Tweet

Doctor Shortage: Why Your Health Habits Matter

Guest post by: Michael Hume

Article Overview: The looming doctor shortage is only one of the scary aspects of our new "health care reform." It's only one reason your health habits matter, and you need to take personal responsibility for your own vitality now so that you might be less dependent on government medicine in the future.

Doctor Shortage: Why Your Health Habits Matter

Unless Obamacare Is Repealed, You Really Need The NEWSS About two-thirds of Americans want the dubious "Obamacare" - euphemistically called "health care reform" by its liberal supporters - repealed. Why? One reason is that it was an ill-conceived piece of legislation that was "rammed down our throats" using horse-trading trickery so nefarious that it forced concerned citizens into the streets in protest and gave birth to the Tea Party movement. Another reason is that, despite being billed as a way to reduce medical costs, Obamacare actually bloats government spending and, with it, our already-hefty tax burden.

Want more reasons? I'm just getting started. Another good reason most of us want the thing repealed is its resemblance to Pandora's Box: we keep finding nasty little surprises (such as government funding for abortions) buried in the 2,000-plus pages that nobody had time to read before President Obama and the Democrats rammed it through. House Speaker (outgoing) Nancy Pelosi famously claimed early this year that "we have to pass the bill so you can find out what's in it" - implying we'd like it a lot better once we got to know its details. Turns out, the more we find out about this "health care reform," the more we learn that it has almost nothing to do with reform, health, or even care.

It's about money (for the government), and it's about politics.

Perhaps the biggest reason we want Obamacare repealed is that it will, if left to stand, chloroform the greatest medical system ever known to man. Sure, "affordable health care for all" sounds awesome. Who'd be against that? I'm not. But socializing our medical system will make the health care available to Americans not just "affordable," but "deplorable." Left to stand, Obamacare will eventually and inevitably ensure that high-quality medical care will no longer be available in the U.S. (nor perhaps anywhere) at ANY price. It turns out the profit motive provided by our free enterprise system is what makes our system so great... and nowhere is that more obvious than in an examination of the looming shortage of doctors Obamacare will create.

If, as I do, you have any personal friends who've become doctors, ask them about that experience. Here's what you're likely to hear: "I had to go to school for what seemed like a million years, but was really only eight or ten. Most of those I spent in a sleep-deprived stupor, pulling 24-hour shifts and catching cat-naps at the hospital during my internship. I learned as much as I could, but no one can master it all. I learned that I'm going to be vulnerable to lawsuits over every decision I ever make throughout my career; but I kept going because I want to use my gifts to truly help people."

My friends who've become doctors have, by the experience of joining that fraternity, mostly sacrificed their own health habits. They started as mellow, open-eyed, altruistic idealists and came out the other end much more stressed-out and slightly jaded (understandably). But despite all that, my doctor friends have made a good living for themselves and their families. Some can even get rich.

Of course, Obamacare will change all that. Eventually, all doctors will work for the government, like they do in more "enlightened" places like Great Britain, Canada, and China. The average government worker now makes about $75,000 annually (while most private sector employees make about $47k)... but the average doctor makes six figures. Can you imagine going through the gauntlet described above in order to make government wages for a lifetime of service? How inspired are you going to be in your work? How creative? How willing to dig for an innovative solution?

Maybe you'd be just as inspired. I will argue that most doctors wouldn't. And that may be why fewer and fewer bright young people are opting for medical school. And why Obamacare is projected to cause a massive shortage of qualified medical personnel as one of its first consequences.

No offense intended to nursing students - I have great respect for them. But if Obamacare stands, sure, you'll have "free" government health care... but a harried nursing student is likely to be the person who gives you the four minutes of attention to which you'll be entitled when you visit the clinic say, six or seven years from now.

Remember M*A*S*H? It's one of my favorite TV shows, possibly because I was in the Army and enjoy the military humor. But do you remember all the scenes of "meatball surgery" being performed by a small number of heroic doctors? Lucky for M*A*S*H 4077's patients, Colonel Potter's operation gave them a 97% chance of survival. Of course, what was being portrayed was the sort of "emergency" medicine performed under extreme conditions such as battle. Obamacare won't make all of our gall-bladder removals quite so bad, perhaps, but are you really prepared for our supreme medical system to be allowed to become something much closer to M*A*S*H than it is to what we enjoy today? Do you want fewer doctors, forced to do more with less, stressed-out, with more patients than they can handle? And do you want to rely on their generosity and sense of altruism when it's you under the knife?

