| Urgent Care Review | | | | Another dilemma in the intensification of Urgent |
| As the US gets older, the need for Emergency | | | | Care cases in the United States is due to another |
| and Urgent care also rises. The existing physician | | | | socioeconomic group that cannot be ignored. The |
| shortage in the U.S. is expected to degenerate | | | | baby boomers will result in an intense increase of |
| over time. Other issues are amplifying this | | | | the 65 and older demographic. This group |
| shortage as well, including the shrinking economy | | | | statistically requires considerably more assets, |
| and the recent signed into law health care reform. | | | | personnel, specialists, and physician care. They |
| General Care Deficit leads to Emergency Room | | | | need hospital and Emergency room services more |
| Physician shortage | | | | and more often than any other age group. |
| According to a press release by the Medicare | | | | Can Health Care Reform Solve ER problems? |
| Payment Advisory Commission, Urgent care | | | | Whether the health insurance reform will decimate |
| physicians will have loads of work accessible from | | | | us or not is neither here nor there. While it has |
| Medicare, but they may not choose it. Medicare | | | | passed and been signed into law, the main |
| offers less desirable fees than private insurance | | | | changes are not set to go into full effect until |
| so Primary Care physicians are much less likely to | | | | 2014. The repercussions of the reform may not |
| take on new Medicaid patients. As an end result, | | | | be fully noted for years after that. Emergency |
| up to a third of all Medicare patients may not be | | | | & Urgent Care clinics overcrowding is a |
| able to find a Primary Care physician at all and | | | | severe problem, given the growing number of |
| may ultimately turning to Emergency care care as | | | | geriatric patients, uninsured patients, and |
| a last choice. | | | | underinsured patients. If the health insurance |
| Some geographic areas are hit harder than others | | | | reform doesn't address the problems it promises, |
| by these this information, such as Arizona. In | | | | then the troubles cannot be expected to get |
| some areas of the desert state, Primary Care | | | | better. Emergency room overcrowding is no new |
| doctor-to-citizen ratio is less than 6 doctors per | | | | problem. What the health insurance reform should |
| 10k residents, according to a study by St. Lukes. | | | | deal with is the loss of emergency room facilities. |
| The result of many more people not having | | | | Between 1993 and 2003, the continental United |
| access to general care will be an increased use of | | | | States lost over four hundred Urgent Care |
| Emergency Room and Urgent Care centers. | | | | facilities. What can uninsured patients do? Besides |
| Naturally, Emergency and Urgent Care physicians | | | | hoping that an ambulance can get them or their |
| are going to have their plates full if this trend is | | | | loved ones to a closely located ER facility in time, |
| not dealt with. | | | | they can't do much. In that same period, Urgent |
| Weakened Economy results in Crowded Clinics | | | | Care Clinic visits greatly increased by over twenty |
| As the weakening economy runs its track; many | | | | five percent. Doctors in these scenarios will |
| of the working to lower class are findg they are | | | | absolutely have their caseload cut out for them. |
| without available and affordable health benefits. | | | | Even with the healthcare proposal finally signed |
| Insurance policies are failing at an alarming rate, | | | | into law its effect on our insurance programs is |
| and citizens receiving COBRA coverage are also | | | | not known. By 2014 their will be an increase in the |
| running out of options. With the axe coming down | | | | enrollment into insurance programs. This increase |
| on reasonable healthcare, many people have | | | | when, combined with the long term aging of the |
| decided they must do without fitting preventative | | | | population, should push demand for services and |
| healthcare. As you might predict, when the | | | | therefore cost higher. However, no one yet |
| intensity of the condition can no longer be | | | | knows what will happen to reimbursement rates |
| deferred with rest and home remedies, and | | | | from Medicare and this new program. The issue is |
| starts to intensely interfere with daily life, the E.R. | | | | will there be rate a cut of reimbursement rates |
| may be the only remaining place to turn to. | | | | for different specialties by Medicare and this new |
| Through the stock market crash, the housing | | | | program that may conversely become a factor |
| bust, and record breaking unemployment records, | | | | decreasing the wages of all specialties including |
| emergency rooms and Urgent Care clinics are | | | | Emergency Medicine, and related specialties / |
| filling up faster than ever. | | | | subspecialties. |
| Baby Boomers in the ER | | | | |