Allysia Findley has written an interesting piece in the WSJ — discussing a point often missed in the health-care debate: Doctor shortages:
Mr. Obama wants to provide insurance for an additional 30 million Americans, but recent experience in Massachusetts shows that universal coverage will result in an even greater physician shortage and longer waiting times for patients.
Because Massachusetts’ Commonwealth system served as the model for the universal coverage Mr. Obama wants to implement nationwide, a few results of its health-care experiment are worth noting. A 2008 Physician Workforce Study by the Massachusetts Medical Society found that the percentage of residents having difficulty getting care rose to 24% from 16% between 2007 and 2008. Since 2006 when the Commonwealth system was implemented, internal medicine and family practice went from having labor market conditions that were considered “soft” or unstressed to being the only two specialties with labor market conditions classified as “severe” or experiencing the highest possible degree of stress.
This is stunning to say the least: AFTER the government stepped in to the health care arena — promising that MORE PEOPLE would get better care, the percentage of residents having difficulty getting care rose 8%. In other words, when markets were able to act more efficiently, a higher number of people were able to access more care. Under the new government-mandated Massachusetts program went into effect, more people had trouble accessing care than before.
This raises the obvious question: what kind of health care system do you want, a private system that restricts access based on cost (but treats more people)… or a public system that doesn’t “limit” care, but ultimately treats FEWER people.
I’d rather see the most people get the most care… but that’s just me.
via Obama’s Doctor Shortage – WSJ.com.