single payer also means government price setting = no incentive for more doctors = less doctors = nurses writing scripts / diagnosing / etc.
Too late my well-hung friend, nurses (Nurse Practitioners to be exact) have been medically diagnosing and prescribing drugs to patients since the 1960's. Rural areas are renowned for employing that of Nurse Practitioners to treat common day morbidities (Diabetes, Hypertension, Asthma, Upper Respiratory Infections etc..). Physicians need to pay off massive amounts of debt incurred throughout Med school and during their residencies and, in light of that, they typically move towards a specialty versus Internal Medicine, which consists of most doctors that you see for checkups and even ER visits. Physician Assistants have also become key players in the realm of medicine by serving as extensions to MD's that can treat their patients and follow them throughout their stay in most hospitals.
Now, with ObamaCare, you will see a further decline in the amount of actual MD's treating you when you visit the hospital. Statistics show that less than 8% of Med school graduates during 2009 pursued a career within Internal Medicine. The trend is for new Doctors to go after a high-paying specialty (Gastrointestinal, Cardiac, General Surgery etc..) and not waste time making 150-200K (which turns to a measly 100-130K after taxes) by dabbling in primary care. Because of this recent phenomenon and the new healthcare legislation, you will see more and more Nurse Practitioners treating patients in the hospitals by way of Internal Medicine (Primary Care). Physician Assistants will also be doing the same thing.
I'm not trying to downplay the abilities of these advanced practice nurses (NPs) or PA's. On the contrary, in my experience, I've found that most Nurse Practitioners and PA's that I've encountered are very well trained in Internal Medicine and have the general skillset needed to treat patients presenting with typical ailments. They have the skills and the certification and licensing needed to do so, but it is always reassuring to know that you can also have an MD or two around to look at the bigger picture if need be (patients presenting with multiple comorbidities etc..)
Anyhow, onward with Coach's discussion..
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