Submitted by Neal Haynes, Dec 9, 2007 13:37

Medicaid rates have not increased in 12 years, and the constant threat of decreasing rates is yearly. Meanwhile The cost of medical school has more than doubled, the cost of gasoline has more than tripled, the cost of food, electricity, insurance, labor and just about any commodity you can name has at least doubled over this time span. All this time the most highly educated segment of our society has continued to see increasing demand for their services and decreases in payment for these services in real dollars. In all honesty it is rather amazing that anyone still wants to be a doctor. And the majority of practicing physicians now do so simply because they love medicine and they care for people. Gaining entrance into medical school should not be the equivelent of a winning lottery ticket, but neither should it be the equivelent of a vow of poverty. I don't know what the solution is, but something has got to change because the current system is non-sustainable.

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