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Why only 10 years. he put all those people under anesthesia and subjected them to pain and suffering. I would call it torture. he should go to jail for life.
I very much doubt that this is an isolated case...... a little extreme perhaps but far from rare. That guy, like Nixon, had the misfortune to get caught. My father in law is a retired state worker, he has complete medical for both he and his wife for the rest of their lives. They walk into the doctors office for a hang nail and the doctor orders blood tests, a cat scan, and an MRI. I walk into the same doctor's office with a sucking chest wound and because my insurance sucks, they'll throw me a butterfly bandage and write me a script for antibiotics. Until the US adopts a single payer system, there will always be unscrupulous people who abuse and defend the status quo
I very much doubt that this is an isolated case...... a little extreme perhaps but far from rare. That guy, like Nixon, had the misfortune to get caught. My father in law is a retired state worker, he has complete medical for both he and his wife for the rest of their lives. They walk into the doctors office for a hang nail and the doctor orders blood tests, a cat scan, and an MRI. I walk into the same doctor's office with a sucking chest wound and because my insurance sucks, they'll throw me a butterfly bandage and write me a script for antibiotics. Until the US adopts a single payer system, there will always be unscrupulous people who abuse and defend the status quo
I can verify this. I paid group health insurance claims for many years. The more the insurance, the more the tests. We claims adjusters always knew when the doctors were padding the bills. The better the insurance coverage, the more the tests which means as you said, if you didn't have such great coverage, you would get the minimum amount of care. Of course, the patients don't realize this because this is the system we are used to. We think the doctors are doing everything that is necessary and nothing unnecessary.
Then there are the doctors who own expensive medical equipment in their own clinics like CT scanners and find that the majority of their patients need to be scanned; the majority whose insurance will cover the cost of course. They may also rent the use of this equipment out to other physicians or clinics who send their patients to use the machines for a hefty fee. Lots of $$$ to be made there.
One thing that would be helpful to curtail this cheating is if more patients would start asking questions about their treatments. A good doctor shouldn't object to this. Second opinions are always a good thing to get as well. If a person does have medical insurance, most policies will pay for a second opinion. I think people question the options regarding what they may have on a new car more than the options they may have for treatment to take care of their health .
I can verify this. I paid group health insurance claims for many years. The more the insurance, the more the tests. We claims adjusters always knew when the doctors were padding the bills. The better the insurance coverage, the more the tests which means as you said, if you didn't have such great coverage, you would get the minimum amount of care. Of course, the patients don't realize this because this is the system we are used to. We think the doctors are doing everything that is necessary and nothing unnecessary.
Then there are the doctors who own expensive medical equipment in their own clinics like CT scanners and find that the majority of their patients need to be scanned; the majority whose insurance will cover the cost of course. They may also rent the use of this equipment out to other physicians or clinics who send their patients to use the machines for a hefty fee. Lots of $$$ to be made there.
One thing that would be helpful to curtail this cheating is if more patients would start asking questions about their treatments. A good doctor shouldn't object to this. Second opinions are always a good thing to get as well. If a person does have medical insurance, most policies will pay for a second opinion. I think people question the options regarding what they may have on a new car more than the options they may have for treatment to take care of their health .
Your last paragraph is so true. It took me a while but now I ask the staff who wants to book a specific
test this question "How much does it cost?" First response is, well you have insurance. Yes I do but
I want to know what it costs. There was one test that was written and I told them I didn't want that
particular process ( a radioactive dye) but the other one. Turns out that first test cost 3 times more
than the other. BTW, both tests were equally accurate.
Also, it took the nurse and the billing department a few days to tell me the price because they didn't
know.
Your last paragraph is so true. It took me a while but now I ask the staff who wants to book a specific
test this question "How much does it cost?" First response is, well you have insurance. Yes I do but
I want to know what it costs. There was one test that was written and I told them I didn't want that
particular process ( a radioactive dye) but the other one. Turns out that first test cost 3 times more
than the other. BTW, both tests were equally accurate.
Also, it took the nurse and the billing department a few days to tell me the price because they didn't
know.
Oh, how I wish you had been one of my clients! That radioactive dye thing is one of the biggest farces. Good for you for asking. The dye is not always needed and yes it is way more expensive. I have a condition in which my doctor needs to order an MRI if she sees something new where it shouldn't be on a follow up xray. Having paid medical claims, I know how expensive the test is with the dye. My doc says she can see what she needs to see without it. I have to hassle with the lab because I refuse to let them give the dye to me even though the doctor never orders it. It is just so routine, they just get ready to do it and are very surprised when I refuse it.
Doctors like the one in the article wouldn't be able to get away with fraud for so long and so easily if patients were more watchful.
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