[Abster]

Let's face it...the cement jungle's problems continue to grow. Picture another 20,000 by 2018 (today's paper). How do you think those wait times, appointment scheduling, reservations and traffic will fair - given it is already a hot mess.

[billethkid]

Originally Posted by Abster

Let's face it...the cement jungle's problems continue to grow. Picture another 20,000 by 2018 (today's paper). How do you think those wait times, appointment scheduling, reservations and traffic will fair - given it is already a hot mess.

those south of 466A can probably consider Leesburg hospital to be just as close as TV.

There is no reason other than proximity, service and quality to consider when choosing a hospital.

[nitehawk]

I have a problem with why this problem exists ....... is it lack of doctor in this country? Is the AMA so strong as to only allowing a certain amount of doctor in this country at any one time as one doctor per 5000 people ...... why cant we produce more doctors .... is their not enough qualified people .....I doubt that ... then what is the problem? ?..we dont have a problem with making laywers.....sorry for getting off subject, but cant understand why one would have to wait such a long time to see a doctor...maybe making more doctors would solve any problem as the result would result in doctors working less hours and charging more money..

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by billethkid

those south of 466A can probably consider Leesburg hospital to be just as close as TV.

There is no reason other than proximity, service and quality to consider when choosing a hospital.

I am happy to hear a positive comment about Leesburg Hospital by someone whose opinion (although I sometimes disagree with) I greatly respect. I have heard Leesburg is a good alternative to TVRH. Now I can believe it.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by nitehawk

I have a problem with why this problem exists ....... is it lack of doctor in this country? Is the AMA so strong as to only allowing a certain amount of doctor in this country at any one time as one doctor per 5000 people ...... why cant we produce more doctors .... is their not enough qualified people .....I doubt that ... then what is the problem? ?..we dont have a problem with making laywers.....sorry for getting off subject, but cant understand why one would have to wait such a long time to see a doctor...maybe making more doctors would solve any problem as the result would result in doctors working less hours and charging more money..

Because, in my view it takes a lot more knowledge to become a doctor. A lot more skill and a lot more smarts. The law is pretty much static, but medical knowledge is ever fluid and information needed, increasing rapidly. Most doctors are in the top one percent of the population in inate intelligence. They can't be mass produced.

[ilovetv]

Producing more medical school graduates will not solve the problem of too few residency program slots in which to do their primary care or specialty training--which they have to have.

"......A physician shortage in the U.S. was expected even before the Affordable Care Act was signed into law in 2010, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. Now the group estimates that there will be a shortage of 63,000 doctors by 2015 and 130,600 by 2025.

The shortage is a result of several factors. A large number of medical professionals are reaching retirement age, as is a large group of patients: Nearly 15 million will become eligible for Medicare in the coming years, the Association of American Medical Colleges reports.

On top of that, there is a lack of residency spots available for students graduating from medical school. In 2011, more than 7,000 were left with degrees that said "M.D." but no place to continue their education, according to the National Residency Matching Program.

Why your waiter has an M.D.

Many residency spots are funded by Medicare, and there's a cap on the number a hospital can claim each year. That number, about 100,000, has remained steady since 1997. While the Affordable Care Act will redistribute some unused residency slots and increase funding for the National Health Service Corps, more needs to be done, advocates say.

"There will be real physician shortages if we don't do more to lift the residency cap," said Dr. Atul Grover, the Association of American Medical Colleges' chief advocacy officer......

Your health care is covered, but who's going to treat you? - CNN.com

"Medicare funds the vast majority of residency training in the US. This tax-based financing covers resident salaries and benefits through payments called Direct Medical Education payments. Medicare also uses taxes for Indirect Medical Education, a subsidy paid to teaching hospitals in exchange for training resident physicians. For the 2008 fiscal year these payments were $2.7 and $5.7 billion respectively. Overall funding levels have remained at the same level over the last ten years, so that the same number or fewer residents have been trained under this program.

Meanwhile, the US population continues to grow older, which has led to greater demand for physicians. At the same time the cost of medical services continue rising rapidly and many geographic areas face physician shortages, both trends suggesting the supply of physicians remains too low.

Medicare finds itself in the odd position of having assumed control of graduate medical education, currently facing major budget constraints, and as a result, freezing funding for graduate medical education, as well as for physician reimbursement rates. This halt in funding in turn exacerbates the exact problem Medicare sought to solve in the first place: improving the availability of medical care....."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicare_(United_States)

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

Because, in my view it takes a lot more knowledge to become a doctor. A lot more skill and a lot more smarts. The law is pretty much static, but medical knowledge is ever fluid and information needed, increasing rapidly. Most doctors are in the top one percent of the population in inate intelligence. They can't be mass produced.

The law is not static at all, graciegirl. Different kinds of skills and intelligence are needed between a career in the law and one in medicine. I do think it is a lot harder to get into medical school than law school, however, and I will bet there are a lot more law schools than medical schools in the US. https://www.aamc.org/about/medicalschools/ ABA-Approved Law Schools | Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar

203 to 141 as far as the ratio of accredited law schools to medical schools.

A competent malpractice lawyer would probably need to know quite a bit about the current state of medicine in whatever area she practices, for instance. Just as a psychiatrist say would need to keep abreast of changes in that field so would any malpractice lawyer covering changes in psychiatry. I remember quite a number of volumes at the University of Minnesota Law Library that were on malpractice. These would get updates quite often.

