Health Care Bill...Some random stuff

Well, trying my hand on a new blog..lets see, how goes..

Been watching the news lately, the media is going all hoopla over the new Health care bill. Rightly so? Maybe...but what does the bill mean for me? You? After the media has had its fair share of TRP ratings and shouting their lungs over seemingly trivial issues, we will hopefully get to see what the bill really is...Right now, I am concerned about 2 major things - How much money are they going to take away from my paycheck now? Will I getting any interest on rebates for that amount? And lastly, but most importantly, what does it mean for me as a physician in the future, will I be reimbursed sufficiently or will I need to go patient shopping! While the issue of incorporating millions of Americans to the bill is enticing, well-intentioned and noble to say at the very least, but I fail to see how they are going to fund this monstrous bill! Not to be pushed into being labeled right-ish or left-ish, I am just trying to be practical without taking any sides. And the fact that I don't see any funding available for this bill, I can only assume it will be more taxes, higher interest on loans, lesser interest rates on savings and so on...and what CAN this mean? We may be back to where we started in the crisis in the first place! And that would be a catastrophe!! Lets look at what good may come out of it. A good number of people will get health insurance coverage. Many more people will be able to see a doctor, get treatment and hopefully get preventive care earlier. How this will exactly reduce cost in the longer run, is somewhat questionable. The infrastructure of the health care system is already burdening with patients, and if you were to dump more people onto an already challenged system, that would lead to poor quality of health care- longer wait to see an MD, back door deals to get early entry, incentives to keep people OUT of the health care system (this may be interesting), too many UNTRAINED or less experienced people to practice medicine, cheaper labor, all this may result to more errors, litigations, further escalating the cost of some aspects of healthcare. Reforming tort reform would be so useful in this bill.
In summary, there is a 60-40 chance that this bill may not work, however I do believe we got to move away from the current corrupt, highly inflated and pricey healthcare system to a more sensible and smart system, where people are held accountable for lifestyle changes leading to longevity. I do not know what to say to an individual who comes for lung problems and in the middle of his admission, he keeps on going to smoke. While my Hippocratic oath makes me continue to help and serve people, there is a certain element in my mind which wants to be practical and provide care more efficiently, especially to the ones who need it the most. But then, who am I to decide who gets care and who does not. My purpose is to provide care, not choose. But if the current trend towards no accountability continues, I see gradual death of capitalism and birth of a socialist state. Good health can be achieved via good education to people, which can play a significant role in reducing burden on the system.