By E. Thomas McClanahan, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist

A government report made public over the weekend says the proposed Medicare and Medicaid cuts in the health care bills would be a huge hit for doctors and hosptitals. As a result, many would stop taking patients under those programs. The headline on the story: "Report: Bill would reduce senior care."
Backers of reform have denied that reform will force rationing, but there it is: Some people are going to have a tougher time getting care even though they're "covered" by government entitlements.
The report is by the chief actuary for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which runs those two programs. Basically, it expresses concern that our health care system wouldn't be able to handle the load when 30 million are added to the ranks of the uninsured.
Economist Greg Mankiw points out that this was entirely predictable:
Let's review some basic principles of supply and demand: If a government policy increases the demand for a service, the price of that service tends to rise. If the government prevents prices from rising, shortages develop. The quantity provided is then determined by supply and not demand. In the presence of such excess demand, the result could be a two-tier market structure. Consumers who can somehow pay more than the government-mandated price will be able to purchase the service, while those paying the controlled price may be unable to find a willing supplier.