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Medical crisis brewing in Florida?

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    Growing shortage of doctors

  • Duration 4:20
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-- Thursday there's a new warning about a potential medical crisis brewing in Florida the State's medical association saying that.

There's a growing shortage of doctors and a shortage will only get worse.

Doctor Mark Siegel part of our fox is medically team and a professor of medicine.

At NYU's lying to a medical center doctor good morning to you -- -- -- -- -- the news Rick Scott a staunch opponent.

To the president's health care law.

Opened his stayed up to insuring many more people within Florida based on federal dollars an expansion of Medicaid correct.

He's going to exactly he's going to expand it to where one million more.

People in Florida will get will be entitled to get Medicaid he's doing that because he's going to follow some other states and he's been given word.

That he will be able to privatize Medicaid the way is already true by the way in Arizona and Pennsylvania and -- few other states.

What that means is that the Medicaid dollars will be used for HMO type insurance where.

You don't get straight Medicaid.

You have a company like united health -- like WellPoint like well care that takes the Medicaid dollars and provide you an HMO style insurance but bill.

I work with those insurance is and they are bare bones.

You don't always get the care you want for the care you're expecting -- that kind of -- I'd rather -- and that's an important topic perhaps we get to that later but just stay on the doctor shortage now because this is what we're told.

Florida health care fifteen million people have health insurance.

Obama -- the new -- -- -- 2.5.

Million.

More people now Florida health care doctors say there's about 44000.

-- shy of 45000.

Doctors.

And 5600.

Of those expected retire in the next five years it is simple math if you add more people to cover.

You need more doctors to take care that.

-- got -- and let me -- a little more -- to that which is about half the doctors in the state don't take Medicaid won't work with Medicaid won't work with the Medicaid HMOs.

So the doctors you don't have the force you do have.

Is already too small and then it's insignificant insufficient to take care Medicaid of course they take in Medicaid now governor Rick Scott.

Is budgeting.

Eighty million dollars to get 700 more residents and they got three new medical schools in the state over the past dozen years that helps a little.

But that's like -- and drop in the bucket compared to the problem you gonna get more doctors but the question is whether or not you have enough to -- don't know enough you know I don't wanna be -- -- is this for three years you've been talking about.

A doctor shortage in America.

Is this what you were referring to this is a collision this is -- this is probably one of the worst states for this because.

There there -- more elderly people there are more people with chronic illnesses there are more poor people down there.

This is a huge problem in Florida now what they're gonna end up doing which I've also been talking about the three years.

They'll build teams.

Teams -- nurse practitioners physician's assistant.

But there's a nursing shortage in Florida and plus bill you can't build -- team overnight you can't take a nurse practitioner as well as they may be trained.

And stick him into a spot that a doctors used to having.

Another thing.

When you go to work with -- you -- -- networks -- -- to say we're gonna pay primary care doctors more money and hope they'll take Medicaid.

But then have your primary care -- -- you say well where's the orthopedist for me to refer to.

Where's the surgeon where's the neurologist you need networks of physicians and hospitals that -- putting.

You as a doctor would you be OK with a physician's assistant who was hired in your office to see.

A patient like me if I walked -- -- or somebody else would you be.

Satisfied with that level of care for this -- do -- know the answer to that I believe in teamwork but I don't believe in replacing myself with another.

Medical personnel of any kind and saying here's somebody in my place now in hospitals -- work with nurse practitioners and their excellent.

But they've been doing this for years if you're used to -- one on one with a physician that's what you should get.

And Obama can definitely didn't plan for that and we're heading in the direction where we don't have enough doctors Florida and number one on the list are will then I watched a Florida hopefully get governor Rick Scott on the ever talk about this is his -- his decision.

It was a bit of an earthquake on this story because he is strongly resisted going there.

And now he had my prediction is he's gonna say he's doing it because he's privatizing Medicare you -- it is an economic issue not a medical beyond that next thank you -- -- Mark Siegel here here's market.

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