In West Virginia, the state already under funds the WVU Medical School with a major portion of the revenue to run the Medical School coming from physician reimbursement via the University Health Associates. Increased demands on the state for Medicaid funding, coupled with reduction in physician reimbursements will make less money available for funding the Medical School or to pay the currently underpaid medical staff.
The consequence will be fewer physicians and less funds to carry out the mission of the school. To fund the difference, medical student's tuition will need to be drastically raised, resulting in fewer students, and eventually fewer physicians.
Nationally there currently are not enough physicians to provide care for an additional 50 million patients. As there will be even fewer trained physicians, the proposed health care bill will be even less able to meet its proposals, resulting in severe rationing of care. The bill proposes that much of the care, especially nursing homes and hospice care, be provided by physician assistants.Who is going to train and manage this group?
At the university, there are many physicians who favor the bill but do not understand or are unaware of all the ramifications. Many are unaware that they may soon be out of a job as the medical school may not be able to function or carry out its mission.
We need quality of care, cost containment, portability of health insurance, availability of care to those unable to receive care because of pre-existing condition or poverty, and malpractice reform to avoid frivolous lawsuits and excessive rewards.
However, we do not need the majority of issues addressed in this bill that are only going to bankrupt the nation and provide inadequate health care. This legislation is not only a catastrophe but a looming catastrophic disaster.