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Fewer doctors, more waiting
The Portland Tribune ^ | Aug 8, 2008 | peter korn

Posted on 12/02/2008 9:32:16 PM PST by george76

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To: WFTR

You can blame the need for a docs note for employees missing too much paid leave on the unions who demand paid sick leave in the first place.

Companies attempt to reduce sick time abuse, which costs companies enormous amounts of money, by requiring proof of illness.
It’s not their fault that you can’t get in to see your doc. Perhaps the doc thinks you should really be at work as well.

If you really need to prove you were sick,
Go to a walk in clinic or ER instead. it’s not great sitting there for hours either, but what the heck, you’ve got the time, since you took the day off anyways.


21 posted on 12/02/2008 10:02:09 PM PST by Nathan Zachary
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To: WFTR

besides, there was a time when all you had to do was call your boss and tell him you were sick, or your boss would see that you were sick, and send you home.
Thank the union for destroying that relationship as well.


22 posted on 12/02/2008 10:03:42 PM PST by Nathan Zachary
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To: originalbuckeye
One good thing about Socialized medicine though, no need for malpractice insurance. The patient can't sue the Government.

Do you really think Obama is going to do anything that will stop the gravy train for the bloodsucking trial lawyer filth who were his biggest donors? No, there will be salary caps for doctors, PLUS unrestricted malpractice lawsuits. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Obama push for a nationwide repeal of state laws that cap non-economic damages.

23 posted on 12/02/2008 10:05:01 PM PST by ccmay (Too much Law; not enough Order.)
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To: george76

I don’t know why this hasn’t been a bigger story. Doctors have been leaving the practice for ten or more years now. Medicare is killing them off. It’s as much a crisis as it could be now.

With my own health plan... I’ve now been without a PPO doctor for a couple of years now. My doctor just up and quit. I’ve only lately (like today) finally found a new doctor. Have no idea how long it’ll last.


24 posted on 12/02/2008 10:06:41 PM PST by Ramius (Personally, I give us... one chance in three. More tea?)
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To: LaineyDee
the incentive to spend the time and $$ to go to med school has waned.

It's already the case that for many medical specialties, you'd be money ahead at the end of your career if you skipped college and medical school and instead became a UPS truck driver. With Obama, we can expect that this will be the case even for neurosurgeons.

25 posted on 12/02/2008 10:07:52 PM PST by ccmay (Too much Law; not enough Order.)
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To: george76

We simply need to increase medical school admissions back to numbers they were 10-20 years ago. The federal government has forced medical schools and residency programs to cut back admissions.

There are many qualified Americans willing to go to med school. However, we must also warn them that they may have to go into primary care where they are needed.

The problem is that the payers, primarily government, pay much more for specialists, and so the med students naturally want to follow the money.

From the article:
“”Annual Physician Compensation
Family practice: $173,812
Internal medicine: $190,547
Pediatrics: $182,727
OB-GYN: $280,629
Ophthalmology: $315,982
Neurology: $227,670
Hematology/Oncology: $298,689
Gastroenterology: $418,139
Cardiology: $456,747
General surgery: $316,909
Dermatology: $365,524
Psychiatry: $198,653
Emergency medicine: $256,800
Anesthesiology: $400,000
Radiology: $464,420
Source: Medical Group Management Association “”


26 posted on 12/02/2008 10:09:44 PM PST by iowamark
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To: EyeGuy

Oh yes, lets cut down on the length of time it takes to educate a doctor.

Why, anyone who can skin out a deer should be able to operate on a human with a couple of practice patients....

Brilliant idea that is, lowering education requirements. Why not have those flight by night ‘collages’ you see advertised on match book covers teach and certify doctors? heck, maybe they could take a mechanics course at the same time so their car never breaks down on the way to an emergency...


27 posted on 12/02/2008 10:11:15 PM PST by Nathan Zachary
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To: Ramius

Also budget constraints prevents the latest (expensive) drugs and techniques to be used.


28 posted on 12/02/2008 10:13:13 PM PST by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: EyeGuy

You are going to want to make sure that tort reform is well in place before we open streamlined “Doctor Nic” collages all over, right?