The looming doctor shortage is only one of the scary aspects of our new "health care reform." It's only one reason your health habits matter, and you need to take personal responsibility for your own vitality now so that you might be less dependent on government medicine in the future. Start with the five key daily habits I call The NEWSS: Nutrition, Exercise, Water, Sleep, and Supplements. Eat fresh foods and stop eating processed crap. Exercise at least five times a week, getting your heart rate up for at least 15 minutes. Drink two liters of water every day. Get eight hours of sleep. And take a good multi-vitamin (I recommend an easily-absorbed liquid nutraceutical).

Since this "meatball surgery" system is going to actually cost you much more on your tax bill, you might want to move now to protect your financial health, too. Start a business on the side to create a protected revenue stream from which you can't be laid off. And get smart about the global conspiracy against wealth - if you don't know how to protect the money you make, it will simply be taken from you in the coming global economic crisis.

It's hard to believe our great medical system has become like a patient on life support. Unless we can reverse it, Obamacare will put the patient to sleep. That's why you have to wake up now, and take personal responsibility for your own vitality.

Related Articles
  Finding The Best Doctor For Your Health Insurance
  After Health Insurance - Finding The Best Doctors Resources
  Kaiser Permenente - User Submitted Health Plan Reviews
  What Role Should The Government Be Playing In Health Care?
  Habits, life choices, decision,health,personal growth,personal development,spirituality
  Create Habits That Will Serve You Well
  Health Habits: Make Sure You're Well-Adjusted
  Health Blitz
  Create New Success Habits!
  Aetna Health Insurance | Health Insurance Company Guide
  Health Insurance Questions to Ask When Shopping for Coverage.
  Unconstitutional Obamacare Law Declared "Void"
  Men's Health Insurance: Staying Healthy
  Finding The Best Doctor With Each Type Of Health Insurance
  Radiology Job Outlook
  Are Your Habits Supporting YOUR Life?
  The NEWSS Helps Keep The Bugs Away
  Your Health Insurance Policy
  Watch out for the Talent Shortage Iceberg!
  Health Insurance Policies And Health Savings Accounts

Article Tags: doctor shortage, health habits, health wealth and happiness, personal responsibility



Related Forum Posts
Re: What I'm reading this weekend - Sept 10, 2010 - Glad you liked it David! I only managed to get partway through the list today because my one year old was looking for some playtime but I did read the Zen Habits one - I love reading Zen Habits while relaxing at a coffee shop!
Re: My 3 best business books - 1. Think and Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill 2. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen R. Covey 3. Permission Marketing - Seth Godin Think and Grow Rich seems more powerful each time I read it or dip into it. The 7 Habits not only offers some very effective ways to organize your life (which I have yet to master!), but also some great quotations and thought provoking statements including this by Nazi concentration camp survivor, Viktor Frankl: [i:2naxzsom]Between stimulus and response, man has the freedom to choose.[/i:2naxzsom] Seth Godin's Permission Marketing is a good read for anybody seeking to understand how to approach doing business on the Internet in the right way with regard to winning people's trust.
Re: What I'm reading this weekend - Sept 10, 2010 - I was also interested in the Zen Habits affiliate programme as it might mix well with my business/japan blog...
Re: Service Or Product? - A common question, from my experience in dealing with others. Personally, I have had bad experiences with various products. Further everyone has a health, slimming or fitness product today with a Doctor in their pocket to tout the benefits. Following the current trends, Unless such products have cleared FDA or similar agency, I may use but do not market them. (But even then, how many re-calls have we seen?) I think the big money is in products, especially if you have a passion for the products I prefer information, how to, and other services, less money, sometimes faster
Best incentive to offer employees - What's the best incentive to offer employees? Is it more health benefits? More vacation? Health club memberships? Paying for training? Cash / non-cash bonuses & rewards? I'm preparing a new package for my company and would love to get your thoughts! Thank you in advance!


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Inspiration for troubled times

Qualities of Leadership Part 1

How to Write Your Articles for Better SEO

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.