Even  before Thursday's ruling by the Supreme Court that the Affordable Care  Act is constitutional, medical practitioners across the country have  been debating whether they will be able to afford to stay in business.

This  is not good news as the ACA relies heavily on the availability and  utilization of General Practitioners (GPs) and Prmary Care Physicians  (PCPs) to implement many of the act's provisions.  On March 25th I wrote  about the problem with the lack of GPs and PCPs in this report: Even if Upheld - There's a Problem Waiting for ACA.

Now CNN Money is reporting:

Doctors,  especially those operating private practices, said their financial  hardship is increasing, making it "harder for them to earn a decent  living," according to a new survey of 673 physicians across 29  specialties by MDLinx, a medical reference website for physicians.

Among  the reasons doctors cited: significant school debt, rising business  expenses and administrative hassles, shrinking insurance reimbursements  and costly malpractice insurance.

The survey revealed that  doctors operating private practices -- both small and large -- are  feeling more financial pain than those employed by hospitals, said  Stephen Smith, chief marketing officer for MDLinx.

In fact, 17%  of all doctors with a private practice said they could foresee closing  it within a year if their financial situation doesn't improve, the  survey said.

"For consumers, the coming retraction from small  practices to large clinics that this survey hints at would mean longer  drives and less personal, higher cost of medical care for millions of  Americans," said Smith.

he survey showed that health reform also remains a hot topic for doctors, with some cheering reform and others lambasting it.

"I support Obamacare completely in theory," one doctor wrote in an anonymous comment in the survey.

"I  feel strongly that we need a single payer to compete with insurance  companies. [Still] I think the relative lack of physicians in the  decision-making entities is a major problem for fixing health care."

"If Obamacare continues, I will leave the field of medicine!," another doctor said.

Yet  another physician wrote: "The current state of finances for doctors is  getting worse and will continue if Obamacare is not changed."

http://money.cnn.com/2012/06/27/smallbusiness/doctors-practices/index.htm?iid=EL

From  the Cornfield, what will happen in healthcare if doctors do start  selling out or closing shop leaving many in small town America without  local doctors?

Many doctors have already stopped accepting new Medicare and Medicaid patients.

How will this bode for healthcare and for patients if there are fewer and fewer physicians?

For more on this subject:

http://hanasonhealth.com/2012/02/07/where-have-all-of-the-doctors-gone/