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I am a PA in family practice, have been paying 40-50% of my take home income to student loans for 6 years. Always worried about a lawsuit, angry patients etc, not to mention the opioids. Think about this, I could get a bad review anonymously online because I didn't give a patient the controlled substance they want and that could affect people deciding whether to see me or someone else, not my competence or quality of work. I put my family on hold because of it because I wanted to help people. If I had a time machine I would stop myself from doing it. It isn't worth it and FYI I would take a 50% paycut if it meant no dealing with insurances and their paperwork, no student loans and no worry about lawsuits.
Location: Just transplanted to FL from the N GA mountains
3,997 posts, read 4,141,865 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Finn_Jarber
So, because they make that much in one country, it means they make that much in every country.
It turns out US doctors are not the highest paid, but Australian and Dutch doctors (both single payer) make more.
On top of that US doctors pay massive malpractice insurances and collage debts.
On a recent trip to Australia our driver was pointing out places of interest and while driving down the street he made the comment, "Here's the public hospital and on the other side of the street is the private hospital." I ask him who goes to which one? His reply..."Everyone can go to the public one, we all pay tax for that one, but I go to the private one." His explanation to me was surprising... "It could take months even years to get into the public one unless it was emergency", so he purchases additional private insurance on top of the 49% of his income that they take in taxes (obviously not all for health care) which allows him to go into the private one. And the CARE was much better at the private hospital as well. I don't know if he was pulling this Sheila's chain or not, but it definitely made me realize that Single-payer isn't the answer for the US.
I don't necessarily agree with the OP's numbers. Just because doctors in one country are paid the equivalent of 100k/yr doesn't equate to what they'd earn in another country. Hell, my job in the US would be paid a hell of a lot less in another country. So that really means nothing in my opinion.
Actually, in total Medicare pays about 80% of commercial rates. From studies that I've read.
And climbing... (technically reducing) actually the big insurers are pushing HARD toward Medicare rates. No docs are NOT happy.
Anyway. Funny thing is I go and look up various first world country ranges for doc pay and they are all telling me wildly different numbers. I note a good chunk of Europe seems to use the equivalent of PA/NPs for mild ailments.
On a recent trip to Australia our driver was pointing out places of interest and while driving down the street he made the comment, "Here's the public hospital and on the other side of the street is the private hospital." I ask him who goes to which one? His reply..."Everyone can go to the public one, we all pay tax for that one, but I go to the private one." His explanation to me was surprising... "It could take months even years to get into the public one unless it was emergency", so he purchases additional private insurance on top of the 49% of his income that they take in taxes (obviously not all for health care) which allows him to go into the private one. And the CARE was much better at the private hospital as well. I don't know if he was pulling this Sheila's chain or not, but it definitely made me realize that Single-payer isn't the answer for the US.
It still takes months to get into doctors in the US, particularly if you live in a rural area. People act like you can just call a doctor and get in immediately, when this is not the case. In many rural areas, there may only be one specialist within a 200-mile radius, and it can still take a few months to get in. There may not even be a primary care doctor. People need to stop with this myth that care is instant in the US, because it is not. This is particularly the case for *elective* surgeries.
Here's the thing: we'd have to seriously change our perceptions of what it means to be in a society and all that entails. Right now, we have a very "every man for himself" mentality which dictates that money is the end all and be all of "success" and that we should chase it at every turn.
Another school of thought is quite simple: How much is enough?
Now, when you ask that question some of the less intellectual amongst us starts screaming about socialism and Nazis and frothing at the mouth instead of considering the question in a deeper way.
I believe society took a turn towards the individual around the time of the Industrial Revolution though seeds were planted 50-75 years before that. And I admit a certain thread of that thought process always existed...just not as widespread as it eventually became after the 1830s. And it continues today.
It still takes months to get into doctors in the US, particularly if you live in a rural area. People act like you can just call a doctor and get in immediately, when this is not the case. In many rural areas, there may only be one specialist within a 200-mile radius, and it can still take a few months to get in. There may not even be a primary care doctor. People need to stop with this myth that care is instant in the US, because it is not. This is particularly the case for *elective* surgeries.
True enough. I recently switched my children to a new dental office. We are waiting for two months to get in for a checkup/cleaning.
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