The best way to prepare for what is to come in the health care industry thanks to Obamacare is to get a gym membership, eat healthy, take lots of vitamin C, and try to avoid unfortunate accidents as much as possible. I say that as a person who works in the health care industry. Taking a first aid class would also be helpful. Make sure you can treat wounds, stitch, and can get a hold of some common remedies. Order some antibiotics from Canada or Mexico just in case. Have a nice day everyone!

Some comments I've read indicate that my point of view may not be clear: as an Objectivist, I am opposed to any form of government control or intervention in ANY economic endeavor, including medical care. The purpose of my post is to highlight the latest attempt by our government to "manage" a significant element of our economy. We need to dismantle ObamaCare, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, etc. However, one must swallow an elephant (or a whale) one bite at a time and the repeal of ObamaCare appears to me the first order of business. To do this requires that we refute progressivism and its adherents and promote capitalism as the solution to the problems that such governmental intervention has caused.

Interesting point of view MM. $5Au thought Atlas Shrugged was clearly a condemnation of socialism, in fact, the main theme of the novel.

ObamaCare is a disaster. If Republicans control all three branches in 2016 they will most likely gut it. I doubt we will see a full repeal. There is just too much money and too many special interest groups involved.

I just came across a site whose concept sounds like a very viable alternative to govt-mananged health care, called Liberty HealthShare. It works similar to the old fraternal organizations that existed before the govt took over everything. Organizations that work similar to this essentially enable their members to choose their own physicians, hospitals, and methods of treatment. The organization negotiates with the health care provider for a price that reflects the savings of not having to meet all the regulations and paperwork requirements imposed by the govt. The patient instructs the health organization to send the bill to the fraternal organization managing medical expenses, and the monthly payments made by all of the members go towards paying the bill. It's not an insurance organization as it is only paying actual bills and not anticipating statistical expenses. Monthly expenses paid by the members reflect the annual expenses incurred by the members. The healthier the members remain, the lower the expenses. The members have to agree to make certain lifestyle changes in order to participate in the program. This can exist in lieu of medical insurance or as a supplement to it. Something like this might be a good concept for people who have no insurance, can't afford the increasing cost of insurance, or who are healthy, retired, and don't want the inferior Medicare.

I think a lot of that discrepancy is created by how their practice is run rather than philosophical issues.

If they are part of a large practice with many doctors and rafts of patients they are going to be more likely to accept obamacare patients.

If they are in a small practice their business model won't support the sub-par payments of obamacare.

Additionally the insurance carriers are dropping providers that won't meet their terms, so that too contributes to the shrinking of the providers.

In any case it is likely to continue to get worse.

Especially once some of the other mandates hit and religious based facilities drop out of Obamacare on religious grounds.

Will be an ugly dilemma for me if that happens in my state. Anthem, our only carrier until next year, has already dropped half the hospitals in the state.

The one I use is a faith based one, and I use it because my wife and I receive better care there. If they either get dropped by Anthem next year, or leave the network on their own, it will triple the distance for me to the nearest hospital my insurance accepts. At that point my options become even more constrained, either change to the further provider, or not use insurance. Neither option is a good one.

Seventy-five per cent of doctors do not refuse ObamaCare. The other 25% is significant, and important. Rather than focusing on the headlines of the moment, it would be more productive to look at the philosophical assumptions of that other 75%, as they are no different from a similar number of other people in other professions. The cartelization of medical care - also legal advice, barbering, interior decorating, and dozens of other occupations - is rooted in old and deep assumptions. Adam Smith noted in the opening to _Wealth of Nations_ that it seldom happens that any tradesmen get together for dinner without discussing ways to restrict the markets to their own benefit.

_Atlas Shrugged_ in particular and Objectivism in general are not rants against socialism, but rather, an knowledge set based on metaphysics and epistemology. Reality and reason - identifying the facts of existence - ultimately lead to correct thinking in economics and politics (as also in physical science and fine art). Establish an effective philosophical foundation and the rest will follow.

I do not disagree with you Gary. I only point out that there is a deeper and more important problem.

My general medical doctor's opinion about Obamacare: "They don't know what they are doing."
I think that pretty well sums up la-la-land idealist socialist politicians, bumbling bureaucrats and dozy overpaid can't-be-fired government workers all playing doctor.

I met a real life Dr. Hendricks on Thursday night.

This is just the beginning. As ObamaCare is fairly new, more and more doctors will be refusing it. Then what will the government do: dictate that a doctor can’t refuse ObamaCare?

I wonder what percentage of doctors don't take HMOs clients. I think this is a similar phenomenon. I imagine providers will get started taking low-paying clients, those paying through gov't programs or low-paying HMOs. As they build their practice, they stop taking those and try to get higher-paying customers. This happens in other industries as well.

Being a doddering old guy, I visit many doctors. Prior to Obamacare I asked them what they thought would happen if it became law. About half them had negative responses, even though no one fully understood it then. The various responses were about retiring, or going on staff at a hospital or going to a cash business. This article comes at no surprise to me.