During the months leading up to the passage of the Affordable Care Act back in 2010, there were quite a few reports of doctors in favor of what’s commonly known as “Obamacare.” But for every doctor who was in favor of the law there were an equal number opposed to it. Some two years later several studies have been released that suggest Obamacare is losing support among doctors as they learn more about it. Locum Tenens emergency medicine doctors are among those who are increasingly opposed.
The surveys reveals the top three concerns for emergency medicine doctors are:
- an expectation of decreased compensation as a result of decreased reimbursements
- wariness of government involvement in regulating healthcare delivery
- concerns of decreased efficiency and increased workload
Concerns over Compensation
Among physicians working in locum tenens emergency medicine, the number one reason for opposing the Affordable Care Act comes by way of compensation. History shows that whenever government gets involved in anything it’s not long before they run out of money and have to begin making cuts. When faced with the choice of cutting doctors or cutting reimbursements, it’s likely they will start with the latter. Any doctors already accepting Medicare and Medicaid know exactly what the fear is in this area.
Along with the compensation issues comes the issue of paperwork. If doctors and healthcare institutions think the current paperwork system for insurance claims is complicated, what’s coming down the pike with Obamacare is even worse. So much so that the federal government recently delayed implementation of new billing codes because the thousands of new codes would be nearly impossible under the current system.
Wariness over Government Involvement
Locum tenens emergency medicine physicians are also quite concerned over the general idea of government being involved in healthcare delivery. It’s a legitimate concern when you consider the systemic failures within such quasi-government institutions like the U.S. Postal Service and Amtrak. Throw in the chaos that tends to come along with Medicare and Medicaid, and it’s easy to see how Washington could make a thorough mess of healthcare delivery.
Efficiency and Workload
One of the hallmarks of bureaucracy is terrible inefficiency. If it takes a total of 15 staff members to treat and process a single emergency room patient at a private hospital, it’s almost a given it will take twice that number under new government regulations. Every layer of bureaucracy adds more inefficiency and more work for everyone involved. There is a big fear that already stressed emergency rooms will become even worse once Obamacare is fully implemented.
All that said, doctors who love emergency work still have a great opportunity in locum tenens emergency medicine currently. Jobs are plentiful around the nation and compensation very reasonable in most environments. It’s a career choice with a lot of challenges, a lot of personal rewards, and the opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of people.
