Doctors who do nothing (kidney stones, prescription, cheap, treated)
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And think about that charge of $250 or whatever it is that is actually for a ten minute, tops, "visit." Medicare patients get a whopping seven minutes.
$250 x 6 = $1500 per hour. To all the people who explained the overhead, do you think this is a "fair" amount to charge for "nothing" (or even "something" if you happen to get an answer in that amount of time)?
As I understand it Medicare covered visits are a minimum of 15 minutes, admittedly the doctor may not spend that much time with a patient. And it's been repeated ad nauseum, what's actually billed to Medicare or insurance is much more than these third party payers actually reimburse for the provided service. Looking at my Medicare insurance EOB's for covered services I have received, looks as though Medicare payments are less than one third of the billed amount. In some cases I've seen where it was less than 10% of the billed amount.
Do you think plumbers, electricians, HVAC technicians are overcharging for their services at $150/hour plus a flat service charge for just showing up?
This problem could be solved before making an appointment.
When you are asked why you are making an appointment, if you say "because I have a cold," you should be told that colds resolve on their own and to call back if you have any complications.
Perhapsnthis might work in a world where everyone is rational and realizes a magic potion handed out by a medical professional will not cure everything that ails them. But in reality, how many people (especially those who claim a doctor did nothing for them and shouldn't be paid) would complain, given the scenario you describe, that "they were really really SICK and the doctor refused to see them".
Last edited by Travelassie; 09-11-2018 at 04:54 PM..
Y'know people it would be a step in the right direction if you didn't play ER commando over things such as the flu or ringing ears. My ears are ringing right now, they ring most of the time it seems. It's been that way my whole life. Yesterday I tried to bust my fingers and some knuckles in an engine cover. It was sore as hell all day and visibly discolored today and still sore. Nothings broken, the fingers work even though with a little pain when flexing them or gripping something. Why should I go to the ER or a UCC? It will be fine as just like all the other times i got stupid and hurt myself for it.
in the near future I'm going to get the flu. I'm not going to run to the doctor and pop handfuls of pills. i'm going to let my body take care of it as it always has in the past.
Don't bother the doctors with small crap. Learn about your body and how it works. Yeah, someday I'll need a doctor for a BIG reason but I'm not going to fitter away my money and time storming the doors of hospitals.
90% of PCPs are useless. For acute issues go to the ER. For chronic issues do research online, diagnose yourself and see a specialist.
If you have chest pain (angina) find a Cardiologist in your area and get the appropriate tests if necessary.
If you have kidney area pain go to a nephrologist or a Chiropractor.
Allergies go to an Allergist.
COPD go to a Pulmonologist.
ETC ETC.
You have to be your own Primary Care doctor.
Most specialists don't want to see you without a referral from a GP. Depending on your insurance they will want that referral too. And the copay goes up.
$1500 x 8 = $12,000 per day, x 5 days = $60,000 per week, x 4.2 = $252,000 per month, x 12 = $3,024,000 per year.
(Math is not my strong suit, so if I have made an errors, please advise).
Do you think this is excessive for "overhead?"
I think everything that has to do with the medical field is overpriced. Until we get Single Payer our rates will continue to go up. Do not blame the doctor, they are trying to make a living and pay off their student loan debt.
A huge expense is the insurance doctors have to carry. Plus they have rent and staff and take less in fees depending on the insurance.
You pay for a plumber, electrician, etc... They come out and you pay them whether you have a problem or not. It is a bit irrational to think doctors wont charge if you are not sick.
Nobody's business: I think your math is bad. No doctor or clinic is pulling in 3 million per year even gross. Not every minute is billable. And all those professionals that work there may be paying off loans on years of very expensive education.
There are lots of reasons that medical care is so expensive in the US which include fraud, waste, increasingly complex testing, drugs and medical devices and physicians practising defensive medicine (and possibly ordering more tests as a result). And another part of it is the entitled view Americans have of their care (just in general, not accusing anyone here). They want the best care, they want it fast and it better be either free or cheap.
Nobody's business: I think your math is bad. No doctor or clinic is pulling in 3 million per year even gross. Not every minute is billable. And all those professionals that work there may be paying off loans on years of very expensive education.
There are lots of reasons that medical care is so expensive in the US which include fraud, waste, increasingly complex testing, drugs and medical devices and physicians practising defensive medicine (and possibly ordering more tests as a result). And another part of it is the entitled view Americans have of their care (just in general, not accusing anyone here). They want the best care, they want it fast and it better be either free or cheap.
Doctors also have to pay rent or mortgage on their offices, pay receptionists, nurses, billing clerks, office managers, janitors. They have to rent or buy equipment, furniture, computers. They pay for electricity and phone and internet service, professional organizations, advertising, IT services so you can see your results online. They buy supplies like those lovely paper gowns, paper to cover the exam table, tissues for you to cry into when they give you bad news. They have to pay to keep their certifications current, and to update training for the staff. If they're part of a network, a chunk of your fee probably goes there, too.
I'm sure there's more but you get the point that only a tiny portion of your fee makes it into the doctor's pocket.
90% of PCPs are useless. For acute issues go to the ER. For chronic issues do research online, diagnose yourself and see a specialist.
If you have chest pain (angina) find a Cardiologist in your area and get the appropriate tests if necessary.
If you have kidney area pain go to a nephrologist or a Chiropractor.
Allergies go to an Allergist.
COPD go to a Pulmonologist.
ETC ETC.
You have to be your own Primary Care doctor.
Chest pain can be related to asthma, COPD, anxiety attacks, or muscular pain. Paying for an unnecessary specialist visit makes no sense as most plans charge more for a specialty visit than for a primary care visit. The issue with COPD/heart issues/asthma is that the symptoms are very similar. Shortness of breath, chest pain, etc. The PCP is a starting point to figure out which symptoms best fit you since you can’t order basic tests yourself.
Upper abdominal pain can be related to a variety of issues that are completely unrelated to a kidney issue and usually your primary care doctor would run labs to check to see if you have signs of kidney failure or spleen issues (if the problem is on that side).
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