Obamacare

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How exactly does it affect nurses? I've heard there are shortages of nurses all across the country, particularly the West coast. And was wondering if those shortages are due to the recent news about Obamacare.

Nurses are having a hard time finding work after graduating- a scary thought for anyone looking into nursing. There's obviously more than one underlying cause, but can anyone please shed some light on the situation?

Thanks!

Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.

The system will have to adjust...

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Interesting take on that. I have spoken with a couple of Physicians as well as other NPs. What I have gathered is that our current system of Medicare/Medicaid pays about $0.20 on a dollar. That isn't all that great, however with the "change to Obamacare" the amount paid will greatly reduce to upwards of 75%. I do not want to create panic, but it is what it is. The job prospects on that pay for Physicians will cause many of them to be unable to see any patients with Medicare or Medicaid. As a RN or NP, we are considered the lower level employees of the heath care system. From everything I have seen, a nurse is always needed and always will be! Way to go nurses!

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
Interesting take on that. I have spoken with a couple of Physicians as well as other NPs. What I have gathered is that our current system of Medicare/Medicaid pays about $0.20 on a dollar. That isn't all that great however with the "change to Obamacare" the amount paid will greatly reduce to upwards of 75%. I do not want to create panic, but it is what it is. The job prospects on that pay for Physicians will cause many of them to be unable to see any patients with Medicare or Medicaid. As a RN or NP, we are considered the lower level employees of the heath care system. From everything I have seen, a nurse is always needed and always will be! Way to go nurses![/quote']

In my area, there has been a significant decline over the years of quality physicians taking Medicare, leaving a huge gap of access to healthcare even with the current rates...from what has been entailed in the law, nurses and NPs will have an expanded role...which is promising. I think we should focus on the pluses of the law, and work towards solutions or clarifications to the areas that may not be so positive...either way, we still play an important role for access to healthcare for the patients that we serve.

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The system will have to adjust...

That is the most clear and honest answer that I have heard. There are many who share that same sentiment, but haven't been so concise in saying so.

Even though there are very few economists, business leaders, and health policy experts who believe Obamacare is the answer to our helathcare woes, those who support it believe that it will work, simply because it has to.

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Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.

The citizens of the US have been adjusting to our capitalist based health care system since we decided to include health insurance companies and attach access to employment.

Since corporations are now considered "people" they need to learn how to adjust just like the rest of us people.

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The citizens of the US have been adjusting to our capitalist based health care system since we decided to include health insurance companies and attach access to employment.

Since corporations are now considered "people" they need to learn how to adjust just like the rest of us people.

You mean like insurance companies increasing their rates and hospitals piling on more for nurses to do, with fewer of them. Those are just two ways off the top of my head that I can think in which they will adjust.

I know your comment was directed toward the evil corporations involved directly with healthcare. But, to your point, corporations everywhere will have to adjust and they have started already. They will hire more part-time vs full-time workers to avoid providing insurance and paying the fine. Or they may decide paying the fine is cheaper and just won't bother with health insurance. Maybe they'll still offer health insurance but will compensate for that with employ fewer people or not pay as much.

I know some folks like to stick it to corporations, but who pays for that in the end?

And, I agree that health insurance companies shouldn't be managing our healthcare, and our healthcare coverage shouldn't be tied to our employment. Obamacare doesn't address those issues however. At least not in an direct, efficient, and beneficial way.

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.
This. Not ObamaCare. More specifically The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Why the semantics lesson? You realize that Obama himself expressed approval of the term, "Obamacare" during the presidential debates. He stated that he likes it because it shows that he cares!

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Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.

Some nurses are working to improve care -- Safe RN-to-Patient Staffing Ratios | National Nurses United

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Specializes in PICU, NICU, L&D, Public Health, Hospice.
You mean like insurance companies increasing their rates and hospitals piling on more for nurses to do, with fewer of them. Those are just two ways off the top of my head that I can think in which they will adjust.

I know your comment was directed toward the evil corporations involved directly with healthcare. But, to your point, corporations everywhere will have to adjust and they have started already. They will hire more part-time vs full-time workers to avoid providing insurance and paying the fine. Or they may decide paying the fine is cheaper and just won't bother with health insurance. Maybe they'll still offer health insurance but will compensate for that with employ fewer people or not pay as much.

I know some folks like to stick it to corporations, but who pays for that in the end?

And, I agree that health insurance companies shouldn't be managing our healthcare, and our healthcare coverage shouldn't be tied to our employment. Obamacare doesn't address those issues however. At least not in an direct, efficient, and beneficial way.

You make good points and I couldn't agree more that ACA doesn't adequately address a number of issues. At least it is a start, a movement away from the current system that is not sustainable.

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You do realize "Obamacare" doesn't really go into full affect until 2014. As a RN and a current NP student I believe that government healthcare will increase the amount of Americans seeking healthcare in all settings. NP's and other primary care providers are going to be in very high demand because right now most uninsured patients are not able to afford to utilize primary care. Hospitals will also see an influx of the formerly uninsured coming in for elective procedures they could not previously afford. Overall, I believe job prospects will increase because of Obamacare

great post!

and no, most people don't realize the bulk of Obamacare, or the ACA hasn't gone fully into effect yet.

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//"You mean like insurance companies increasing their rates and hospitals piling on more for nurses to do, with fewer of them. Those are just two ways off the top of my head that I can think in which they will adjust."//

You say that like this is something 'new'

or somehow related to Obamacare or PPACA, whichever term you want to use. You say that like we all haven't already been footing the bill for the uninsured patients all along, for decades, paying ever increasing insurance rates, every increasing healthcare costs,

by having our rates, our costs for each item, jacked up,

and what is covered, and our deductibles, reduced, a bit more and more year by year by year,

to help cover those patients who have no insurance.

This is not new...it's been a snowball rolling down on us for eons and eons, a bit more each and every year. Hopefully, with more people BEING covered, the price the rest of us pay, could be reduced,

but, in a "for profit" healthcare system, we might not be sure the profiteers will reduce their own profit margins at all.

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I certainly know of a few people who will seek medical intervention for problems that they have not had coverage for...

a torn rotator cuff, a torn meniscus are examples of needs that people put off until they have insurance to help them pay for the interventions (surgery)...until then they struggle with pain and functional losses.

yes, most people do see Obamacare (or the PPACA) will increase business, will increase the patient census with more who actually are having their bills covered (as opposed to having their bills just 'eaten' by the hospital)

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