Doctors in central New York are reacting to the Supreme Court decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act. They are generally pleased with the decision -- although there are some concerns.
Today's Supreme Court decision is mostly good news according to SUNY Upstate Medical Center President David Smith.
"We would have been set back had this been overturned, or even if the mandate had been overturned, it would have been a domino effect with cataclysmic effects and I think it would have created a political vulnerability for the bill, although I'm not a politician. But I think it would have upended a lot of things that we are trying to do to ensure access," Smith said.
It's not all good news
One thing Smith is concerned about is the shortage of primary care physicians, who are key to the Affordable Care Act. He says the state and federal governments need to come up with a strategic plan for health labor.
David Page, of the Onondaga County Medical Society, is also concerned about the shortage.
"You can give all these people insurance, but I don't quite know how the system is going to take care of all these people. I worry about that," Page said.
Despite this concern, Page says more people with insurance will make his job as a doctor easier.
