I agree with some of Hal Young’s critique about aspects of the Reason Foundation’s list of licensing requirements by state. Licensing does affect what kind of health care people can get and when.
According to the New York Times, it is easier to get an appointment in a dermatologist’s office for Botox than for cancer prevention, in part because more people in the office are legally able to do injections and in part because demand for skin cancer screenings is high. Of course, people can see a family physician and save money, then if there’s real concern they can get a referral, but insurance does not reward this behavior – the copay to see a GP is the same as to see a specialist in many plans.
