What happens when increased demand meets reduced supply? As the Cato Institute’s Michael Tanner points out, it does not take an economic genius to come up with the answer.
Proponents of Obamacare like to say the ACA is working—that the number of uninsured has gone down. And that is true. But what is not being ballyhooed is that about 60% of the newly “insured” through Obamacare are being enrolled in Medicaid, which is a far cry from real insurance. Because doctors get paid so little through Medicaid, doctors either limit the number of patients they will take or refuse to take them at all.
The numbers below from three documented studies are only going to get worse due to normal Medicaid growth as well as enrollment from the ACA:
- 69% of physicians accept Medicaid patients.
- Medicaid recipients were six times more likely to be denied an appointment than those with private insurance.
- The average wait to see a doctor for Medicaid patients is 42 days (twice as long as for privately insured).
“One of the myths of government-run health care has always been the idea that saying people are “covered” is the same thing as giving them health care.” Read more here from Mr. Tanner on why universal coverage “is working” actually means waiting lists and rationing.
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