The MDs have taken their marbles and ran. First of all it costs too much to get the MD classification. I have heard $400k. Then family doctors seem to be hated by the establishment (my family doctor who I can see via MDVIP charges me $125 per moth for access privieges and when i go to see him, medicare pays him $26. He told me that if he didnt join MDVIP, he would have had to close. I think this decision just delayed the inevitable. Single payer is coming.

My nickname is DoctorObvious for a reason. These truths are truly obvious to those who think critically and remain perpetually skeptical of the propaganda heaped upon them continuously in the media.

It is up to us to keep shining light on the reality of this situation. Everyone must be resourceful and continue to seek alternative options. Primary care physicians, dermatologists, opthalmologists, dentists, cosmetic surgeons can all go to cash only concierge practices. By severing the contractual ties with the government and insurance companies, they are free to work directly with their patients for the patient's benefit, without the regulatory and tort guns to their heads. Folks are cutting the cords to their cable bills, and will need to start cutting the cords to this false idea that government is needed to make their lives better. Those you can't convince need to take a vacation to the barrios of Caracas, Venezuela.

What happened with the passing of Obamacare, and the Supreme Court idiocy of upholding it (because it was a tax bill after all, JUST LIKE SOCIAL SECURITY...), was meant to be another nail in the Constitutional republic.

Nor will you; trial lawyer lobby too powerful.

Look to a pharmacist degree. It is still possible to make a decent living with only six to 7 years of college. I thought I was too ambitious to count pills for the rest of my life, so I went into medicine and became a neurosurgeon. However, my Pharmacist and MD licenses are still active. Keep all doors open and always have something to fall back on!

The entire point the media refuses to report is that so-called health insurance is NOT HEALTH CARE. Insurance is merely a debt transfer to the carrier. You pay them to cover your health expenses, but they will only cover the ones mandated by Obamacare. That means tons of red tape to get the damn crutches. I suggest everyone scour local yard sales and craigs list for crutches and walkers. Also estate auctions will have these items. They take up space, but when you need them you have them, period. Save your receipts and so far can still deduct as a health care expense but not count toward deductible. Insurance has all but been rendered useless by Obamacare. Go back to high deductible catastrophic policies and back up the large out of pocket with health savings accounts. Premiums will drop drastically, and those that can pay the high deductible out of pocket costs will be able to deduct them from their taxable income. Those who are too poor to benefit will need to look to charity and Medicaid to get what they can. That is the safety net. Those who can work will need to work to cover their own expenses. It's called personal responsibility; something progressives deny exists in their bubble world view of the masses. IF DC sunk into the mud, most Americans wouldn't miss it. We'd help those around us who could end up suffering. Meanwhile, keep those medical assistive devices you inherit from your grandparents. You might just need them. Hope your son gets better soon. Make sure he walks every 15 minutes after surgery to heal faster. Don't sit more than 15 minutes at a time. Don't use tobacco; it rots the spine and discs and prevents wound healing, thus speeding up the aging process. Tobacco use truly worsens health and increases health costs, so that's another place to save money for those who smoke.

Bullseye!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ditto all the comments. I am a veterinarian and am thankful I chose this path rather than human medicine. We have regulations - but about a 10th of that of human medicine. We provide nearly the same services as human medicine (I am a specialist - board certified oral surgeon) at about a tenth of the cost - hmmm, wonder why. At 71 I am on Medicare - no choice. I have Blue Care Network for my family. My medical financial obligation per year is 34,000 dollars. Thank you Obama. I cannot sustain this for much longer.

My long time (17 year) provider (Family Practice) finally sold out to a larger practice...

