Quote Originally Posted by JaneV2.0 View Post
For Pete's sake--bae can see any physician he likes. Within reason, so can I--if I pay for the privilege.

The idea is to make affordable health care available to people who would otherwise be shut out of our third-world two-tier system, not to prohibit people of means paying for concierge service.
Sure, anyone can pay for treatment, they've always been able to. The point made up-thread was that many people are having a hard time receiving services due to the way Medicare reimburses, as well as the ridiculous malpractice insurance required of any practitioner (how long has it been since any meaningful discussion of tort reform?). I think we forget that the ACA's promise of "affordable health care" is mis-leading. What they're actually promising is "affordable health insurance" and neglecting the barriers it places in front of actual health care.

It appears to me that the government's forced intrusion into the medical marketplace has dis-incentivized practitioner's willingness to practice. Especially when it results in a break-even or loss to the service provider. Concierge service may become the new norm as a result.