Universal HealthcareBy NextBestFit
Phase 1: Enactment & build · Step 1.7

Set the national fee schedule

Months 3–15; annual updates thereafter · Payment Rates Board; UHADiscuss this step
capacitylikelihood: mediumimpact: high

Physician early retirement and opt-out

Specialists facing fee cuts retire early or move to cash practice, shrinking capacity just as demand rises.

Early warning signs
  • Opt-out filings
  • Medical licensing renewals
  • Specialty-specific waits
Mitigation
  • 4-year rate convergence
  • Specialty-specific adjustments
  • Removal of administrative burden as a non-financial benefit

Implementation risks

RiskMitigation
Specialist early retirement or opt-out.4-year phase-in, malpractice premium relief through a pilot no-fault program, and monitoring of specialty-specific waits.