For the first 15 years of our relationship, he ran a private practice and was a very happy and sociable person. Since I am quite healthy, our discussions were on Ayn Rand and Atlas Shrugged during my periodic visits. During my last visit, when he still owned his practice, he asked if I had noticed the nice two ladies just outside the exam room. He then told me "those nice ladies are Obamacare." They were hired, to the tune of ~100k in annual compensation packages, just to administer the red-tape of the PPACA. It would be the equivalent of injecting cancer cells into a healthy patient and then insisting, with the height of conceit, that 'cancer has needs too.' He lasted a year after the cancer injection. During my most recent visit, he did not smile ... he had visibly changed. The exam rooms had also changed. Instead of each room having a Theme... such as the American Southwest, or Ancient Egypt, etc ... all the photos and mementos from his travels were gone. Without blinking, he explained that the hospital demanded the removal of all objects that could be the harbor for the transmission of disease. The place had all the appeal of a 1960's Soviet-Era exam room. He is now just a paid employee of the hospital.

I share this anecdotal story with people that I meet, typically 'captive audiences' while on travel (flights). Most people have absolutely no clue how physicians, and their needs, play into the PPACA. When I conclude my story, their eyes light up a bit, having been exposed to another perspective.

To repeat DoctorObvious -- stay healthy. You do not want to become party to this broken and further deliberately destroyed health care system.

Yes, my wife's doctor, friend and fellow boater, which I sometimes allowed him to do a general check up on me over the past 25 years, has up and moved to another state that is more friendly to GP's and less restrictive insurance practices. He stated, that he just could no longer do business, no longer do a good job in connecticut any more...have no idea where he moved to.

Health care has become such a hoax in the present paradigm that many doctors have just given up and gone on to something else.

Have yet to see any real tort reform that would save massive amounts on medical care.

I agree. At 51 yo trying to hold on long enough to get all finances in order and that will be it. Many of my friends doing the same. Looking for alternative areas to work or completely different field. have discouraged my children from going into medicine as well. I am one of the few independent doctors in my area, and am not sure I can maintain. Doing the work, not getting paid esp here in Illinois.

My 30-year-old son has an articulated disk that causes a lot of pain and he will hopefully have a successful surgery on June 6.
He has asked for a specific opoid medication. Instead of a yes or a no, all he hears is that "the doctor has to write a prescription" and this has dragged on for days. "Yes" or "no" my son could understand.
If the doctor ever does write one, I'm to present my son's driver's license both to receive it and to have it filled at a pharmacy.
Yesterday, I had mid-afternoon business a half an hour away on the other side of Birmingham. Before I left, my son requested that I carry his license so in case he gets "the call," I could be advised on my cell phone to go straight to the hospital where the doctor is at.
Of course, "the call" never came.
Earlier, my son asked the doctor about crutches and was told that would have to be cleared by the insurance company.
Me the dino told my son "Screw that!" and bought him crutches at Walmart.
Those under the armpit crutches relieved a lot of pain and made it possible him walk a short way to the bathroom on the same day when he found he could not and all but panicked.
Later we went to see his doctor, who visibly viewed the crutches with some discomfort.
Oh, yeah, about that opoid medication, the doc said he had to write the prescription, whatever the hell that really means.
All this led to my son saying that doctors no longer make decisions. Insurance companies tell them what to do.
Even about stupid damn crutches . . .

Herb, I have seen and experienced similar things. To make matters even worse. My daughter who has dreamed of becoming a doctor since she was 7 (she is currently 17 and very politically aware) has recently decided that it is simply not worth it and is considering other avenues. She will be a senior next year and started reading Anthem a couple years ago after my suggestion. Not sure what direction she is going to go but looking like she will be avoiding medicine, mostly due to all the Governmental interference in health care.

When O'Bozocare was first introduced I had two friends who were MDs. One said outright he would retire rather than deal with the paperwork overhead. He would rather treat patients than fill out paperwork. The other was an ER Doc who worked about a week a month. That gave him more than enough to live on and the hospital covered most of the overhead and liability. Last I heard he is also considering retirement.

What we are witnessing is the "Gutting of the American Health care System". Between politicians and lawyers, One in the same, getting their filthy hands into the medical needs of their constituents there is little hope. When have we ever seen this government ever run any business anywhere but in to the ground.

Indians are thick of the ground being bled into the practices in Providence, RI. It's not their education but their top down attitude, ignoring the 20 year ongoing model of patient contribution to the diagnosis and treatment processes. Not helpful,

doctorobvious,

I saw all of this going on in the mid 80's because of government interference in their businesses. it certainly has gotten worse, much worse and it is going to get even "worser" as time goes by. socialized medicine may ultimately be the weight on the camel that breaks its back.

