Have you hugged a doc today?
It’s painful even to imagine what a patient’s experience of surgery must have been like before anesthesia. We take for granted the transformations of medicine, from the first documented use of general anesthesia in surgery — which occurred on this day in 1842 — to robot-assisted technologies and bionic limbs. Every day it seems there are new advances in medicine, thanks in large part to innovative and dedicated doctors.
In 1991 President George H.W. Bush designated March 30 as National Doctors Day, a reminder of the integral role physicians play in our lives.
Yes, theirs is the nation’s most popular profession (according to NPR), within the top 1 percent of earners as reported by WalletHub.com. Keep in mind, American Association of Medical Colleges data indicate an average $189,000 in college debt, plus expensive costs of doing business, serious exposure to legal liabilities, and other high-stakes headaches associated with the day-to-day management and practice of medicine.
All this occurs against a backdrop of rapid transformation in the health-care industry, so trying to keep up must be dizzying. Doctoring is an increasingly demanding and stressful job.
And yet, Idaho physicians have it best; well — third best, according to WalletHub, following Iowa and Minnesota. Their analysts compared states using data across 14 metrics, such as average wages (adjusted for cost of living); hospitals, primary care providers, and other physicians per capita; population’s share of the elderly; malpractice awards and insurance costs; disciplinary actions; and health insurance coverage rates.
Idaho ranked No. 1 in the nation in the “lowest projected competition” category, with the fewest physicians per 1,000 residents. Idaho’s rate of 0.72 is 10 times lower than in D.C., registering the highest at 7.23. In fact, nine of the nation’s 10 “worst states for doctors” are in the eastern U.S. (the other is Hawaii).
No one yet knows what reform will bring, but WalletHub’s experts had something to say about the Affordable Care Act. While experiences vary according to specialty, consensus is that the ACA did achieve its aim of providing millions more Americans with needed health insurance — something the populace would be loathe to give up. It also increased physician reimbursement rates for preventive care, a potential long-term benefit for patients, too.
However, as more patients sought care they’d been putting off, it quickly added workload to already-taxed practices. Paperwork and other regulatory changes have also been frustrating to providers.
Whatever the fix, U.S. health-care coverage and payment systems must continue to evolve.
For more information: Ama-assn.org and https://wallethub.com/edu/best-and-worst-states-for-doctors/11376/
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Sholeh Patrick is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network. Contact her at [email protected].