Primary Care, Medicare, uninsured patients

America Has A HUGE Primary Care Health Crisis...
Particularly For Uninsured Patients And
Medicare Beneficiaries

So what’s the real problem here?  

Why is it so hard for you or so many Medicare and uninsured patients to find a Primary Care Family Doctor or other traditionally trained Practitioner when you need one? 

Well, that question goes right to the heart of America’s health care crisis. Some of what you’re about to read you absolutely won’t believe, but it’s true.

I’m certain you will agree with me that America’s Primary Care health services delivery system is in deep trouble. 

One of the biggest problems with our Primary Care medical system is the recent position taken by our traditional medical Doctors to Medicare and uninsured patients.

Many of America’s Primary Care Medical Doctors are flat out REFUSING to offer Primary Care health services to Medicare or uninsured patients. Many others have decided not to see any NEW patients at all – regardless of their ability to pay for services or not.

Why are many American Primary Care Medical Doctors refusing to see Medicare and uninsured Patients?

 Well, you probably know the buzz and you’ve no doubt heard the excuses…

“We’re not getting paid enough in reimbursements from Medicare” 

“Charity care for uninsured patients is too costly per office visit” 

“Medicare and uninsured patients tend to stay too long during office visits” 

“Uninsured indigent patients tend to sue more than other patient groups” 

The excuses many Primary Care Medical Doctors give for their supposed inability to see Medicare, uninsured patients and other vulnerable groups, go on and on.

In plain old English, whether you think it’s money issues, too many patients, too much administrative red tape... your take on this really doesn’t matter because few American Primary Care Doctors are willing to see any more Medicare, uninsured or other patients than they are already carrying.  

No outrageous bribes or serious legal threats are about to change their attitude on this red-hot issue. As far as they seem to be concerned, if you’re a Medicare Beneficiary or uninsured American without a Primary Care Provider to help you when you’re sick... You’re on your own!

This is one more good reason for you to consider Alternative Medicine Practitioners an excellent option when you need medical attention fast.

If traditional Primary Care Providers refuse to see you why won’t they recommend or refer you to Alternative Medicine Practitioners for basic health issues?

Are you sitting down?  Okay, let me tell you what 21 years in the traditional AND alternative health care services delivery field have taught me. 

Traditional Providers consider themselves ‘in the discipline.’ As a generally accepted rule, they will not send a patient to any Practitioner outside of their discipline - which is allopathic or osteopathic medicine.

In layman’s terms that means the typical Medical Doctor is not about to refer a patient to a Chiropractor, Acupuncturist or Nutritionist.  

This would be an open admission that a Practitioner ‘outside the discipline’ could offer better care to the patient. That isn’t about to happen anytime soon under the prevailing mindset that dominates and controls the medical field.  

What this means to you is that even though your interests would be better served by seeing a Nutritionist, chances are your traditional Provider will probably not mention this important fact to you. Which means you could continue receiving care from the traditional Provider that is inappropriate for your health issue. 

Although there are exceptions to every rule conceived in the mind of man, It usually boils down to ego and money – two things the average traditional Provider isn’t about to give up without a fight. This is a turf war and Alternative Medicine Practitioners are gaining ground with each passing day.  

Let me be completely forthcoming with you by admitting there are Practitioners and advocates on both sides who play dirty pool. These people are hell-bent on defaming and destroying the other camp at any cost. This is a reckless ploy, but certainly to be expected – the stakes are counted in billions of dollars annually. 

As long as traditional Medical Doctors continue to unreasonably dominate and control the health care industry - at your expense - America will be left with a short sighted, inefficient health care system that works for no one except the Providers controlling and profiting handsomely from that system. 

And as long as there are Alternative Medicine advocates who foolishly tell the public that ALL Medical Doctors are charlatans who want only to drug and slice you open, there will never be peace within our national health care system.

Alternative and traditional health care Providers need to settle their differences

What America needs is a truce between the two camps. An agreement that could put an end to America’s so-called national health care crisis overnight. How? By agreeing to set up a multidisciplinary or universal health system that would utilize all available traditional and holistic Practitioners in a comprehensive Practitioner referral network.  

Any patient entering the system would be seen by the appropriate type of Practitioner within 48 hours. Such a model of health care delivery is possible and, in my humble but educated opinion, necessary to alleviate our nation’s current Primary Care Provider shortage.  

As idyllic as this sounds it may never happen. At least not until our traditional and holistic Practitioners begin to refer patients to one another and begin talking about and treating one another with respect and professional courtesy.
 
It’s sad, shocking and frustrating that, unbelievably - at the beginning of the year 2007 - America still does NOT have a comprehensive national health care system... a system that will enable any sick person with a Primary Care health issue to be seen quickly by a trained Practitioner – traditional or holistic - willing to see the patient.

Did you know we’re the ONLY industrialized nation in that dubious and unenviable position?

Now that you know what you’re up against, does this frighten and frustrate you? If so, what are you prepared to do about it?

• Try desperately to find a traditional Primary Care Provider who will agree to see you after hours or even in one or two months?
   
• Ask to be admitted to your local urgent care center or hospital emergency room as a Primary Care case – where your bill could be as high as a few hundred dollars for one visit?
   
• Ask your Pharmacist to give you over the counter medications you think would help your health issue?
   
• Treat yourself at home even though you have no good idea about what you’re doing?
   
• Sit home or at work complaining about how the health care system is always taking advantage of you?

The great majority of Medicare beneficiaries, uninsured and other vulnerable patient groups, I’ve personally surveyed in recent years indicated they usually pursued one or more of the courses of action mentioned above.

If you need to see a Primary Care Doctor or you’re not sure who you should see, chances are that none of the above options will offer much help to you.

But... keep reading. I have quite a few sensible answers and solutions I’m sure you’ll like.