[serenityseeker]

"It is my firm belief that doctors have turned the health insurance industry into a money mill for themselves. If looked at under a microscope, that is called thievery."

I am astounded by that statement. Doctors have turned the Health Insurance Industry into a money mill for themselves? If this wasn't such a harmful statement it would be laughable.

Perhaps patients don't realize it but physicians practice in a price controlled environment. Physicians do not set prices and fees..the insurance companies and the government do and the physicians and hospitals have no say in the matter. Any one can "charge" anything they want to but the reimbursements are fixed as noted above. How many people think price fixing is OK?

If you want to talk about thievery put your microscope on the insurance industry. HMO's PPO's and all of the other permutations are amongst the most profitable businesses in the country year after year, and the do it on the backs of the physicians and patients, often times by simply denying care or payment for care. From their very inception around the Nixon era prices have soared and services do not keep up. Then look at the malpractice industry...if you don't get sued your premiums go up, if you do you can't get insured. That doctors profit from this is indeed laughable and a pitiful notion at the same time.

A 9-5 day with a 1 hour lunch time?? Sign me up. Most of my colleagues in primary care work 10 hour days, and if they see hospital patients crank that up to 13-14. Lunch? Maybe a quick sandwhich shoved in while dictating charts, returning phone calls and checking lab results while the staff is on their 1 hour lunch break.

I think most physicians associated with major teaching hospitals are fortunate in that they can avail themselves to the technology and support that comes with large teaching institutions, such as electronic medical records and on-line scheduling. It is difficult for private practice physicians to come up with the 50-70,000 dollar investment when there 80,000 dollar malpractice is due.

Do the patients ultimately get the short end of the stick? YES! And that is a big part of the point here. They get it because those that controll the purse strings deem it so, and make no mistake, so do physicians.

Lest you think I am some bitter complainer know this; I still feel that being in medicine is the ultimate privilege. I have been on both sides of the doctor/patient relationship. What I do feel so disappointed by is the assumption that doctors are rich and have it easy and are involved in "thievery" to any degree. Physicians are leaving medicine in droves. Depression, suicide, drug and alcohol abuse, and divorce rates are higher in physicians that almost any other professional. Why? Because the responsibility of someone's health and well being is daunting in and of itself, add the pressures noted above and you come up with an incredible high stress life. Further ,add attitudes like doctors practicing thievery and it overwhelms many, it simply is not worth it to them.

I offered my comments so that some of you might be able to see the other side of the coin, as there really are two sides to every issue and compassionate understanding, or the willingness to at least try benefits all of us. I am worried more than I can tell you about our system, and want to see intelligent people inform themselves and demand change and accountability rather than casting the very people that sacrifice so much of their lives helping others as the villains. I really wanted to let you know why so much of this madness occurs and that it is not for a lack of caring from the physician most of the time.

I think somehow I have not been successful but it was with good intentions that I tried. Remember, there really are alot of people staying in many fields of healthcare that are doing so because they really do love it and consider it a noble calling, and if not for that they would leave as many other doctors and nurses are now.

Thanx for listening folks and take care.