|
General Surgeons Offer Mixed Reviews on Universal Healthcare
Although the economy began dominating the news media during the final weeks of the U.S. presidential campaign, Americans still view healthcare reform as a top priority for the new president, according to survey results reported in late September by USA Today, ABC News and Columbia University. But how do general surgeons across the country view the issue?
In its 2008 general surgeon salary survey, LocumTenens.com asked how general surgeons thought universal healthcare would affect their personal incomes. Among close to 200 respondents, only 17 percent said 'positively.' While 43 percent predicted universal healthcare would have no effect on their incomes, another 40 percent predicted a negative effect.
"Autonomy is one of physicians' hot-button issues and many of them think universal healthcare would mean greater government control and bureaucracy," LocumTenens.com Senior Vice President Pamela McKemie said. "However, a growing number seem to think it's a policy whose time has come, regardless of how it affects them personally."
Respondents to the LocumTenens.com general surgeon salary survey offered a mix of perspectives on universal healthcare, including these:
"It will be based on Medicare and we will all lose money."
"We need it no matter what my income does."
"Income would likely diminish even more as doctors are expected to provide care to more people at a decreased compensation rate in order to fund universal healthcare."
"My taxes might go up, but I'm certain that the increased number of paying patients would more than compensate. Universal healthcare would be very good for the bottom line of most doctors."
Straining the Surgical Suite
Earlier this year LocumTenens.com published physician survey results indicating that as much as 20 percent of the country's physician work force will stop practicing medicine if the U.S. implements universal healthcare under the new president. Additional analysis of the survey's 1,400 responses indicated that the vast majority of that 20 percent were surgeons, anesthesiologists or radiologists.
"As waves of baby boomers begin retiring over the next few years, the volume of surgeries is likely to skyrocket," McKemie said. "Since about a third of our general surgeons are age 55 or older, we need to be careful not to reduce their ranks even more through what we do to reform healthcare."
She noted that at least one study has predicted a 47-percent increase in surgery volume by 2020. The American Hospital Association recently reported that between 2000 and 2006, knee replacement surgery increased 65 percent and hip replacement surgery increased 21 percent.
Seventy percent of responding general surgeons had been practicing for 10 years or more, 86 percent were male and 90 percent were board certified. While 42 percent of respondents were in private practice, 35 percent were employer-based and only 12 percent reported working on a locum tenens, or contract, basis exclusively.
Surgeons Report Growing Dissatisfaction with "Business" of Medicine
OUT: managed care; frivolous liability lawsuits; paperwork and administrative
hassles. IN: fair reimbursement, liability reform, respect and quality of life
for surgeons. As the American College of Surgeons meets in New Orleans this
week, a recent physician survey indicates these issues are on the minds of today’s
general surgeons.
Among approximately 240 general
surgeons responding to a national online physician survey conducted by recruiting firm
LocumTenens.com in summer 2007, only 2% said they were not frustrated about
practicing medicine in today’s healthcare marketplace.
View full story here.
|