Local Physician Sounds Off On Health Care Reform
Doctor Julio Martinez is ambivalent about the health reform bill. He likes the fact that 32,000,000 uninsured Americans are covered now, but he has a problem with the bill not containing input from physicians.
“We need reform, but we don’t want intrusion of the government and the insurance companies and of patients and doctors,” he said.
He predicts healthcare in the Coachella Valley will become overwhelmed at a time when the desert already has a shortage of physicians.
“Many physicians are not taking medical anymore,” he said. “Many physicians are not taking medicare anymore. They are withdrawing from the government healthcare because they are getting paid very poorly.”
Some local residents have told News Channel 3 they fear the quality of their healthcare will go down because of this reform. But, JFK Hospital disputes that.
JFK officials think there might be a spike in emergency visits, but they hope to remedy that problem by hiring more doctors and nurses with all that revenue they’re bringing in.
Most health professionals agree: they favor the bill’s elimination of exclusions for pre-existing conditions, and allowing young adults to be under their parent’s insurance until they’re 26. For now, it’s going to be a waiting game to see the real effects of this universal healthcare.
“I think initially with any other hospital, there’ll be some growing pains,” said Martinez. “But I think this hospital is more than equipped and more well managed enough to be able to handle this.”