[villagerjack]

Originally Posted by Abster

Let's face it...the cement jungle's problems continue to grow. Picture another 20,000 by 2018 (today's paper). How do you think those wait times, appointment scheduling, reservations and traffic will fair - given it is already a hot mess.

Cement Jungle?

[gomoho]

Originally Posted by Taltarzac725

I am part of the way through applying for the ACA. It keeps telling me I am not eligible for Florida Medicaid because I have not filed any Federal Tax forms. I have not made enough money since 1991 to need to file these. So, I have to file an appeal and I am quite worked up about just what I should put in the appeal. That is, I believe, part of why I had the constipation and high blood pressure in the first place. I have been working on-and-off on the appeal for six weeks or so. It is kind of tricky about what to put in it and what to leave out.

I am very glad about the pre-existing medical conditions aspect of the ACA coverage.

The ACA insurance rates quoted for Florida are way too high for me or my family to afford.

You might want to clarify what you mean when you say "It is kind of tricky about what to put in it and what to leave out". There are so many problems with fraud that statement just didn't sit right with me.

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by JB in TV

Yeah, I can't speak to not having filed a tex return, but I can tell you from personal experience, if your income is lower, you can get a very cheap plan. Due to a number of reasons, our income came out pretty low last year, and we are paying less than $200 for a very good plan for both me and my wife. Florida Blue. For what it is worth, we are NOT on Medicaid.

Perhaps you can call one of the help lines and one of the advisor/counselers can assist you in your application. You don't want to by fined for not having health insurance by 3/31.

Good luck, I hope it works out for you.

Thanks. My situation is a little too complicated to handle over the phone. I need to do things in writing and with documentation whenever possible.

I am trying to get this form filled out properly. It is going to be hard to keep the explanation though into the few paragraphs that the appeal form allows as far as I can tell.

This might help explain things. I was called on Federal Jury duty a few years back and told the judge during the voir dire from the bench that I lived in the Villages, had been a law librarian and was single. He could still tell I was hiding something so I was dismissed by the judge. I had not brought any documents or anything to the court as I had not known what kind of case, what kind of questions the judge and lawyers might ask, etc. It often looks like I am hiding stuff whenever I talk about my background and the like.

The case was an employment discrimination matter involving a deputy in a sheriff's office in Claremont who insisted on using Spanish in some of his reports. Some of the other officers seemed to make fun of him for using Spanish in his reports. The jury found against the plaintiff.

What I am trying to say is that what I would have to write would need to be written as carefully as possible because of the perjury element of the forms. I only told that Federal judge what I could back up with documentation at that time.

I am afraid that a call to the ACA advisor might prompt the same kind of problem for me. One of proof of whatever I may claim in it.

The lawyers for instance on the sides of bickering Claremont cops had brought in suitcases of documentation.

[peggyb]

The 441 Urgent Care (located across the street from the Walmart on 441 next to the comcast cable shopping center in Summerfield) is open until midnight. I have used them on 2 ocassions and would recommend them to anyone.

[buggyone]

Currently, there is a record high of students in medical school. Certain specialties do have a shortage but Congress could fix that quickly by striking a Medicare provision dating back to 1997.

BTW, I have not seen any physicians as clients at the local food pantries!

[Vladimir]

I agree with OP. Moved here 2 months ago. Took 2 months for an apt just to sign up with The Villages Health Care and now it will take another 3 months just for the initial "get to know" doctor visit with whose credentials I am not impressed - wow!
So on Friday I tore my achilles heel and went to The Villages ER. I sat there for 3 hours and saw that it was a lost cause and would never get anyone to help me. Went to the Exceptional Urgent Care on Rt 466 and after a 2 hour wait was told it is posibly a tear or rupture, was sent for MRI at the Morse building on Friday (with results not available over the weekend) and was not even told what I should do with the pain and ankle until the offices are open on Monday. I had to look up course of action on line from the Mayo Clinic. Needless to say I am disappointed with the health care here, know it will get worse every where under Obamacare. I will try Leesburg or Ocala hospitals and doctors in the future and hope my health holds up.

[skyguy79]

I've put a shortcut on my computer's desktop for quick access to our hospital wait times in case I need to check them before going. On this homepage of the Central Florida Health Alliance website you'll find the wait times for both the Villages Hospital ER and Leesburg's as well! I can't find any information on how frequently it's updated or about its accuracy, but thought I'd provide it anyway for those who are not already aware of this, and you can decided for yourself if you want to also shortcut or bookmark it like I did.

Central Florida Health Alliance | Leesburg, Florida

[buggyone]

Originally Posted by Vladimir

I agree with OP. Moved here 2 months ago. Took 2 months for an apt just to sign up with The Villages Health Care and now it will take another 3 months just for the initial "get to know" doctor visit with whose credentials I am not impressed - wow!
So on Friday I tore my achilles heel and went to The Villages ER. I sat there for 3 hours and saw that it was a lost cause and would never get anyone to help me. Went to the Exceptional Urgent Care on Rt 466 and after a 2 hour wait was told it is posibly a tear or rupture, was sent for MRI at the Morse building on Friday (with results not available over the weekend) and was not even told what I should do with the pain and ankle until the offices are open on Monday. I had to look up course of action on line from the Mayo Clinic. Needless to say I am disappointed with the health care here, know it will get worse every where under Obamacare. I will try Leesburg or Ocala hospitals and doctors in the future and hope my health holds up.

Isn't an Emergency Room for some situation that is life threatening? A stretched or torn Achilles tendon is painful but not life threatening. It is urgent care. Did you ask even them what to do about the pain? If you did, did they say absolutely nothing?