From The Los Angeles Times:
State lacks doctors to meet demand of national healthcare law
Lawmakers are working on proposals that would enable physician assistants, nurse practitioners, optometrists and pharmacists to diagnose, treat and manage some illnesses.
By Michael J. Mishak, Los Angeles Times | February 9, 2013, 6:03 p.m.Or is it? One major obstacle is that there won’t be enough doctors to see all the newly insured patients under Obamacare. Some California lawmakers want to fill the gap by redefining who can provide healthcare. (Saul Loeb, AFP/Getty Images / June 28, 2012)
SACRAMENTO — As the state moves to expand healthcare coverage to millions of Californians under President Obama’s healthcare law, it faces a major obstacle: There aren’t enough doctors to treat a crush of newly insured patients.
Some lawmakers want to fill the gap by redefining who can provide healthcare.
They are working on proposals that would allow physician assistants to treat more patients and nurse practitioners to set up independent practices. Pharmacists and optometrists could act as primary care providers, diagnosing and managing some chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and high-blood pressure.
“We’re going to be mandating that every single person in this state have insurance,” said state Sen. Ed Hernandez (D-West Covina), chairman of the Senate Health Committee and leader of the effort to expand professional boundaries. “What good is it if they are going to have a health insurance card but no access to doctors?”
I wonder? Did anybody ever say that we couldn’t add 30 to 40 million people who couldn’t afford health insurance maintain high quality for those covered, and still cut costs?
[...] More at the link. But let your Editor correct the last line: “some people — mostly those who are young and do not receive coverage through their work — may see considerably higher prices than the supporters of the law expected.” Conservatives have said all along that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was wholly mis… [...]