The #“Occupiers” of healthcare also need a medical home and/or a primary care physician. Despite the government (state and/or federal) push to form accountable care organizations (ACOs) this will be very difficult to accomplish.
Ignoring the very real barriers to #ACOs (except for some large healthcare entities like Mayo Clinic, Henry Ford Hospital, Cleveland Clinic and Kaiser Permanente) the shortage of primary care physicians,is the leading challenge for this “homeless person”. i(e GPs Family Doctors and some internists as well as Ob/Gyn and Pediatricians which may also be counted as primary care,)
If this person has a smartphone he can indulge in participatory medicine and social media in medicine #hcsm via facebook, twitter and G+, ask questions of friends and communicate with some care providers.
The concept of “Occupy Wall Street carries over to health care, with the same outrage as those demonstrating in all the cities, where the healthcare issues also reveal huge disparities in healthcare availability and affordability.
The situation now approaches a critical mass with each section of society claiming “I pay enough, not me !) Unions want more, employers want less, employees circle the wagons with the latest demonstration project, Medical Savings Accounts, HMOs and empty promises by all concerned.
Several aspects of Obama care have already gone into effect, however there remains a real possibility large portions will be rescinded.. The law was written with a non-severability clause, ie, all or nothing. That’s a huge CATCH 22.
Although many states and others have raised issues, including constitutional law it appears that the judicial branch of the U.S. thus far has offered little if any relief from Obama Care. It will undoubtedly make it’s way to the Supreme Court of the land.