Posted on 02/23/2013 5:14:40 PM PST by upchuck
Brace yourself for longer lines at the doctor's office.
Whether you're employed and insured, elderly and on Medicare, or poor and covered by Medicaid, the Florida Medical Association says there's a growing shortage of doctors — especially specialists — available to provide you with medical care.
And if the Florida Legislature goes along with Gov. Rick Scott's recommendation to offer Medicaid coverage to an additional 1 million Floridians — part of the Affordable Care Act that takes effect next January — the FMA says that shortage will only get worse.
"Florida needs more doctors and it needs more nurses, and it needs them working together in teams," said Rebecca O'Hara, a lobbyist for the FMA.
About 15 million Floridians have health insurance today, and Obamacare, which requires most adults to have coverage by January, could add as many as 2.5 million more. One million would come through a potential expansion of the federal-state Medicaid program that Scott announced this week he was backing. The others would be the result of new mandates requiring employers and individuals to have insurance or be fined.
Currently, the state has 44,804 doctors, but about 5,600 of them are expected to retire in the next five years. And even though Florida has opened three new medical schools in the past dozen years, the state isn't producing as many doctors as it needs. Scott's budget this year has $80 million to fund programs to train 700 new residents a year, in hopes they'll remain in the state.
(Excerpt) Read more at articles.sun-sentinel.com ...
My dentist told me “the Americans who want Obamacare just don’t get it. With Obamacare the doctors just won’t care anymore.” I heard Virginia’s AG Cuccinelli on Fox a few days ago and he said 2013 is going to bring forth a lot of train wrecks regarding Obamacare. Get ready. It is just now beginning. Those who called it fear mongering will soon learn they have been lied to for power.
wait! you mean socialized medicine doesn’t automatically make enough doctors to treat everyone?
you mean doctors are retiring instead of working increased hours for less pay?
go figure
who the hell ever listens to socialists and commies? they’re freakin morons
Scott is a one term governor. Even if he survives the primary...he will not beat a Charlie Crist Dem campaign. A real conservative can beat Crist, not a spineless Crist-wannabe
Pass the pop cornsky, comrades
Cuba is right next door and likes to send doctors to third world countries for PR. Maybe they will be willing to go to Florida.
Since WHEN will "doing the wrong thing" STOP a politician from consistently "doing the WRONG thing" for America and its people.
Doctors? Who needs doctors in a third-world health care system?
If I were a doctor and one million more people in my state were being led on to believe that they could get all the free medical attention they desire, I would be packing up, too.
And moving to Kansas where we’re 1. not participating in a federal exchange and 2. not expanding Medicaid and 3. still cutting income taxes.
Correction: 2.5 million (not 1 million)
Pinging Holly_P to post #8 by Kanzan
Republicans are just as stupid as Democrats and also love the money from the Federal Government just as much. I guess that means that we are lost regardless of party unless a thoughtful third party becomes national.
I’d guess that this country is lost anyway - not enough time for another party and too little time for the current parties to change.
I would never practice medicine at intentionally anything less than the best that I can do for the individual patients that I am treating. However, doctors are human, and no one is going to become a voluntary slave of the state. Shortages? Well, sounds like a great opportunity to do exactly what happens in the UK, Ireland, and pretty much any socialized medicine country - private fee for service on the side for those who don't want or can't wait in line. The reality is that socialized medicine is the least fair and most hierarchical system that one can design. There are much better ways to do this.
theyll just bring in more FMGs from hell
Scott isn’t the problem and all you folks sending friendly fire out need to stop and think.
Scott is trying to stop a runaway train.
No, he is taking money from the Federal Government to prolong his career. It is short of insight and lacks any real concern about the future of his so-called constituents. He is doing just as way too many other politicians do - worry about today and forget about tomorrow.
When the health of Floridians continues to decline due to Doctor shortages and the eventual loss of Federal dollars, he will just blame the Feds. No fault on his part for this mess. Politicians will be politicians...
nobamacare = stay healthy or die.
I hope every doc who can retires as soon as they can, leaving America with the results of marxist/communism as soon as is possible. Maybe, just maybe, people will awaken to this tragedy and revolt against these commie idiots.
Never happen. The as you so generously referred to them as "people" will not have the intelligence to understand that they are the cause of their misery. They understand that they are hurting. They do not, will not, and cannot, grasp the idea that their deeds and actions are what brought on their misery. The media and Democrat Party will tell them it is George Bush and the Republican Party that brought about their pain and suffering. Thisis what they will believe. So, if you are hoping that the fools, idiots, and parasites will ever change, you can forget about that early.
I live in Florida and am 70. I’m terrified that osamascare is going to screw my life up. I have some serious health issues that require fairly constant monitoring by specialists. I’m currently covered by MEDICARE and a very good supplement, but I fear that some GS-7 with a degree in wiccan issues is going to be making life or death decisions for me.
I am in the same boat as you. And they are going to kills if we do not die a death of natural causes before then. I look for the death panels to be in full force by no later than 2015. The 2010 elections threwa monkey wrench in their timetable but I do not forsee this happening in 2014. My advice would be to make peace with your Maker and continue to fight.
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