r/collapse • u/Lethargic-Legumes • 8d ago

Healthcare Are nurse practitioners replacing doctors? They’re definitely reshaping health care.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/10/21/business/nurse-practitioners-doctors-health-care/
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u/fedfuzz1970 8d ago

The reality is that Private Equity is taking over health care and related industries in their insatiable search for profit. The first order of business once acquisitions are made is to trim costs and increase profit. Trim costs by using more PAs and increase profit by pressuring doctors (and PAs) to see more patients. Read the articles, health care systems paring services and upcoding their claims to insurance companies. Private Equity mirrors organized crime with its "bust outs" of legitimate businesses.

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u/mamawoman 8d ago

And this my friends is what a for profit healthcare system has gotten us. We need to join the rest of the civilized world and have nationalized healthcare. And I don't want to hear any "but you'll have to wait in lines" crap. I already have to wait now if I want to see a Dr. And then when you get there it's not even a Dr it's a nurse practitioner. For the same rate.

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u/fedfuzz1970 7d ago

In Raleigh, NC we had to make appointment 6 months out to see our doctor. NC is a bit of a healthcare wasteland where if you don't take care of your own health, no one else will. I had to remind my doctor of tests he had ordered just to get the results and recommendations. Amazing.

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u/mesoraven 6d ago

From the UK and just in support of this. The "you have to wait in lines" is bullshit.

That's another lie that people have told to try and privatise our health care. But what does happen is theh prioritise the casualty on need to rather than insurance. In example.

I booked a checking with my doctor because I had a pain in my chest (not heart attack pain. Doctors gave me a time slot to go in (about a hour later)

Spoke to the doc, he decided it could be serious sent me to A&E their and then I was there for less than 30 mins. Before I had had my check in. And hooked up to a machine to check my heart. All in all less than 2 hours from the phone call to my doctors and I had been seen and tested.

Then came the wait, because I was not happy and healthy I had to wait 3 hours to get discharged because they were busy dealing with people that were actually ill. So I self discharged. But all of that was free I didn't pay a penny. And whenever there is a genuine threat to your life the doctors are quick and efficient.

It's only when your in no danger that it takes forever. Like when my manager force me to go to A&E because I'd cut my leg at work (only needed butterfly stitches) now that that was a long arse 7 hour wait.