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The '$5 doctor' practices medicine from bygone era


tomato can

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Gutting what service?

 

Service that is being bought.

 

My family and I get sick... You just now that Humana will nit pick and not pay... Delay, delay, delay... Do not pay... Yet, they like those 1400 bucks in premiums a month!

 

My premiums, co pays, and deductibles have been skyrocketing for over 10 years while the service you pay for is going down.

 

What is more to explain.

 

 

You do understand you're debating this with a guy who counts carp for a living.

 

Why do you say that? You are misinformed. I don't have a degree in biology. I don't count carp, the biologists do that. I "work" for a living. I am the last person you want to count carp... :-)

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Service that is being bought.

 

My family and I get sick... You just now that Humana will nit pick and not pay... Delay, delay, delay... Do not pay... Yet, they like those 1400 bucks in premiums a month!

 

My premiums, co pays, and deductibles have been skyrocketing for over 10 years while the service you pay for is going down.

 

What is more to explain.

Why do you think doctors are gutting the service?

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"Gut society"? LOL! Do you know that medical providers account for just 15% of healthcare expenditures? If you want to know who's "gutting" society, take a look at that other 85%. And while you're at it, take a look at the population that has become the fattest in the world and who takes poor care of themselves, yet demand everything be done, at little to no cost, until their last breath, and who will sue if they don't get it.

 

And getting back to the "gut" comment, a fraction of your insurance premiums go to your doctor. Your doctor may get paid $80 for an office visit once a year. How much do you spend on an oil change at Jiffy Lube every 3,000 miles? What about a movie for 4? Tickets to a football game? Your cable or cell phone bill PER MONTH? Yet when patients have to cough-up a $25 co-pay, it's as if you're holding them up at gunpoint.

 

As for the doc in Rushville, he charges $5 a visit. Does that include any tests he orders? Meds? Hospitalzations? Surgeries? Who covers those costs? Sounds like the doctor is making out pretty well, considering he takes no insurance, sees tons of patients who pay cash immediately, nevermind the fact that he's already independently wealthy.

Yep, we gotta make that middle man dissapear, but not get caught in making it happen!

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Why do you think doctors are gutting the service?

 

Gutting service for what you pay... People are paying more and getting less.

 

It is being cut through the mid-man first, the insurance company. If it isn't covered, you don't dare get it! The doctor's will always say they are offering more service... Except nobody can afford it.

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Gutting service for what you pay... People are paying more and getting less.

 

It is being cut through the mid-man first, the insurance company. If it isn't covered, you don't dare get it! The doctor's will always say they are offering more service... Except nobody can afford it.

Most doctors will fight with an insurance company to get something approved. But if you think the doctor should pay for your test, procedure, etc., you're living in a fantasy world. Maybe you should cut expenses elsewhere, or adopt a healthier lifestyle.

That's actually pretty strong... You know, our progressive society is taking mental health a lot more seriously nowadays... ;-) ;-)

Obviously they're failing, considering the rise in the number of liberals.

Edited by Doc
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You think that the NP, or even the doctor overseeing her, is making $400K, because the practice will get the balance of that $635? Seriously?

 

You didn't see me say that, did you? I put it in terms of what that hourly wage would come out to be.. I understand she isn't paid 400K, I am just remarking that billing $635 for 45 minutes is absurb. I spent an hour with an Endocrinologist, they billed $450.

 

Cost shifting is a B word.

 

Yeah, but in this convoluted mess of a healthcare system we have, its hard to get a grip on real costs....

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You didn't see me say that, did you? I put it in terms of what that hourly wage would come out to be.. I understand she isn't paid 400K, I am just remarking that billing $635 for 45 minutes is absurb. I spent an hour with an Endocrinologist, they billed $450.

What is billed means nothing. You could bill for $1000/hour. It's what you actually receive that counts. And I doubt they get more than $100 for that office visit.

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Service that is being bought.

 

My family and I get sick... You just now that Humana will nit pick and not pay... Delay, delay, delay... Do not pay... Yet, they like those 1400 bucks in premiums a month!

 

My premiums, co pays, and deductibles have been skyrocketing for over 10 years while the service you pay for is going down.

 

What is more to explain.

 

 

 

Why do you say that? You are misinformed. I don't have a degree in biology. I don't count carp, the biologists do that. I "work" for a living. I am the last person you want to count carp... :-)

Yelle about, I just paid $300 dollars in co pays on monday. I have another $240 dollars next week coming up. I am lucky to be able to afford it. But most in this country can't.

