"Obama Care"

Access for Millions

I have been asked by my patients, "As a doctor how do you feel about 'Obama-Care'?" This is a difficult question to answer.  I believe it is good that 40,000,000 uninsured people now have access to health care.  It was unacceptable that so many Americans did not have coverage for basic health care.

Without access, people will wait until their disease process is out of control to seek help. From a financial perspective it costs MORE money to treat a disease after many complications have developed than to catch something in the early stages. With access, hopefully the newly insured will be able to get the care they need.

The Affordable Care Act (known as "Obama Care") has been criticized as an entitlement program and a program that will add to our national debt. I am curious to hear YOUR thoughts on this law (Please post comments below). The supreme court upheld the constitutionality with respect to the requirement for an individual mandate "as a tax" by a 5-4 vote.

The American Medical Association (AMA) has supported the ACA. Click to read about the AMA views on the law.

The Press has reported extensively on the matter click to view a New York Times article.
(Please post an article that comes from another source). There is a hotly bipartisan divide with Republicans wanting to repeal the law and Democrats supporting the law.

I recognize we are at a critical juncture in our nation and spending must be controlled, however, this cannot be done at the sacrifice of human lives and their access to quality health care. I believe there are going to be new challenges that arise from this law: the financial burden & the shortage of primary care doctors to treat the new patients (just to name a few). Hopefully with time the law can be amended to meet the needs of all Americans.