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To those who say that our health care should not be a for-profit business, what exactly would be the incentive for prospective doctors or other health professionals to invest vast sums of money to obtain a medical degree? What would be the incentive for new hospitals to be built? What would be the incentive for new drugs to be developed? In the absence of a free market to incentivize all these elements of health care, we would likely resemble a third world country in that area. It is the expectation of profit that drives everything new and innovative, that attracts the best and brightest and without it we would not have the world-class health care system that we currently have. Can anyone honestly say that if doctors were paid no more than teachers or other important (though underpaid) professions, would anyone opt to spend 8 years of their lives and hundreds of thousands of dollars to take home a teacher's paycheck? I think not.
As far as the number of MRI machines, that's just a dumb thing to "brag" about when so many people can't afford to get an MRI. These are revenue generators, which is why we have a lot of them. How about posting stats about how many people truly have access to MRI's and can afford to get one?
If so many can't afford to get those MRIs how do they generate so much revenue?
To those who say that our health care should not be a for-profit business, what exactly would be the incentive for prospective doctors or other health professionals to invest vast sums of money to obtain a medical degree? What would be the incentive for new hospitals to be built? What would be the incentive for new drugs to be developed? In the absence of a free market to incentivize all these elements of health care, we would likely resemble a third world country in that area. It is the expectation of profit that drives everything new and innovative, that attracts the best and brightest and without it we would not have the world-class health care system that we currently have. Can anyone honestly say that if doctors were paid no more than teachers or other important (though underpaid) professions, would anyone opt to spend 8 years of their lives and hundreds of thousands of dollars to take home a teacher's paycheck? I think not.
So how do all the other developed countries do it?
To those who say that our health care should not be a for-profit business, what exactly would be the incentive for prospective doctors or other health professionals to invest vast sums of money to obtain a medical degree?
I don't think the problem is for-profit health care service. The problem is for-profit middle men. You're speaking for them, not for the service providers themselves.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SilverBulletZ06
Poorly, if you look at the facts. Basically the US is ahead of every other country for non-lifestyle dependant medical diagnosis outcome.
BS. Not only is it a system that it can eliminate "unqualified" (as in high risk) people, unlike other systems where care is unconditional, it also makes your care is contingent (and had been rapidly getting worse over last decade or more) on one's bank balance or (mostly) welfare program from the employers... until the government takes over coverage for old people in a socialistic set up (many of whom survived having no insurance or basic access to health care or worked only to be able to take advantage of employer's generosity.
Developed countries understand the needs. America continues to lag behind. Some want to push it backwards... no wonder America is beginning to resemble a third world country.
To those who say that our health care should not be a for-profit business, what exactly would be the incentive for prospective doctors or other health professionals to invest vast sums of money to obtain a medical degree? Can anyone honestly say that if doctors were paid no more than teachers or other important (though underpaid) professions, would anyone opt to spend 8 years of their lives and hundreds of thousands of dollars to take home a teacher's paycheck? I think not.
You think doctors & nonphysician providers are the profiteers in Medicine today - that I was talking about Doctors are just a minnow in the cest pool of Corporate Medicine.
The payments for provider service from Medicare/Medicaid/Managed Care/Insurance Companies has gotten so low - that as one doctor put it - I might as well hand the patient a $100 bill when they walk in the door.
It's a real mess. Do you think Congress will pay doctors
what they are worth? Most don't realize that Medicare
sets the standard for provider service fees and ALL other
insurance companies fall into suit.
And if one was going to go into medicine today - I'd get a scholarship, go in to the military etc and try to get someone else to pay my tuition. Otherwise, your student loans are going to be a killer.
If so many can't afford to get those MRIs how do they generate so much revenue?
The same way Mercedes Benz, BMW, Lexus, Ferrari, Jaguar make money. You don't need that many customers when an MRI is billed at 5k an hour. These machines make a huge amount of money for hospitals.
Still confused?
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Doctors are just a minnow in the cest pool of Corporate Medicine.
