[BrianL99]

With all this talk about Medical Billing and Medicare over-billing, the people who are paying attention to what's being posted, should be getting an education on how ridiculous the US Medical System has become.

A Primary Care Physician, fresh from certification and Residency, gets paid somewhere around $250,000 per year. One with 10 or so years of experience, is likely around $300,000/year.

With the burden at 40% (medical insurance, FICA, unemployment insurance, benefits, etc.) the cost of a medical provider to employ a primary care physician, is between $350,000-$400,000/year. That works out to a cost of $187/hour (2000 working hours per year).

Medicare (for example) pays about $187 for a 1 hour office visit. Assuming a Doctor spends 40 hours per week with patients (no non-productive time doing paperwork, researching, thinking or having lunch), the money from Medicare just covers the Doctor's salary. Where is the provider coming up with the money to cover admin staff, overhead and profit?

Which might lead someone to conclude, the only way medical providers stay in business, is for Primary Care Physicians to "sell" other services. Lab work, tests, procedures, etc.?

I guess it's no big secret why providers are pushing PA's & NP's as doctor replacements.

What am I missing?