re: So what exactly is the main argument against universal healthcare

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above- they're definitely throwing money at FQRHC's in hopes of getting the rural docs of America on to the government teat. But they're not going to be able to dictate what the private man does.

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Directly? Nope. Indirectly? They already do. Private payers are already funding medicaid patients. Adding a “public option” isn’t going to slow that.

The government will pay the same ishtty reimbursements they do now for Medi. There is zero reason to reimburse at higher rates.

Their “customers” don’t care what those rates are. They just want the procedures for “free”.

That’s all the government needs to deliver. Then turn around and say “look how expensive private insurance is” when the cost gets shifted to private payers. The “customers” don’t even know how their reimbursement compare. Nor do they care. why would they?

“Customers” don’t pick their insurance based on what their plan pays doctors. They pick based on their own prices.

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I'm pretty confused by this question. Licensing is state by state. Taking insurance isn't going to be part of licensure.

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Not talking about private insurance. Talking about being forced to take Medi or “the public option”. There is nothing that prevents regulating/mandating this at the federal level. If they can make everyone buy a product they don’t want —there is no reason to think they can’t make physicians take patients they don’t want.

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And then they are never going to make the breast augmentation/facelift/derm promise to take Medicaid or any insurance just to obtain a license.

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One would expect Medicaid wouldn’t pay those as customary/necessary. But elective procedures aren’t that isn’t what we’re talking about.

You are correct though, I’d expect to see lots of docs switch form things GI, oncology, pedi, and the like to avoid being forced to take crappy reimbursements. Hell, we’re seeing some of that now.

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But if that happens, I'll work my arse off to FIRE and be sure frequently vocalize how stupid the board is in every possible public forum.

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You should start now. It’s much easier to protect your rights while you still have them instead of waiting until they are gone and expectations are set.

Physicians need to start caring about how and who pays them, or they will find themselves being paid like docs in socialized systems.