What Health Care Bill May Do To Medicine

The recently passed national health care bill, supported by most Democrats and President Obama, will do the following, by promoting the expansion of nurse practitioners and other nurse specialties. It's no small wonder that the American Nurses Association supported nationalizing health care. In fact, they were major players in developing the bill.

 

The new US health care law provides $50 million dollars to nurse managed health clinics, that will offer primary care to low income patients. Fifty million dollars annually, from 2012 through 2015 for hospitals which will train nurses with advanced degrees, to care for Medicare patients.

 

From 2011-16, there will be a 10% bonus from Medicare to primary care providers, including nurse practitioners, who work in areas where doctors are scarce. With a boost in the Medicare reimbursement rate for certified nurse midwives, it will bring their pay to the same level as doctors. This means, in the health care overhaul law, nurse midwives were given a raise to 100% of what a OB/GYN makes. In fact, Michelle Artz, of the American Nurses Association, confirmed the raise by saying, "We know we need to get 100% for everybody. This is a crack in the door. We're hopeful this sets the tone."

 

A nurse may soon be your doctor. Many people would think that may be ok. But there's a profound fundamental problem. The entire structure of medicine will be redefined.