Most Georgia doctors ‘negative’ on Obamacare costs, quality of care

Asurvey has found that most Georgia doctors are much more negative on Obamacare than is true across the country. Fifty-nine percent give a D or F grade to the “Affordable Care Act,” compared to 48 percent nationwide, as Georgia Health News reported.

The survey was conducted by the Physicians Foundation which obtained responses from more than 17,000 doctors. Only 23 percent gave the ACA an A or B, while 28 percent gave it a C, considered neutral. Forty-eight percent gave it a D or F.

Dr. Walker Ray, the foundation president and a retired Georgia pediatrician, pointed out that although ACA has expanded insurance coverage, it has not helped in reducing health care cost or improving the quality. What does that say about the effectiveness of this government program that is driving up insurance premiums by double digits?

It confirms what doctors said in the foundation survey. For example, here are some of their responses: “Compassionate, evidence-based, patient-centered care matters more than keeping track of metrics and patient satisfaction scores.” And this: “Go ahead and keep looking over our shoulders, paying us less and asking us to work more. Good luck when we all quit.”

They’re not all quitting, of course. But nearly half the doctors surveyed said they intend to accelerate their retirement because of the changes taking place in health care. Wrapped in that is burnout. In Georgia, nearly half of the 510 physicians surveyed acknowledged they often or always had feelings of burnout, about the same as the 49 percent nationwide. It is something to be concerned about, as Dr. Ray said.

So is the increasing electronic records/paperwork demands mandated by the federal government. Nearly two-thirds of doctors in the national survey said having to spend time on electronic health records reduced or detracted from their care of patients. The survey found that “physicians spend 21 percent of their time engaged in non-clinical paperwork.”

On that point, Dr. Mitzi Rubin, a family doctor with WellStar Health System in Marietta, summarized: “There’s a lot more government intervention, and I can’t see a vast improvement in patient outcomes,” Dr. Rubin said.

It’s no surprise that nearly 67 percent of doctors in Georgia expressed negative or pessimistic feelings about the future of medicine, compared with 63 percent nationwide.

This is not good news for the rest of us. So why should it matter? Dr. Ray explained: “Here’s why it should matter. If physicians are being led to change their practices — that would limit access to care. It would create some kind of public health problem. That’s why it should matter.”

Just as Obamacare has not reduced costs or improved the quality of health care, the deluge of administrative duties dumped on our doctors has been counter-productive. One of the physicians in the national survey put it all in perspective with this comment: “This would be the greatest profession in the world if only the government would not be involved.” Amen.

IMike Lester, Washington Post Writers Group