[blueash]

Study: Florida Facing Critical Shortage Of Physician Specialists Through 2025 -- TALLAHASSEE,*Fla., Feb.*17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

Interesting report on the lack of teaching hospitals and their associated training programs in Florida and its predicted resulting shortage of 7000 doctors needed in the state in the next 10 years.

[NYGUY]

This study seems to further validate the problems a rural area such as The Villages may have in finding and recruiting highly qualified medical specialists.

[sunnyatlast]

Medicare's role in federally funding the education of required resident doctor training for 3+ years must also be considered.

There actually is a surplus of medical school graduates as compared to the number of residency positions needed to train them all in their specialties which include primary care. Congress capped the number of residency positions in the 1990s and the problem is getting worse.......

See
Residency Slots: A Crisis in the Making? | Medpage Today

What Does Medicare Have to Do With Graduate Medical Education?

https://www.aamc.org/advocacy/campai...icare-gme.html

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[Villages PL]

Part of the problem may be that doctors are overutilized because of HMO policy of unlimited visits to one's PCP with no copayment required. Then a copayment of only about $20 to see a specialist.

Some people are on regular Medicare with insurance to cover the 20% that Medicare doesn't pay. Once they have this insurance, they go doctors quite often just to get their money's worth. I have known some who told me this.

Then healthy people, like myself, are asked to see the doctor twice a year, whether we need it or not. And I don't need it but I go to satisfy my doctor's expectations.

There was a really big doctor shortage during the paleolithic era but nobody complained about it. It was called, "letting nature take it's course". Take care of yourself, be careful, be healthy and don't take your health for granted. Don't play around with nutritionally deficient, processed foods. Educate yourself to know the difference and do the right thing.

If everyone lived a truly healthy lifestyle, doctor usage could be cut in half and there wouldn't be any doctor shortage.

[sunnyatlast]

Originally Posted by Villages PL

Part of the problem may be that doctors are overutilized because of HMO policy of unlimited visits to one's PCP with no copayment required. Then a copayment of only about $20 to see a specialist.

Some people are on regular Medicare with insurance to cover the 20% that Medicare doesn't pay. Once they have this insurance, they go doctors quite often just to get their money's worth. I have known some who told me this.

Then healthy people, like myself, are asked to see the doctor twice a year, whether we need it or not. And I don't need it but I go to satisfy my doctor's expectations.

There was a really big doctor shortage during the paleolithic era but nobody complained about it. It was called, "letting nature take it's course". Take care of yourself, be careful, be healthy and don't take your health for granted. Don't play around with nutritionally deficient, processed foods. Educate yourself to know the difference and do the right thing.

If everyone lived a truly healthy lifestyle, doctor usage could be cut in half and there wouldn't be any doctor shortage.

The goal and mission of doctors, nurses, researchers, techs, and all other medical personnel is to alleviate human suffering they see all around them, and in their own families and homes.

Even if people ate your recommended diet of plants religiously, there would still be cancer, AIDS, diabetes, MS, heart disease, skin disease, eye disease, etc. for doctors and medical people to treat and alleviate suffering.

[Villages PL]

The vast majority of degenerative diseases are brought about by unhealthy lifestyles. So, as patients, lets do our part by getting our own house in order and let supply and demand for doctors take care of itself. Personally, I can't do anything to increase the supply of doctors but I can try to keep myself healthy so as not to be overly dependent on them.

[OBXNana]

Originally Posted by Villages PL

Part of the problem may be that doctors are overutilized because of HMO policy of unlimited visits to one's PCP with no copayment required. Then a copayment of only about $20 to see a specialist.

Some people are on regular Medicare with insurance to cover the 20% that Medicare doesn't pay. Once they have this insurance, they go doctors quite often just to get their money's worth. I have known some who told me this.

Then healthy people, like myself, are asked to see the doctor twice a year, whether we need it or not. And I don't need it but I go to satisfy my doctor's expectations.

There was a really big doctor shortage during the paleolithic era but nobody complained about it. It was called, "letting nature take it's course". Take care of yourself, be careful, be healthy and don't take your health for granted. Don't play around with nutritionally deficient, processed foods. Educate yourself to know the difference and do the right thing.

If everyone lived a truly healthy lifestyle, doctor usage could be cut in half and there wouldn't be any doctor shortage.

I wonder why I have to go twice a year for a routine check up. I feel like I am taking an appointment from someone who may truly need to be seen by a physician. Why does a healthy person need to be seen more than once per year? I'm not being argumentative, I'm simply interested in understanding the reasoning. I have to agree with the original post on this one.

[sunnyatlast]

Originally Posted by Villages PL

First of all, I see a troll-like attempt to be argumentative by characterizing my diet as being "perfect" and "holy".

But the second thing is you couldn't be more wrong. If you would go back and read my post, the first words are, "part of the problem may be that doctors are overutilized....." Of course there would still be disease and a need for doctors. Notice I said, "If everyone lived a truly healthy lifestyle, doctor usage could be cut in half and there wouldn't be any doctor shortage." That, by the way, was my educated opinion.

In order to start a good conversation and an exchange of ideas, we need to first practice good reading comprehension. Second, don't characterize me as eating a perfect or holy diet if you don't know that to be the case.

I apologize and have removed those adjectives.

It would be useful for you to not compare today's population to that of the Paleolithic era. People are living much longer now, and Baby boomers turning 65 and retiring at a rate of 10,000 per day are factors contributing largely to the oncoming primary doctor shortage.

[dbussone]

Originally Posted by OBXNana

I wonder why I have to go twice a year for a routine check up. I feel like I am taking an appointment from someone who may truly need to be seen by a physician. Why does a healthy person need to be seen more than once per year? I'm not being argumentative, I'm simply interested in understanding the reasoning. I have to agree with the original post on this one.

As you age more things are likely to occur. A year from your previous appointment leaves a lot of room for things to get out of hand.

[VT2TV]

Another reason for the shortage for doctors and nurses is lack of respect from more people than you would imagine. Patients come into the office and have frequently already googled their symptoms, and the treatment. They either demand the same treatment from the website, or think they need to get the same treatment their friends, or family received from another doctor. If they do not get that antibiotic that "they always get" they are irate, borderline threatening, and start writting down everything they can so that they will be ready if the doctor happens to be wrong. And of course, I am not talking about all patients, most are very nice, polite and appreciate the care. But it doesn't take too many patients each day to make any doctor or nurse reconsider "why". No doctor in ages has gone into medicine for the money, there are so many more professions that make much more money than physicians, and don't require being on call evenings, nights, weekends and holidays. The same people who might complain about a $20 or $30 co-pay for seeing the doctor, will possibly be the same ones who will spend 1000's ++++ for super bowl tickets, other event tickets. For the work, the education, the residency training, etc, the doctors are not making nearily as much money as many white collared or blue colored employees, and not to mention the hundreds of thousands of dollars in school loans. And of course , with this new health care, many healthcare professionals are calling it quits, because it has been bad enough with a lot of insurancce companies already cutting back on things the doctors would like to do to take care of their patients, and it will probably get worse. Now, I am sure some people might disagree with the thing I have written,but this is a topic very familiar to me, so I am entitled to my opinion.