What is Wrong With Our Healthcare System?

We’re continuing our conversation about the American healthcare system in this week’s episode. It’s important to recognize that the Affordable Healthcare Act advertised simplicity in our system, but in reality, the changes made fueled a huge rise in premium costs. 

This act was intended to lower the number of uninsured Americans. Yet 10 years later, affordability has tanked for most people. So, what is the answer, and how do we address this? We have to trim the fat: Get rid of the bureaucracy that doesn’t enhance the system in any way, shape, or form.

Private doctors are a dying breed, leaving room for only those associated with groups and corporations. This has made healthcare much less accessible overall. When you do seek care, you may also find yourself confronted with long wait times to see the doctor in person, but also with customer service over the phone. 

If you find a skilled doctor who takes your insurance, hold on to them. It isn’t likely that we’ll see a change in this system anytime soon. We are facing a physician shortage. The Great Resignation is still impacting medical support personnel in clinics and hospitals, making it hard to find good candidates to fill these roles.

At the same time, the cost of overhead and labor has been weighing heavily on doctors, influencing many to decide to close their practice or retire from their practice early. Experienced, well-trained doctors want to be paid fairly–and rightly so. As a result, the people who need it the most are missing out on quality care.

The Congressional Joint Economic Committee created this flowchart to map Obamacare

Physician Suicide: A Call to Action

Will the doctor see you now? Maybe not amid the changing health care landscape in the US.