ObamaCare Catch 22: New patients, no doctors

It's going to be like a bad joke.

"Congratulations, you now have health care. Uh, sorry, there's no doctor who will see you."

That's the problem rapidly coming upon the country with the implementation of ObamaCare. Critics of the bill warned of this. But because the bill was so poorly crafted and rushed into law, we're going to have to build the rest of this plane while we're flying it.

It is expected that up to 50 million currently uninsured Americans will be soon forced to acquire some type of health insurance coverage. But a new study finds it most likely that a significant number of primary care doctors will not be accepting new patients. You can read more about it here.

That sets up a nightmare.

Does the government now force all doctors under penalty of law to take new patients? And when you absorb 50 million new patients into the waiting rooms around the country, everyone will have to wait longer and longer for care.

Or, perhaps, does the government stimulate physician assistant programs in universities around the country to jack up the number of assistants who will be the first filter between patient and doctor?

That's not necessarily an unreasonable way to go, but it will take three years from today. And it completely alters the current health care delivery system. It's a new path that won't necessarily be a better path.

My guess is that over the next 20 years we are going to see exactly what ObamaCare's critics foretold. We're headed for a downward spiral in quality of health care in this country, coupled with a rationing system that will limit access based on panels who will decide whether you live or die. (This, of course, will not apply to members of Congress.)

Believe me, I hope I'm wrong when I predict we're rapidly moving toward the death of medical excellence and the rise of medical mediocrity.