Comments on: Health Reform Worries

By: Anjum

Anjum — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 09:25:03 +0000

not to mention that family medicine is the single most difficult field to be GOOD at, and it is so underpaid, and so underrespected.

By: Anjum

Anjum — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 09:23:25 +0000

Becoming a doctor never did stop being a calling, but when you have people who really want to go into primary care, are $300,000 in debt, which would take 20 years (as primary) or 5 years (as specialist) to pay off, when trying to have a family, don’t say it’s because you’r totally selfish. I’m not defending those that go into dermatology and plastics, but for future doctors there are more factors than simple choice.
Obama is trying to help this by adding incentive to primary care reimbursement, adding loan reimbursement for practicing in underserved areas, and the right wing are opposing.

By: tnwoman1948m

tnwoman1948m — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 20:45:13 +0000

To Medical Student:

Perhaps I am old fashioned, but when did becoming a doctor stop being a calling and become a money-making job? Everything is about money! That is so sad.

By: steven

steven — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 13:04:26 +0000

Capitalist Curmudgeon, by your standards you’re no more qualified to offer an opinion than any of the people you denigrate.

By: Emily

Emily — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:33:27 +0000

I’m in my 20’s and while I have health insurance, my friend does not. She is 24 and heading to grad school to become a minister (so that she can have good health insurance when she’s done!). However, she needs to find some way to purchase insurance during grad school. She has attempted to buy insurance on the private market – she has the money, her dad’s a doctor – however, she was denied for a “preexisting condition.” I may add that she has never been diagnosed officially with anything and yet she was still denied. She is 24 years old which is quite young to live without insurance. If my young friend who is relatively healthy can be denied insurance, I am amazed that there are any remaining Americans out there who can actually buy health insurance on the individual market.

By: Liberal Libertarian

Liberal Libertarian — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 02:55:25 +0000

Medical Student — You have described why many docs prefer to be specialists. What if primary care docs were paid more? What if their compensation were equivalent or nearly equivalent to specialists? You could become a specialist because it was interesting or because you were good at it, not because surgery pays twice as much. What if teachers were paid more? What if math and science teachers were paid more in the inner city? I’m a libertarian who believes incentive structures matter. Create incentives to train and retain the best primary care physicians and incentives to provide preventative care, rather than the current incentives to do procedures.

By: Medical Student

Medical Student — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 23:45:14 +0000

Response to Liberal Libertarian
nobody in their right mind wants to work primary care because 1) you see px in a revolving type door manner and never ending 2) you work way too many hours for no pay
You tell me, would you want to work 80hrs per week, seeing 2-x3 more work their a person in similar in your position, yet you make 1/2 what they make. I honestly know you wouldn’t accept this type of life, yet that is what a primary care doctor faces

By: Liz

Liz — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 22:30:42 +0000

The point of this ad is that young people are uninsured. I would argue that’s by choice and neglect.

Are you kidding me?! You do understand that most young people work jobs like fast food and in restraunts and grocery stores and walmart, places that don’t *offer* health insurance to part time employees. Not to mention a lot of young people can’t afford to have the cost of the health insurance taken out of their paycheck.

Health insurance for all, NOW! (Especially me…I have a third nipple to take care of. )

By: A fan

A fan — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 01:18:59 +0000

Hysterical! Maybe we should have you heading up the new health care reform.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 23:00:43 +0000

Does anyone watch Scrubs? House and Grey’s Anatomy are much better.