Today Marks My 2000th Medinnovation Blog

November 2, 2011 – I find it hard to believe, but today I posted my 2000th blog since late 2006. I seem to keep getting on with getting on with my twin messages :

--One, innovation is essential if we are to improve our health system;

--Two, so far the unforeseen consequences of the health reform law outweigh its benefits.

At doctorreece.com, my medinnovation home page, here is how I define what the blog is about.

The Doctor Is In …

Surveys indicate 90% of doctors feel they have been excluded from the reform process.

 At DoctorReece.com, I shall try to fill the void by explaining why and how physicians would reform the system.

 My explanations will be commonsensical. I will focus on less costly, more convenient, more effective, less disruptive, and more market-oriented solutions building on merits of the present system while minimizing its faults. I will stress how physicians and patients can work together to build a more personal, patient-centered system without massive interventions by third parties.

 I will speak of limitations and benefits of the health reform law, known as the Affordable Care Act by some and Obamacare by others.

 This Act is the law of the land. Physicians must deliver the care dictated under its mandates. They must accept government reimbursements, 30% below pay offered by private plans, and they must sustain their practices based on lower margins. And they must find ways to cope with the influx of 32 million to 50 million more government-subsidized patients.

 Navigating the new reform law will not be easy. The path through its riptides and currents will be turbulent and unpredictable. The new Republican majority in the House will seek to repeal parts, even the whole of the law, and polls indicate 58% of Americans oppose it.

 Hold on to your seat belts and your life jackets. This is going to be a bumpy ride.