagues will not be able to turn to the government. Potentially, you and your husband will be required to pay an excise tax on your plan. Also, potentially, your husband's employer will offer a somewhat cheaper plan to avoid excise taxes. Your husband's employer may still choose to stop offering healthcare, but that is a separate issue and not related to the availability of a non-existant public option.

[Anonymous]

Wait am I missing something? Why are people talking as if there is a public option? There is no government-run plan, people. Stop watching Fox News and get your facts right.

[Anonymous]

LOL Jeff, great minds think alike.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our family is on my husband's plan, which is excellent. However, because of ObamaCare his employer will likely stop offering insurance to save the costs of providing it because employees can turn to the gov't. That's a big negative to me.

I suspect any business that offers an "excellent" plan does it for recruitment and retention purposes, and I can't really see that changing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm worried that if more people get health insurance, they will start going to see doctors more and trying to get more access to health care. Good for them, of course, but we're going to need more doctors or else waiting times will get longer. especially if you want to switch to a new doctor.

Of course, it may mean less time in the emergency room when you have a true pediatric emergency because there won't be a guy ahead of you with the sniffles who decided to come ot the ER because he doesn't have a primary care physician because he lacks health insurance.

And all those new primary care physicians are going to come from where? I made my "well woman' appointment and the earliest date was 12 weeks! Before "reform"! So much for using my birthday as a reminder for a well woman appt ... way off the calendar schedule now.

Create the market and they will come. And there will be a much larger use of nurse practitioners and physician assistants as well. Lots of new career opportunities.

You and your shiny new health insurance are welcome to see a NP (with 18 months post undergraduate training) for your primary care. I (and I wager anyone with decent insurance or more importantly cash) will happily stick with seeing my board-certified internist (with 7 years post undergraduate training). I see a 2 tier system quickly emerging much as it has in England. Frankly it has already started happening in the DC area where many (most) of the top doctors don't take insurance at all.