29 posted on 12/02/2008 10:13:34 PM PST by Nathan Zachary
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To: george76

If you are a Doctor, right now, not in a socialized future, you have to hire AT LEAST one full time person at a minimum of $50k per year to deal with the insurance paperwork. That tends to take a good chunk off the bottom line. It’s just not worth it, unless you run a huge assembly line Medical Practice.


30 posted on 12/02/2008 10:16:57 PM PST by Republic of Texas (Socialism Always Fails)
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To: Nathan Zachary

Brilliant idea to accept the status quo as correct and also to grossly exaggerate the concept.

There are GROSS inefficiencies in medical education.

Skin a deer? Infantile.


31 posted on 12/02/2008 10:17:47 PM PST by EyeGuy
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To: Nathan Zachary
Go to a walk in clinic or ER instead. it’s not great sitting there for hours either, but what the heck, you’ve got the time, since you took the day off anyways.

This sentence has to rank as one of the stupidest suggestions that I've ever heard on FR. The issue is not whether I "have the time." The issue is that if I'm feeling well enough to sit up in a chair and be somewhat civilized, I could be at work. I take sick leave because I don't have the strength to be sitting in a chair for very long.

I'm quite aware that the unions have caused more problems than they've solved, but union stupidity is often matched by management stupidity. Unfortunately, one reason that middle American voters don't trust conservatives is that too many conservatives refuse to admit management stupidity. We need to have the integrity to confront stupidity on both sides.

Bill

32 posted on 12/02/2008 10:20:58 PM PST by WFTR (Liberty isn't for cowards)
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To: iowamark

Oh please I am a Family Physician who is full at the office every day and I do not make close to that average. The tables and studies I have looked at put FP’s about about an average of 130,000 and I am below that thanks to MEDICARE AND MEDICAID poor payment.


33 posted on 12/02/2008 10:22:50 PM PST by therut
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To: Ramius

Yes, that is a serious problem, and medicare, forced services for graduating docs (which will happen as a condition of accepting Obama’s free collage money) Will only make it worse.

The biggest problem a GP faces when opening a practice is insurance costs.
Simple torte reform, which Democrats absolutely reject, would go a long ways towards lowering those insurance costs.

The Doc opening a private practice has to insure not only himself, but his receptionist, his nurse, etc. Plus pay for hospital privileges at the local hospital, which is usually psid for with service duty in the ER; It’s all a huge expense for someone just getting out of medical school already in debt a hundred grand or more.


34 posted on 12/02/2008 10:26:36 PM PST by Nathan Zachary
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To: WFTR

It’s not a stupid suggestion t all if you want a doctors note. if you can’t get in to see your regular doc, just where else are you going to get one?

So what if you have to sit and wait with a bunch of illegals and their crying babies who have a fever.

Here’s another “crazy’ suggestion. Take the day off without pay. then you won’t need a note from your Mommy...er doctor.


35 posted on 12/02/2008 10:32:38 PM PST by Nathan Zachary
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To: therut

“Oh please I am a Family Physician who is full at the office every day and I do not make close to that average.”

#####

You deserve much more Doctor. Believe me. I know.


36 posted on 12/02/2008 10:32:39 PM PST by EyeGuy
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To: Nathan Zachary

“You are going to want to make sure that tort reform is well in place...”

#####

Absolutely!

An essential aspect of our society that MUST change, regardless of any changes that might occur in educational training.


37 posted on 12/02/2008 10:34:56 PM PST by EyeGuy
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To: george76

38 posted on 12/02/2008 10:35:02 PM PST by exhaustedmomma (Way to go BARNEY!! Barney for White House Press Secretary.)
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To: WFTR
"I take sick leave because I don't have the strength to be sitting in a chair for very long. "

And I have no problem with that. It's the WITH PAY part that I question. What makes you think you deserve pay when you aren't at work, working? The entire 'sick note' problem vanishes when that "right" you think you have for pay for services not delivered disappears.

39 posted on 12/02/2008 10:38:35 PM PST by Nathan Zachary
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To: exhaustedmomma

My, that was a concise post!


40 posted on 12/02/2008 10:40:25 PM PST by iowamark
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