New York Times reports In Massachusetts, Universal Coverage Strains Care.
"In pockets of the United States, rural and urban, a confluence of market and medical forces has been widening the gap between the supply of primary care physicians and the demand for their services. Modest pay, medical school debt, an aging population and the prevalence of chronic disease have each played a role.
Now in Massachusetts, in an unintended consequence of universal coverage, the imbalance is being exacerbated by the state’s new law requiring residents to have health insurance.
Since last year, when the landmark law took effect, about 340,000 of Massachusetts’ estimated 600,000 uninsured have gained coverage. Many are now searching for doctors and scheduling appointments for long-deferred care."
2 comments:
I just figured that is how they keep costs down. I know if I try to schedule a visit, it takes around 6 months. If it needs to be dealt with sooner, they direct me to the emergency room (regardless of what it is). Of course once they solve your problem, endless specialists will give you immediate appointments, so they can get their cut without doing any work. It's been like that since I moved to Mass.
scheduling a physical for me, a while ago was a 4 month wait. But if I called with flu or abdominal pain, I could get an appointment that day or the next. I assume the scheduling works to keep space open for the acute cases.
Post a Comment