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Yelle about, I just paid $300 dollars in co pays on monday. I have another $240 dollars next week coming up. I am lucky to be able to afford it. But most in this country can't.

I'm sure if you looked at the expenses of people who purport to not be able to afford co-pays, you'd find a lot of stuff they could eliminate. The problem is people are far more willing to pay for their wants than what they perceive as a need that should be paid for by someone else. Not to mention sometimes health problems are self-inflicted.

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I'm sure if you looked at the expenses of people who purport to not be able to afford co-pays, you'd find a lot of stuff they could eliminate. The problem is people are far more willing to pay for their wants than what they perceive as a need that should be paid for by someone else. Not to mention sometimes health problems are self-inflicted.

Oh I agree. The amount spent on cable, cell phones, going out to eat could pay for the co pays. As far as americans not being healthy, I agree, my gym membership is only $25. Certainly affordable. Getting them off there ass and workout is another story.

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I'm sure if you looked at the expenses of people who purport to not be able to afford co-pays, you'd find a lot of stuff they could eliminate. The problem is people are far more willing to pay for their wants than what they perceive as a need that should be paid for by someone else. Not to mention sometimes health problems are self-inflicted.

 

So you want to bleed people more in what amounts to be a "private tax."

 

Again, between what my employer pays and what I have to kick in, the price is over 15k a year... And for the last 10 years those premiums have been going up WHILE the deductibles and co-pays have been going up... And I am talking w/huge Humana!

 

What are we paying for? I don't mind kicking into the fund for others to use when I am not using as much... But man, don't bleed and then deny coverage. I wouldn't have heartburn if the funds were going into a single payer system... But these are for profit companies doing this crap. It is flat out gouging.

 

Like I said... I don't mind paying... BUT will Humana stand by me years from now, when I am old and decrepit and need to dip into more of the health pie... ?? I am sorry, frankly I trust the gov't more.

Edited by ExiledInIllinois
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So you want to bleed people more in what amounts to be a "private tax."

 

Again, between what my employer pays and what I have to kick in, the price is over 15k a year... And for the last 10 years those premiums have been going up WHILE the deductibles and co-pays have been going up... And I am talking w/huge Humana!

 

What are we paying for? I don't mind kicking into the fund for others to use when I am not using as much... But man, don't bleed and then deny coverage. I wouldn't have heartburn if the funds were going into a single payer system... But these are for profit companies doing this crap. It is flat out gouging.

 

Like I said... I don't mind paying... BUT will Humana stand by me years from now, when I am old and decrepit and need to dip into more of the health pie... ?? I am sorry, frankly I trust the gov't more.

we're paying for lots of stuff (and remember, "we're" includes self employed docs, one of the reasons i sold out). we're paying for the uninsured (yes, cost shifting is very inefficient), we're paying for many over users of health resources who believe that everything can be fixed if enough tests and procedures are done or that their misery from their lot in life is a medical problem. we're paying for drug advertising that results in people falsely believing that more expensive equals better. we're paying for fraud and abuse. we're paying for excess capacity of hospital beds and technology like mri 's and pet scanners that while very useful are plentiful because they're major profit centers for hospitals. we're paying for malpractice costs and fears that are born from greed in most cases. and not least we're paying for salaries and profits of the health insurance industry that is entirely superfluous and adds nothing to the system. in short, we're paying for for-profit medicine.

 

and on those happy notes, i wish everyone a happy thanksgiving.

Edited by birdog1960
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we're paying for lots of stuff (and remember, "we're" includes self employed docs, one of the reasons i sold out). we're paying for the uninsured (yes, cost shifting is very inefficient), we're paying for many over users of health resources who believe that everything can be fixed if enough tests and procedures are done or that their misery from their lot in life is a medical problem. we're paying for drug advertising that results in people falsely believing that more expensive equals better. we're paying for fraud and abuse. we're paying for excess capacity of hospital beds and technology like mri 's and pet scanners that while very useful are plentiful because they're major profit centers for hospitals. we're paying for malpractice costs and fears that are born from greed in most cases. and not least we're paying for salaries and profits of the health insurance industry that is entirely superfluous and adds nothing to the system. in short, we're paying for for-profit medicine.

It's funny that you look at rising health insurance premiums, yet fail to appreciate that more tax dollars are taken from people in countries with socialized medical systems, and they're STILL failing. What we have with Obamacare is a hybrid, which is the worst of the 3 choices. Obamacare does NOTHING to fix any of the problems you mentioned above.

and on those happy notes, i wish everyone a happy thanksgiving.

Likewise.

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