Urologic Clinic

Urology, the surgical specialty of urinary tracts and the male reproductive system, is a steadily growing field for physicians in the United States. Currently, almost forty-three million men are affected with urological disorders or conditions.

Urology Demographics

The NKF (National Kidney Foundation) states that urologic disorders and conditions afflict 5% or more of the United States population, resulting in more than 260,000 deaths. Ethnic populations are at a higher risk. The largest contributing factor is age. The pharmaceutical industry is making a killing off of these issues, with revenues in 2008 reaching 1.6 billion dollars, and at this rate, by 2015 they will reach almost 3 billion.

Weak Economy and Aging Population

The worsening economy has taken its toll on the field of Urology, and it isnt expected to get better any time soon. Loss of jobs and access to healthcare is growing rapidly. Many doctors are no longer accepting new Medicare patients because of the lower profit margins. With fewer doctors accepting Medicare patients, Urology clinics are expected to become overburdened. Many specialties are expecting this same forecast, such as Emergency Medicine/Urgent Care, Family Practice, and Internal Medicine.

The baby boomers are also going to put a great strain on this field. With the dramatically increasing proportion of older patients, we are experiencing an influx of one age group, 65 and older, like we have never seen. Since a large part, if not the majority, of Urologic disorders, diseases, and conditions affect patients 45 and older, we are going to see the need for Urologists increase as well.

The cost of services from these providers is expected to rise as well. With the economic principles of supply and demand at work, fewer providers matched with greater demand will result in higher cost. Value of these services is irrelevant, being as value and cost operate independently. With a value, what it is worth to a consumer, lower than the cost, what a consumer must pay or sacrifice for it, more people will be ignoring urological disorders far longer than they should be. This will most likely result in permanent damage, increased and more intensive treatments, and/or emergency room visits. Emergency rooms are highly overburdened as it is, especially with the elderly demographic.

Health Insurance Reform

The pending healthcare reform is affecting most specialties in a similar fashion. The accepted prognosis for the medical field is that the prospective reforms being discussed will make Medicare patients unprofitable, thus resulting in a loss of physicians. With fewer physicians available to those not privately insured, quality of health for Medicare patients can only be expected to decrease. Another prospective factor is the preferential treatment of certain physician specialties, such as Internists and Family Practitioners. They will automatically receive 5-10% increases in reimbursements. Other specialties will only qualify for these increased reimbursement rates if their caseloads are 50% or more of Medicare patients. It seems unfair that vital specialties like Urology may be passed over. Many medical associations are lobbying to have these requirements broadened.