APBP Article Oasis

Baby Boomer Generation Faces Healthcare Crisis They Created

The baby boomer generation is well known for many things, from negatives such as mass self indulgence, the tendency to think the world revolved around them and inflated self worth to positives such as the civil rights and gender equality movements and…well, the civil rights and gender equality movements. They may soon, however, be better known for bankrupting the healthcare system. Me, me, me has become old, old, old, and many experts are wondering how the mass influx of aging baby boomers will be dealt with by an already overtaxed healthcare system.

The baby boomer generation brought us the malpractice lawsuit, and while malpractice suits are sometimes necessary, the current healthcare climate resulting from widespread frivolous instances of malpractice claims has created doctor shortages nationwide. Why go to medical school only to find that insurance costs are prohibiting you from making a living commensurate with the education you worked so hard to get? There was a time when most gynecologists were also practicing obstetricians. Many are now no longer in the delivery business because of the hassle and skyrocketing expense of being protected from those who are looking for a quick paycheck.

Of course, not all healthcare system maladies can be attributed directly to the baby boomer generation. Many can be attributed to corporate greed, a staple of the baby boomer generation. HMO and other healthcare insurance plans have become so convoluted and rigid that having an ambulance drop you off at the wrong hospital can result in astronomical uncovered expenses despite the severity of a person’s injuries.

So, perhaps the baby boomer generation facing a healthcare crisis of their own making is poetic justice. There is an upside, however, in that baby boomers have finally given something besides a 50% divorce rate, partisanship and economic turmoil to the generations that proceeded them. By simply growing old, they have created new job opportunities in the field of medicine. While today’s college students have few degree options they can truly count on to provide for themselves and their future families, medicine is a safe bet for the future.

Looking for an educational path that will provide solid employment? Consider nursing, health care administration or perhaps respiratory therapy. It may no longer be worth the trouble to go to medical school, but there are careers in healthcare that offer better job stability that most other available options. For that, we have the baby boomers to thank.