Skelton: Obamacare spawns turf battles
Various factions in the medical world have poured money into lobbying in a battle over how President Obama’s healthcare law is implemented in California.
One of the biggest questions, George Skelton says in his Thursday column, is whether there will be enough doctors to handle all of the newly insured residents.
State Sen. Ed Hernandez (D-West Covina) is pushing legislation that would allow nurse practitioners to operate independently of doctors and respond to the growing need for medical attention.
In an understatement, Hernandez said that “this is all very contentious.”
The powerful California Medical Assn. is lobbying against the measure.
“This legislation wouldn’t expand the workforce,” California Medical Assn. President Paul Phinney said. “It just removes supervision.”
All of Skelton’s columns are here.
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