Quote:1. Here in Jacksonville 3 health care systems have been fighting over who gets to build a hospital in the Southwest area of the region. St. Vincent's, Baptist and HCA all applied for a CON to build but St Vs was approved and the other two told they couldn't build. Demand is irrelevant, the government decides who does and doesn't get to build their facilities in that neighborhood. Here's an article about the Baptist denial and the reasons outlined for telling them no.

 

http://jacksonville.com/community/clay/2...y-hospital

 

2. There are dozens of minor health care issues that we currently use physicians for that could be accomplished without their oversight. The cost of becoming a physician and the salary and benefits of being one means that they as a whole are ragingly protective of their market share and territory. As a result we now have a severe shortage of providers at every level because doctors do work that doesn't require them and we strangle the supply from medical schools.


 

3. Insurers already do that by how they contract with health systems and physicians and by choosing to leave states entirely. As always happens when government is involved, we have a huge bureaucracy full of redundancy and red tape that drives prices upward with a crippling effect on the service.

This was true/maybe is still true. But it won't be in 10 years. New medical schools are popping up like flies (especially DO's) we will actually have more American grads than residency spots within 5-10 years. And most new residency are primary care. Plus NP's and PAs are also proliferating like bunnies. Our system will change, I just hope I can be ahead of the curve instead of behind it for once.

---