Comments on: Thank you, Al Franken http://www.edscotw.com/2009/10/28/thank-you-al-franken/ edscotw.com Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:36:53 -0600 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: ekchung http://www.edscotw.com/2009/10/28/thank-you-al-franken/comment-page-1/#comment-351 ekchung Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:01:39 +0000 http://www.edscotw.com/?p=165#comment-351 The problem is that NP's and PA's aren't able and aren't going to want to pick up the slack. The primary care shortage is much too large for even the growing number of mid-levels to abate. And NP's and PA's follow the money, as well. PA's are already leaving primary care in droves. KevinMD has a nice summary here: http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/12/why-nurse-practitioners-and-physician.html I'm all for restructuring the health care system. But the primary care shortage is here now, and it needs aggressive action if it's to be kept from getting worse. The problem is that NP’s and PA’s aren’t able and aren’t going to want to pick up the slack. The primary care shortage is much too large for even the growing number of mid-levels to abate. And NP’s and PA’s follow the money, as well. PA’s are already leaving primary care in droves. KevinMD has a nice summary here:
http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2008/12/why-nurse-practitioners-and-physician.html

I’m all for restructuring the health care system. But the primary care shortage is here now, and it needs aggressive action if it’s to be kept from getting worse.

]]> By: lil_sis http://www.edscotw.com/2009/10/28/thank-you-al-franken/comment-page-1/#comment-350 lil_sis Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:39:28 +0000 http://www.edscotw.com/?p=165#comment-350 Hmm, I don't think this kind of spending is going to be a long-term fix for the problem. Paying people to do the right thing doesn't have a very good track record in promoting long-term behavioral change ($20 for your A in history class?). NPs and PAs can pick up a lot of the slack in family medicine, and their training is shorter and cheaper. It's more important that we restructure the health care system to make it more cost-effective. That might end up making gross doctor pay go down, which no physicians want to see. If you look at other countries with better health care systems, doctors are paid a lot less than they are here. But they also have to put up with a lot less inefficiency and litigation and their education is often heavily subsidized by the state or even free. Hmm, I don’t think this kind of spending is going to be a long-term fix for the problem. Paying people to do the right thing doesn’t have a very good track record in promoting long-term behavioral change ($20 for your A in history class?). NPs and PAs can pick up a lot of the slack in family medicine, and their training is shorter and cheaper. It’s more important that we restructure the health care system to make it more cost-effective. That might end up making gross doctor pay go down, which no physicians want to see. If you look at other countries with better health care systems, doctors are paid a lot less than they are here. But they also have to put up with a lot less inefficiency and litigation and their education is often heavily subsidized by the state or even free.

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