That is it in a nutshell, I outlined the specifics. It truly is horrible what has happened. The elites pushing these policies exempt themselves from them. They still have access to good doctors and hospitals. Socialism is for the people, not the socialists.

Go right ahead. It seems only those who are physicians are aware of what is happening. The more the people know, the better. Physicians are also patients in their own lives, so we are all on the same side, and all are suffering thanks to Big Brother and their corporate cronies.

Who is John Galt?

In a previous location, I was personally acquainted with several doctors and they saw Obamacare coming and decided that it was time to get out of medicine. The liability for doctors - especially in ObGyn - is astronomical and the ACA is essentially price fixing without lowering the liability. So doctors wouldn't be seeing different patients or taking fewer risks but they will be making less money for their efforts. It isn't rocket science - just simply risk/return economics.

Doctor Obvious,
I am going to post your reply on Straight Line Logic later today if you have no objections.

I can answer that. I retired from my solo neurosurgical practice of 20.5 years three years ago with a hand injury and now live off my private disability benefits. Many have asked my why I have not switched to a non-surgical practice or go to teach a the university. My reputation, outcomes and experience are extremely valuable, many believe. I don't disagree with them, but the obstacles to taking care of patients have become insurmountable for physicians. There are so many regulatory requirements that have raised the cost of providing health care to an unaffordable level. You have Obamacare rules, Medicare rules, mandates from state and local bureaucrats, and then there is license and "MOC:" Maintenance of certification is another racket dumped on doctors to perpetually spend thousands on special mandated training courses provided by the very entities that issue the certificates. None of this makes one a better physician, but it does make a bunch of crony capitalist organizations rich. The barnacles of bureaucracy on the belly of the ship of independent physicican practice have gotten so heavy the ship has sunk. Productive, intelligent, compassionate, independent thinking Americans have become more rare with progressive indoctrination in schools, and the few remaining have the common sense to not go a quarter to a half million dollars in debt to end up paying to provide care to patients, while also paying for malpractice insurance to protect the physician from litigation and obscenely greedy trial lawyers. I closed my solo 20.5 year professionally successful practice, with $200,000 of debt thanks to these bureaucratic barricades to patient care. It cost more to provide service than one could offset by insurance and Medicare payments that are supposed to reimburse for the care. No one seems to be aware of the massive burden physicians face to comply with all of this parasitic bureaucracy. More staff must be hired than are needed for patient care just to chase the paper tsunami around the office and hopefully avoid a SWAT raid by Medicare, Medicaid, or their hired guns RUC. I loved my patients and I loved performing surgery that got them back to their lives and jobs, and out of pain. Sometimes while sleeping, I still have extremely realistic dreams that I am performing spine surgery in the operating room. My career was my life, but it is something I can never contemplate returning to in any manner, knowing what I know now. Even though the career is no longer active, I still have the state law requirement to maintain my medical records for seven years after closing my practice. That means seven years of paying for a liability policy to cover medical record archiving, a part time office manager to chase old invoices and pay the ongoing bills for accountants, attorneys, electronic health record software maintenance, computer server I.T. maintenance, etc. So, the answers to your four questions are YES,YES,YES, and YES. Now more than ever, people need to learn how to stay healthy, avoid toxic processed foods, and educate themselves about their health issues so they can make informed decisions on what limited care they will have access to. Since Medicare reimbursed my services at 10-15 cents on the dollar billed, you can see why more doctors just walk away, drop Medicare, drop Medicaid, and are going to cash only practices where they can. The cash model works well for veterinarians, and would definitely cut costs for people if more would just cut the insurance cord. The biggest problem is hospital costs that are hard to reduce in the current system. The way that socialized medicine nations save money on health care is to not provide it through rationing and delays to access to treatment. Even so, these programs are bankrupting those nations. It would destroy the USA prosperity if permitted here. Choose carefully, and stay well.