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Massachusetts — Although many uninsured residents are now covered by health insurance because of the state’s much touted healthcare reform, the sudden demand for services has revealed there are not enough primary care doctors to handle the increased demand.
That is fantastic news. It means that people are actually able to visit a doctor. I know there was about a 5 year period I went through when I was younger when my parents couldn't afford health insurance for us, so we went without the regular checkups that should be absolutely mandatory.
There are so many problems and pretty much all of it can be attributed to the government and insurance industry... instead of reforming them, we are giving them leadership roles... isn't America brilliant?
That is fantastic news. It means that people are actually able to visit a doctor. I know there was about a 5 year period I went through when I was younger when my parents couldn't afford health insurance for us, so we went without the regular checkups that should be absolutely mandatory.
A regular checkup should cost about $75 if you just paid it yourself. Why not just pay it?
Actually, that is exactly what happens when health care becomes free. It's just like the 16-year old boy who gets a new Corvette GIVEN to him on his birthday. It's a given that he's going to destroy the car. Why? Because it's FREE, and he has nothing of himself invested in it.
Medical care should NOT be free. It shouldn't be outrageous (like it is now) in cost, but it should not be free!
What are you talking about? Do you think all these people showing up to the ER for the flu have health insurance? NO, the ones who have health insurance go to their own Doctor, not the ER.
And people that are poor have been going to the ER for free in massachusetts for about 20 years now. If your income was below a certain level you could apply for free care and not pay. So this is nothing new.
Now going to your regular doctor unnecessarily because it is free, that may be happening. I know retired people who go every other day to the doctor, refill their rx's even if they aren't finished, etc...
Quote:
Originally Posted by NewMexicanRepublican
A regular checkup should cost about $75 if you just paid it yourself. Why not just pay it?
what kind of question is that? Obviously some people don't have the money. If you make $400 per week, that $75 (which is probably more like 100-150), for a visit to the dr when you feel fine, just isn't that high priority. Plus, if you do get there, they might want to do all kinds of other tests, etc.. which will add up to more than the visit.
And just because your insurance is paying $75 to the doctor and the doctor accepts that, doesn't mean a cash customer is going to pay that.
My son got off schedule w/his well visits. Which I know the dr was billing my insurance company about $150. The insurance company was paying about $40 and the dr. just took it. Well, when I inquired about paying cash for a visit they wanted $150.
what kind of question is that? Obviously some people don't have the money. If you make $400 per week, that $75 (which is probably more like 100-150), for a visit to the dr when you feel fine, just isn't that high priority.
Thanks, you proved my point. Nothing but totally free healthcare is ever going to satisfy many of you.
$75 is the average monthly cell phone / internet bill. $75 is less than 1% of your fictional person's annual gross income. If he or she cannot invest a measly 1% of his income on wellness care, who do you think should be responsible? Just how cheap does it have to be to be a priority?
Maybe in NM it's 75 bucks, but MD's aren't working for that money in Boston. Nurses make $50 an hour there.
The average Dr. visit is scheduled at 20 minutes. In some clinics its 12 minutes. Lets assume 20 minutes - that means the Dr is seeing 3 patients an hour, and billing $225 per hour at $75 per visit. Lets say he wants to make $150K a year as an average family practitioner. He pays himself $75 an hour, and covers his overhead with the rest. Seems pretty feasible.
Forget that - lets say he charges $150 for a visit. In the context of my post, it makes no difference: still less than 1% of total annual gross income. Does that really seem like a burden? Lets take it further - $150 for the Dr. and $100 for some lab work. Just barely over 1%. At what point does it become cheap enough to afford for you?
You know what this means? More people are going to be doctors because they are needed!
Great, so now we'll open new, second rate med schools to accept the second rate med students, so we can fill the vacancies with second rate doctors. While you guys are at it, why not give everyone in MA a car and a house? After all, they shouldn't be denied their "right" to such things...so maybe we can have a healthcare bubble, not unlike the housing bubble and the auto bubble.
What are you talking about? Do you think all these people showing up to the ER for the flu have health insurance? NO, the ones who have health insurance go to their own Doctor, not the ER.
And people that are poor have been going to the ER for free in massachusetts for about 20 years now. If your income was below a certain level you could apply for free care and not pay. So this is nothing new.
Now going to your regular doctor unnecessarily because it is free, that may be happening. I know retired people who go every other day to the doctor, refill their rx's even if they aren't finished, etc...
What am I talking about? You just admitted that you know exactly what I'm talking about.
I'm talking about people who get free medical care, whether they go to an ER or a doctors' clinic. And, because they don't want to wait a week for an appointment, then sit in the doctors' clinic waiting room for 4 hours, they just walk in to the ER. What difference does it make, it's free, right?
The difference is that a doctors clinic visit costs about $75. An ER visit costs about $750.
And who do you suppose pays for it, when MA people do this?
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