<p>Talked to someone today who said there is going to be a shortage of doctors because they won't be able to cover their costs.</p>
<p>Who is “they” and “their”? Do you mean, ‘there will be a shortage of doctors because med students won’t be able to afford med school’? Or there will be a shortage because patients won’t be able to pay for their medical bills? </p>
<p>Actually I heard there will be a shortage of doctors because 1) there will be so many more people in need of doctors and 2) going to a doctor will become more affordable, especially because of medicare.</p>
<p>No. Because students may not want to become doctors since they’re not going to be payed as well. We can not cover our bills and such because of something. I can’t say on here apparently but pre meds have the right to know how they will be affected by it</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>“Right to know”?? And your research so far is “Talked to someone today”? If you care about something, then invest some time and learn about it. </p>
<p>You can start here:</p>
<p>[Kaiser</a> Health Reform Gateway: Health Care Reform and Health Insurance Reform Analysis, Data and Information](<a href=“http://healthreform.kff.org/]Kaiser”>http://healthreform.kff.org/)</p>
<p>but I must warn you, it will take time to read and understand the facts. But that is what living in a democracy is about. It is the other side of the rights/responsibility coin.</p>
<p>Quote: And your research so far is “Talked to someone today”?</p>
<p>No actually it’s from multiple sources. TV programs, newspapers, professors, etc. Can you say that there will be no changes to doctors pay?</p>
<p>^ Compensation for health care providers is determined by a wide variety of factors. Total compensation can vary widely by specialty and situation. If we narrow the discussion to PCPs who are under contract to HMOs using capitation, then you could argue that their income would increase. There will be a larger pool of insured patients so that their rolls will likely increase.</p>
<p>unless they do a medicare fix…doctors will have a 30% cut in payments next year…here in our state we also just took a 10% decrease in medicaid reimbursement.</p>
<p>Which is why so many doctors are now going into a ‘concierge’ type practice. They get to spend more time with their patients and make more money.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Actually, PCPs may receive an increase (with potential bonus payments) under the ACA. (with potential extra payments for serving in under-served areas)</p>
<p>[url=<a href=“http://healthreform.kff.org/tags/medicare.aspx?source=QL]Medicare”>http://healthreform.kff.org/tags/medicare.aspx?source=QL]Medicare</a> - Kaiser Health Reform<a href=“watch%20the%20video,%20around%20the%203:00%20mark”>/url</a></p>
<p>OP: There already is a shortage of physicians, especially in primary care/family practice, in most parts of the country. With baby boomers aging, that’s predicted to only get worse.</p>
<p>Many doctors have declared that they are not going to handle any more medicaid patients, because the fees they will be getting for doing so are way too low.</p>
<p>Also, it would seem to follow that if we give free health insurance to 30 million more people, more doctors will be needed.</p>
<p>Moderator Note: Closing thread as it inevitably becomes political. Please review CCs Terms of Service about political posts.</p>