Some doctors are not thrilled with health care reform, as they feel it will mean more health care workers that are not trained properly.
“A recent poll of American doctors revealed something that shocked the pollsters, and will likely make you think hard about health care reform. The pool shows that a large number of doctors are opposed to health care reform. Why? Because they feel it means more healthcare workers that will not be mandated to earn doctorate level health care degrees like doctor’s assistants and nurse practitioners,” said Clelland Green, RHU, and president of Benepath, Pennsylvania.
Just about 3,000 doctors spoke out about health care reform, and they were not impressed with the general direction of the proposed changes. Overall, their major concern was that they could see health care deteriorating over the next five years. This was not just a small percentage that expressed that concern. The survey showed 65 percent felt health care would go to heck in a hand basket.
“Some of course thought it may improve, but that number ranked at 18 percent; hardly a resounding vote of confidence. Certainly, some also felt things would remain the same, under the principle that the more things change, the more they stay the same. That number was a paltry 17 percent,” Green said.
The major point that doctors kept referring to was the at least 32 million people that would be able to access health care if the health care reform legislation remains active. Who would treat them? The obvious answer was physician’s assistants and nurse practitioners; which may give many seeking medical attention some pause for thought that the person they are seeing is not a fully qualified and highly trained medical doctor.
As for how health care reform will affect the patients, many of the doctors interviewed felt the legislation had the potential to impact people in a negative way. In fact, 58 percent of the physicians were of a like mind on that subject. There were at least 27 percent who felt the changes would be good and positive in the long run.
“What will happen in the future? Who knows, but with surveys like this, it is bound to be interesting,” Green said.
To learn more, visit http://www.benepath.com
