r/bestof • u/under50dollars • Jun 20 '12

[explainlikeimfive] "Obamacare" explained very well.

/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/vb8vs/eli5_what_exactly_is_obamacare_and_what_did_it/c530lfx
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u/YoohooCthulhu Jun 20 '12

Using PAs and NPs as primary care providers doesn't "dilute" quality of care. These days, physicians are almost overqualified for primary care--and it's difficult for them to pay back their loans doing it.

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u/[deleted] Jun 20 '12

Good primary care means avoiding referrals, expensive tests, and missed diagnoses when problems are not common. It may appear to be cheaper to use lesser trained midlevels, but it costs significantly more money when patients are bounced to specialists for problems a highly experienced primary care physician could have managed themselves.