Healthcare Reform and nursing...question

[AntonellaB]

Hello everyone,

How does the new healthcare reform will affect nursing? Since there will be less reimbursement for services and less money to hospitals will hospitals cut back on nursing staffing? Does anyone know what's going to happen? If the times get so bad perhaps, it will be time to move to a country with already established universal healthcare and in need of more nurses. All answers are appreciated.

Thanks and Happy New Year!

[Boxlock]

This is an absurd description of the bill as written, which, unfortunately, amounts to little more than minor tweaking around the edges of our existing, private-for-profit-insurance-company-run "system," which remains intact with only some minor modifications. If you like the crap, overpriced, ineffective, unproductive "system" we've got now, you've got little to worry about ...

Bullcrap.!!!! Go drink some more Commie Cool-aide! I didn't describe the bill as written at all. If you think our present system sucks so bad, then go move to Canada, France, Germany, or Brittan. I've lived in Europe under a single payer system, and know the problems, and I do prefer the current system here, by farr. So do the thousands of Canadians and Europeans who come here for healthcare. The vast majority of problems and inefficiency with the system here, are entirely the result of existing Government intervention and Medicare/Medicade regulations. I can say that I know this because I've been around since before this was the case. They now have the power to force us to buy a product/service, and they decide what that product/service must include, how much it must cost, and have the power to fine or imprison us if we refuse to pay. They will be able to control what we can and can't eat, smoke, drink, or do in our free time, etc.... why? Because if we have to go to them for our healthcare, then they can, and eventually will, regulate anything that affects our health. And they can argue that everything we do, from what and how much we eat, to who we sleep with, directly affects our health, and is therefore subject to regulation. They can arbitrarily decide who gets what healthcare, based on whatever criteria they decide to use. We just put the IRS in charge of enforcing our healthcare regulation. Have you ever been audited by the IRS? Do you want to go through a similar experience the next time you want an elective procedure, or worse yet, need an expensive non-elective procedure? Guess what is going to hapen when you bring 30million new people into the system, without doing anything to increase the number of doctors, nurses, ancillary staff, or build any new facilities, they will have no choice but to ration care, and that's exactly what will happen. Especially since polls have indicated that up to one third of Doctors, Nurses, etc....like myself, have said they intend to seek other ways to make a living, and may very well get out of healthcare all together. If you increase demand by 30million new patients, and reduce the number of Doctors and Nurses by 20-30%, and make it non-lucretive and more difficult for new people to get into these professions, what kind of rationing, and reduction in quality of care, will you have then? My "fellow americans" such as yourself, have really sold "OUR" freedom, and even though you probably didn't realize that's what you where doing, and still probably don't believe that's what you have done, you didn't just sell your own freedom, but you've sold mine as well, and I ******* resent you for that !!!!

[tewdles, RN]

Really, angry posts in huge paragraphs are not fun to read.

Perhaps you could break up the anger with a double space or two every now and then...

While you are adding spaces perhaps you could consider what "freedoms" that elkpark has "sold". Oh wait...this is just angry words lashing out at a person because it has no real outlet because...oh yeah...it is based mostly on unfounded fear and misrepresentations.

[tewdles, RN]

Gee, I don't think I made you angry... I am thinking you were angry waaaay before my post...

Just the same...long posts without paragraphs are not easy to read...but hey, if you are only looking for a place to vent and don't care if people actually read them...

by the way...it's spelled stereotype...

Peace Out...

[elkpark]

Have fun, and be sure and let us know how that works out for you ...

[mari55]

It's not looking too good. Healthcare professionals, unlike say insurance or pharmaceutical companies, do not have cohesive representation, which means we have much more limited bargaining power. Therefore we are the easiest thing to cut. We will be taking the biggest hit on this reform- not only in hidden taxes but also in reduced salary and in worse working conditions.

As a student, a probably stupid question. Don't professional organizations in Nursing provide some type of representation for bargaining power, at a local, state, or federal level?

[nurseryrhythme]

Healthcare reform was more about giving everyone coverage than anything else. It has helped the industry; not hurt it. You can expect higher wages over the long run.

Interestingly, Colorado is attempting to pass universal health care right now. This won't affect pay much as people believe doctors and nurses should get paid well. It's the insurance people that might run into issues. I found this funny website about it Amendment 69 Saves the Day After 2