NY Post: White House Insider Says Not Enough Doctors, Nurses for ObamaCare
by Dr. Susan Berry 5 Nov 2013 251 post a comment
The New York Post reported Monday that an Obama administration official said the fact that there are not enough doctors for ObamaCare is a serious issue. Though website issues currently abound, once Americans can actually sign up for health insurance on the exchanges the question will remain whether they can actually see a doctor.
“There aren’t enough doctors. There aren’t enough nurses,” the White House insider told the Post.
Most states, including New York, will not have enough primary-care doctors to serve newly insured patients.
New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Nirav Shah said the shortage represents a “potential for a real crisis” in some areas that are already underserved.
“We are short 1,100 primary-care doctors across the state of New York today,” Shah said. “Now imagine another million people flooding the system. Where are they going to get primary care?”
In New Jersey, only about half the need is being met, and in Connecticut the rate is at just 15 percent.
Massachusetts, the state that President Obama and his aides continue to tout as the model for ObamaCare, has been overwhelmed by the dramatic increase in new enrollees since the approval of its health insurance expansion six years ago.
According to the Post, the Massachusetts Medical Society issued a report in July that found half of primary-care physicians refuse to accept new patients. The average waiting times to see a family doctor and internist after request for an appointment is 39 and 50 days, respectively.
“While we’ve achieved success in securing insurance coverage for nearly all of our residents, coverage doesn’t guarantee access to care,” said Medical Society president Ronald Dunlap. “The concern is that limited and delayed access can lead to undesirable results, as people will seek more costly care at emergency rooms, delay care too long or not seek care at all.”
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/11/04/NY-Post-White-House-Insider-Says-Not-Enough-Doctors-Nurses-For-ObamaCare
