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So would you be happier if they guy made $250K out of training and went to work in an urban environment, leaving the underserved area unserved? It will be a wash for the guy over ten years.
How else do you propose getting physicians to undesireable/underserved areas? Slavery?
I would love to hear your solutions that do not involve financial incentives. How do you think the military gets physicians? If you were given the choice of doing the same job for full pay, vs half pay, which would you choose?
This guy's very country. He wants to live out there anyway. I don't know about other docs, but is money really the only reason most docs in this country go into medicine? From what I get from your post, maybe so.
Anyhow, it seems you missed the point of the post. He's sort of a Clarence Thomas type, you know taking advantage of the "socialist" gov't programs, and comes out looking squeaky clean with a huge income and no debt at a young age. But hates the idea that such programs exist in the first place. It doesn't make sense to me.
This is a growing phenomenon among those in the medical profession. My cousin, in this article http://www.rockfordil.com/files/Sava...tification.pdf , is slowly transitioning out of his medical practice as well and into medical financial advising as it is a much more lucrative field and he is still able to utilize his medical skills.
This is the product of what happened when doctors began accepting direct 3rd party reimbursements as courtesy to their patients instead of getting paid upfront by the patient and having them submit for reimbursement. Also, entering into contractual deals with insurance companies to provide services at discounted rates for the ins company's members. It's no longer a cash business. It's dictated by the insurance companies, whose rates are dictated by the medicare rates.
He's sort of a Clarence Thomas type, you know taking advantage of the "socialist" gov't programs, and comes out looking squeaky clean with a huge income and no debt at a young age. But hates the idea that such programs exist in the first place. It doesn't make sense to me.
A very similar exchange occurred in the movie, "People Will Talk". A farmer was discussing how he got tax exemptions and paid for not planting, and so on, and then remarked, "It doesn't make sense..."
His greed overcame his common sense, like the monkey whose hand is caught in the trap, holding the fruit.
He won't let go... and can't get free.
Which American doctors tell anyone to withhold medical care from the old and unhealthy?
From the article: "Smokers, heavy drinkers, the obese and the elderly"
Can you imagine American doctors withholding medical treatments from the obese? 50% of the adult population would have medical treatments withheld.
I'll be happy to tell you who. A relative of mine who is a smoker (has tried valiantly to quit several times but just cant seem to stop entirely) was told by his doctor that he would no longer treat him if he continued to smoke and has since dropped him as a patient (fired him I guess is the word the docs use these days). I thought, "WTF?" That's a slippery slope to a never ending cycle of "I won't take patients with this habit or that habit" We all agree, smoking is bad, but where does a doc get off saying, "I won't keep you as a patient if you continue to smoke." IF anything the doc should valiantly continue to work with that patient on a treatment plan or at least make a note in the chart that sez, "patient won't quit smoking as per my orders but I will treat" or whatever....these docs are now picking and choosing what they want to do, it's all about CYA, etc. makes me SICK just to see these people in action. So, yes, it's a short hop to saying, I won't treat obese people, I won't treat pain patients (uh, that already happens in 99% of the cases these days), and so on and so forth. To say the system is broken is an understatement of the century.
A couple of doctors I know say the insurance/medicaid issues cause them more stress headaches than patients. Many are considering going to cash only practices. Or Charge people a fee to be their patient.
Doctors get frustrated when they see patients who can't/won't stop harmful vices (overeating/smoking/drinking). Those folks should get help elsewhere instead of wasting a primary care docs time and the governments money.
It is ignorant not to see them as small businesses providing jobs and a service in the community. Regardless of the good or service you provide, it should not take 8 months to get paid. I realize there is a bunch of paperwork that needs continual followup, but not seeing payment quarterly, usually results in collection agencies getting involved.
Most doctors essentially give up the first 10 years of adult life (and earning potential) to become doctors. With that said, the amount of debt most have when starting out is huge. So I dont have an issue with them making a lot of money. They are not paid like CEOs which is another thread.
Yes, they may get frustrated treating patients with "vices" but I thought they entered medicine to help people, not drop people or refuse to treat, as happened to a relative of mine. Hey, I drink too much soda which is a bad and unhealthy habit. I dare not mention that to my doc, might get dropped for possible sugar diabetes in the future....this whole discussion about vices and habits is ridiculous, the whole population has some type of bad health habit that may eventually KILL them, but they still have a right to seek and receive health care, albeit under a system that works, but doctors in my opinion do not have the "Right" to base who they take as a patient on the patient's vices or habits.
Change to what?
You seem to advocate: "No one should suffer / die because they lack medical care."
But you forgot the preface:
"No one should be compelled to labor for the benefit of another, so that..."
Slavery is never an acceptable solution to the ills of mankind.
Voluntary charity is a blessing.
Compulsory charity is a curse.
I'm confused. Doctors aren't paid for 8 months? As another poster pointed out, they see patients every day, they get paid every day. If doctors weren't getting paid for 8 months how could they afford to keep their practices open, pay their mortgages, pay for their cars, pay for private school for their children, etc.? They get paid obviously.
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