ObamaCare's Worst Feature?

John Goodman, president of the National Center for Policy Analysis, names his pick for the "absolute worst" thing about the health care overhaul:

Defenders of the new law invariably ignore the supply side of the market. They assume that if you insure the uninsured or give people more generous coverage that they will all get more health care without ever asking: who is going to provide that extra care?

If you assume that primary care resources are already fully utilized (and in urban areas the evidence for that is overwhelming) then one group can get more primary care only if some other group gets less.

The absolute worst feature of Obama Care (and it truly is inexplicable) is that close to 310 million Americans are going to get more primary care coverage than they had before. Not just welfare mothers, but Bill Gates, Bill Gates' father, Warren Buffett — everyone in the whole country is going to have access to a long list of preventive care services with no deductible or copayment. If they respond to their new incentives, they will all try to get more care than they were getting before. But since more care will not be forthcoming, the waiting times will grow at every emergency room and in every primary care doctor's office — just as they have in Massachusetts.

More on the Bay State's long wait times here. 

Comments

[Old Mexican]

Defenders of the new law invariably ignore the supply side of the market. They assume that if you insure the uninsured or give people more generous coverage that they will all get more health care without ever asking: who is going to provide that extra care?

The rich!

And magical doctors that can be at two places at the same time!

Make that three... no four! Four places at the same time!

[Contrarian P]

I can do it, but it requires horcruxes.

[Rather]

Why am I not nonplussed that a libertarian physician requires a dark magic device-so apropos

[Q]

I can make everyone live forever in perfect health.

No need for doctors.

[Jesus]

So can I but I'm not bragging

[Ken Shultz]

"But since more care will not be forthcoming, the waiting times will grow at every emergency room and in every primary care doctor's office ? just as they have in Massachusetts."

Markets are so much more responsive than regulators. ...and certainly more responsive than your average voter.

That's the worst thing about ObamaCare...

Markets respond to changing conditions really fast--but convincing the idiot voters who supported this thing that they're not gonna get a free lunch out of this? Is gonna be as slow as slow can be.

[Progressive Mind]

Defenders of the new law invariably ignore the supply side of the market

Supply Sider!!1!!
Trickled Downer!!!!1!1!
RACIST!!!!!1!!!1!!!1!!!1!11!!eleventy!1!!1

[1980 Redux]

There is no "worst part" of CommieCare, because the entire law is an abomination, for which the current leader should be impeached and removed from office...then prosecuted and jailed, preferably in a facility with a long history of abuse.

[Zeb]

You suck. Go away.

[1980 Redux]

I take it you are a supporter of the bill then?

[Mark Borok]

Or he could be one of those rational people who know that, in order to impeach someone, they first have to be found guilty of breaking the law.

[Old Mexican]

I would prefer that the great literary genius simply ended his term and went away.

[Old Mexican]

Re: 1980 Redux,

preferably in a facility with a long history of abuse.

Tsk, tsk. Somebody call the Secret Service....

[Progressive]

Defenders of the new law invariably ignore the supply side of the market.

We promised access. We never promised actual healthcare.

[Free2Booze]

They also promised to reduce the cost of care. If you can't find a doctor, their is no charge for your care. What could be cheaper than that?

[Ezra Klein]

A state-run system could decide, as Medicare does, that they'll pay for any and all necessary procedures, and do so quickly. Then there would be no rationing.

http://ezraklein.typepad.com/b.....ugman.html

[Dan Lavatan]

I don't see this as a problem. Since in theory everyone will have insurance and insurance companies will have to pay whatever doctor's want, they can charge 10k/hour or 10M/hour. This will motivate the entire US population to go to medical school so they can bill their insurer all of the current US GDP just to preventivly examine themselves to confirm they are healthy.

[B Obama]

This will motivate the entire US population to go to medical school

Yeah,
That would work, if there weren't hard caps on the number of medical students.

Let alone licensing of medical provides.

[Devilbunny]

I know you're trolling, but you do know that the limitation isn't on the number of medical students, right? It's on the number of residency positions offered. Primary care programs often go unfilled because they're extremely undesirable. Bad hours, mediocre pay.

[Fidel from Madrid Hospital Bed]

My country's health care is FREEE!

[Dello]

"But since more care will not be forthcoming, the waiting times will grow at every emergency room and in every primary care doctor's office ? just as they have in Massachusetts."

Obviously the answer is to cut doctor's payments to incentivize more med students.

[Contrarian P]

I'm sure as hell motivated by lower pay.

[TingoSowy]

LOL, lets see its been a year, My already barely affordable healthcare just went UP $70 a month and there is ono end in sight. Thanks for nothing Obama.

http://www.privacy-online.it.tc

[Rather]

Americans are going to get more primary care coverage than they had before...whole country is going to have access to a long list of preventive care services with no deductible or copayment. If they respond to their new incentives, they will all try to get more care than they were getting before. But since more care will not be forthcoming, the waiting times will grow at every emergency room and in every primary care doctor's

Hmm, if the public annexes preventive care, the emergency rooms will be emptied overnight.

[Colin]

John Goodman?

What will Rosanne say?

[air max france]

huhu

[Vermont Gun Owner]

Yes, alt text. Thank you.

[Mark Borok]

Hospital admissions from the emergency room are down, hospital stays are shorter and hospital costs did not increase any faster. Fewer people were hospitalized for preventable conditions.

http://www.phillyburbs.com/blo.....78c22.html

Emergency rooms have triage nurses who make sure that patients with acute problems are seen first. If the patient has a serious problem and needs to be seen in the ER, then it's better for them to have that access, regardless of wait times. If he is a hypochondriac who doesn't really need to be there and the triage nurse sends him to the back of the line, it serves him right.

[Katherine]

This frustrates me to no end. At a pool party with a bunch of suburban moms they were cooing about Obama care. I said, "You will regulate scarce access to medical care with time or money. If you find a lump on your breast and it takes six months to get a mammogram and another six months for a lumpectomy you paid in time.."

One mom was shocked, "She's right Kaiser makes it really hard to get to a doctor!"

And they still voted for Obama and hope and change and free health care.