Health Care Bill Passes...now what?

As you all know, the Health Care Bill has passed and depending on when this entry is read, President Obama may have already signed it officially. Now we can all argue and debate, be happy or sad, but the truth of the matter is we have to prepare as a nation to deal with our new situation. Health reform was successful in one thing, health insurance for 95% of the nation. That would be fantastic if we actually had the workforce to support the increased load. Before the bill even passed, we have been battling a dwindling number of physicians in the workforce. Let us now focus on health care innovation. We know that this bill is going to catapult us into even more debt, so it should be our obligation to start now and to be creative so our younger generations will have a sustainable fulfilling future. With the new bill, some surveys are speculating that we may lose an additional 20-30% of the physician workforce because of true frustration and dissatisfaction for their career. Put that on top of our very few new physicians in the pipeline and we have ourselves a national physician shortage dilemma that will be with us for the next couple of decades.

Let us focus on health care innovation and change the delivery of health care. Without sacrificing quality, how do we take the current physician workforce and service the masses? Although I am terrified of the upcoming years and the many struggles we will all face, I am excited to see the great thinkers and innovators of our nation really come to life.

Health Care Bill Passes...now what?