There aren't enough doctors to treat a crush of newly insured patients.Nurses aren't doctors, but since when has quality of care ever stopped government medicine?
Some lawmakers want to fill the gap by redefining who can provide healthcare.
They are working on proposals that would allow physician assistants to treat more patients and nurse practitioners to set up independent practices. Pharmacists and optometrists could act as primary care providers, diagnosing and managing some chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and high-blood pressure.
"We're going to be mandating that every single person in this state have insurance," said state Sen. Ed Hernandez (D-West Covina), chairman of the Senate Health Committee and leader of the effort to expand professional boundaries. "What good is it if they are going to have a health insurance card but no access to doctors?"
Hernandez's proposed changes, which would dramatically shake up the medical establishment in California, have set off a turf war with physicians that could contribute to the success or failure of the federal Affordable Care Act in California.
Doctors say giving non-physicians more authority and autonomy could jeopardize patient safety. It could also drive up costs, because those workers, who have less medical education and training, tend to order more tests and prescribe more antibiotics, they said.
"Patient safety should always trump access concerns," said Dr. Paul Phinney, president of the California Medical Assn.
Monday, February 11, 2013
The Nurses
What could go wrong?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Puppet Masters
Because, dinosaurs? In the video, Brown wears a dinosaur puppet on her right hand and has the puppet mouth the words as she recites her re-e...

-
There is at leat one part of Venezuela's economy that's thriving: Many patients go to the Venezuelan border town of Puerto Ordaz to ...
-
Were they the ancestors of piano players? The brain circuits that led to two-sided tools and weapons such as hand-axes and cleavers are the ...
-
Never let a year go to waste: Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake released part of a special Christmas-themed wastebook Friday, highlighting projects li...

No comments:
Post a Comment