Spring Break
Obama's health care plan may pose problems for medical students
But some students aren't worried about future
Edward Humphrys
Issue date: 11/17/08 Section: News
"His plan to address the high costs of medical care seems promising, through improving efficiency in health care settings, monitoring patients' quality of care and increasing competition among insurance providers.
"Also, his goal of holding employers accountable for providing health coverage to their employees and granting tax credits to smaller businesses to enable them to do so will make health care insurance policies much more accessible," Thomas said.
"In addition, the competition created through providing citizens with a choice between the national insurance plan and private coverage could drive down costs, making even private health care coverage more affordable."
Others are more skeptical as to whether the reform will fix all of the U.S. health care system's flaws, and some critics wary of the reform have pointed to the risk of creating parallels with some of the major problems inherent in the progressive health care systems of the United Kingdom and Canada, where a high demand caused by universal coverage has placed a workload on the insufficient number of physicians practicing in those countries.
But others are quick to point out the differences between the Canadian and United Kingdom systems and the environment that would be created under Obama's reforms.
"First of all, I don't think the change in health care system should be called 'universal health care' because it is not a government handout," Taylor said. "It is not free for all citizens. It's just simply more available."
Taylor also is doubtful that the United States will experience Canada's loss of physicians because of a lack of interest in the profession and the high number of Canadian trained physicians who choose to practice in the United States because of the working conditions in their home country.
"I don't think there will be a decrease in interest in medical professions," he said. "There is still a high level of applicants to medical schools even though our current system is becoming a disaster. I think the interest in a medical profession will stay the same, or maybe even grow as our system changes."
"Also, his goal of holding employers accountable for providing health coverage to their employees and granting tax credits to smaller businesses to enable them to do so will make health care insurance policies much more accessible," Thomas said.
"In addition, the competition created through providing citizens with a choice between the national insurance plan and private coverage could drive down costs, making even private health care coverage more affordable."
Others are more skeptical as to whether the reform will fix all of the U.S. health care system's flaws, and some critics wary of the reform have pointed to the risk of creating parallels with some of the major problems inherent in the progressive health care systems of the United Kingdom and Canada, where a high demand caused by universal coverage has placed a workload on the insufficient number of physicians practicing in those countries.
But others are quick to point out the differences between the Canadian and United Kingdom systems and the environment that would be created under Obama's reforms.
"First of all, I don't think the change in health care system should be called 'universal health care' because it is not a government handout," Taylor said. "It is not free for all citizens. It's just simply more available."
Taylor also is doubtful that the United States will experience Canada's loss of physicians because of a lack of interest in the profession and the high number of Canadian trained physicians who choose to practice in the United States because of the working conditions in their home country.
"I don't think there will be a decrease in interest in medical professions," he said. "There is still a high level of applicants to medical schools even though our current system is becoming a disaster. I think the interest in a medical profession will stay the same, or maybe even grow as our system changes."
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Allison
posted 11/17/08 @ 8:49 AM CST
It is important to remember that we have a president, not a king, and his word is not law. Congress alone has the authority to make laws, and it is that body that will determine any changes in government's role in health care. (Continued…)
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