Notable and Quotable: Two Tiers for Future Patients

By 2020, about 90 percent of Americans who now receive health insurance will be shifted to government exchanges created by the health law, according to a projection by S &P Capital IQ, a research firm serving the financial industry.

Neil Irwin, “Envisioning the End of Employer-Provided Health Plans,” The Upshot, New York Times,  May 1, 2014

With the unveiling of the Affordable Care Act’s webstie,  the public received a painful reminders of the doncsquences of the government’s new authority over health care. While millions signed up for insurance, millions of others abruptly lost their existing coverage and access to their doctors because that coverage didn’t fit the new ObamaCare definitions.

Scott Atlas, MD, “The Coming Two-Tier Health System, “ Wall Street Journal,   May 1, 2014

Under ObamaCare, people are likely to fall into two tiers – one government-subsidized and the other self-subsidized.  Physicians favor the latter.  Among physicians, one half have closed their practices to Medicaid and 52% have limited access to Medicare.  There is a physician movement towards direct pay independent practice  serving  self-subsidized patients.  Into each tier, each patient of the future will likely fall.  This scenario is not likely to change  if ObamaCare achieves its objectives and survives its  political struggles.

Tweet:  Under  ObamaCare, future patients are likely to fall into two tiers – one government subsidized and one self-subsidized.