Physicians indicated their general uneasiness about healthcare reform in a poll conducted by the Physicians Foundation released in November.
In the survey, physicians indicated the following concerns and expectations:
1. They expect to restrict number of patients. Sixty percent said reform would force them to close or significantly restrict their practices to certain categories of patients. Of these, 93 percent said they would close or significantly restrict Medicaid patients and 87 percent said they would close or significantly restrict Medicare patients.
2. They plan to drop out of patient-care work. Forty percent said they plan to drop out of patient care in the next 1-3 years, either by retiring, seeking a non-clinical job in healthcare or seeking a nonhealthcare-related job.
3. They expect to spend less time with patients. Fifty-nine percent said reform would cause them to spend less time with patients.
4. They anticipate higher patient volumes. More than half said reform will cause patient volumes in their practices to increase.
5. They won't have the time to treat more patients. Sixty-nine percent said they no longer have the time or resources to treat more patients while still maintaining quality of care.
6. They had an initial negative reaction to reform. Sixty-seven percent of physicians said their initial reaction to passage of the reform law was either somewhat or very negative.
7. They didn't feel they were consulted on reform. Eighty-six percent believe the viewpoint of physicians was not adequately represented to policymakers while drafting the law.
8. They were divided over relative impact of reform, fee cuts. Thirty-six percent say physician fee cuts have had the greatest impact on them, while 34 percent said reform had the greatest impact.
Read the Physicians Foundation release on physicians' concern over healthcare reform.
Read more coverage on healthcare reform.
- Chuck Lauer: 10 Ways to Cope in This Anxious Time of Healthcare Reform
- 14 Thoughts on the Road Ahead for Hospitals With AHA Trustee Ron Anderson
- Deficit Panel Chairs' Proposed Healthcare Cuts Won't be Adopted
In the survey, physicians indicated the following concerns and expectations:
1. They expect to restrict number of patients. Sixty percent said reform would force them to close or significantly restrict their practices to certain categories of patients. Of these, 93 percent said they would close or significantly restrict Medicaid patients and 87 percent said they would close or significantly restrict Medicare patients.
2. They plan to drop out of patient-care work. Forty percent said they plan to drop out of patient care in the next 1-3 years, either by retiring, seeking a non-clinical job in healthcare or seeking a nonhealthcare-related job.
3. They expect to spend less time with patients. Fifty-nine percent said reform would cause them to spend less time with patients.
4. They anticipate higher patient volumes. More than half said reform will cause patient volumes in their practices to increase.
5. They won't have the time to treat more patients. Sixty-nine percent said they no longer have the time or resources to treat more patients while still maintaining quality of care.
6. They had an initial negative reaction to reform. Sixty-seven percent of physicians said their initial reaction to passage of the reform law was either somewhat or very negative.
7. They didn't feel they were consulted on reform. Eighty-six percent believe the viewpoint of physicians was not adequately represented to policymakers while drafting the law.
8. They were divided over relative impact of reform, fee cuts. Thirty-six percent say physician fee cuts have had the greatest impact on them, while 34 percent said reform had the greatest impact.
Read the Physicians Foundation release on physicians' concern over healthcare reform.
Read more coverage on healthcare reform.
- Chuck Lauer: 10 Ways to Cope in This Anxious Time of Healthcare Reform
- 14 Thoughts on the Road Ahead for Hospitals With AHA Trustee Ron Anderson
- Deficit Panel Chairs' Proposed Healthcare Cuts Won't be Adopted