Originally Posted by Rainger99 (Post 2456286)

I find these statements amazing. The USA spends more than 50% per person than the second highest country and yet doctors aren’t making that much money.

What are we doing wrong?


1. United States: $12,555
2. Switzerland: $8,049
3. Germany: $7,382
4. Netherlands: $6,753
5. Austria: $6,693

Originally Posted by elle123 (Post 2456147)

It's the insurance companies pushing physcian assistants and nurse practitioners. It's also the insurance industry that's absconding with billions. Privatized Advantage Medicare allows for greater fraud. "Private Advantage Medicare plans are paid based on a "risk score" that correlates with a patient's health. To increase profits, some plans or their contractors exaggerate patients' diagnoses, making them appear sicker than they are to receive higher payments from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)."

In addition, "some health plans and brokers offer illegal incentives to gain enrollment, which violates regulations designed to protect beneficiaries.

Insurers pay brokers illegal kickbacks to steer beneficiaries toward their specific MA plans, rather than recommending the plan that best suits the beneficiary's needs." That's probably what happened in The Villages and explains why the facility rejected regular Medicare.

Originally Posted by BrianL99 (Post 2456107)

The Prevailing Wage for an Electrician in Massachusetts, is $90/hour. $56 in the envelope + $13 Health Benefits + $21 Retirement.

Originally Posted by BrianL99 (Post 2456107)

The Prevailing Wage for an Electrician in Massachusetts, is $90/hour. $56 in the envelope + $13 Health Benefits + $21 Retirement.

Originally Posted by nhkim (Post 2456330)

That's not true. My son is a journeyman electrician in Boston. .

Originally Posted by Rainger99 (Post 2456286)

I find these statements amazing. The USA spends more than 50% per person than the second highest country and yet doctors aren’t making that much money.

What are we doing wrong?


1. United States: $12,555
2. Switzerland: $8,049
3. Germany: $7,382
4. Netherlands: $6,753
5. Austria: $6,693

Originally Posted by jimjamuser (Post 2456317)

It is obvious what we are doing wrong by looking at that list. The US is the only non-National Health Care country. The US has too many middle-men in its system.

Originally Posted by golfing eagles (Post 2456376)

We spend 70% of our health care dollars on people in their last 6 months of life.

Originally Posted by BrianL99 (Post 2456393)

One of the most famous sound bites from that election, was when John Silber said:

".... old people have an obligation to die".

His contention of course, was that we can continue to subsidize "death watches" as we do.

Originally Posted by Greatlawn (Post 2456284)

I don't know this first hand but a friend who consulted small medical practices for efficiency and profitability told me that to break even a primary care physician had to see minimum 32 patients a day. At 15 minutes per appointment that works out to eight hours. Most of my appointments with the Dr are 10 minutes or less. I don't know if they get paid for referrals to specialists or hospitalizations, that would be an interesting subject.

Originally Posted by golfing eagles (Post 2456376)

No, that's not it. Here:

We have a much higher level of technology
We have a population that wants everything done (but doesn't want to pay for it)
We have way too many lawyers and don't cap malpractice awards
We spend 70% of our health care dollars on people in their last 6 months of life.

Originally Posted by BrianL99 (Post 2456393)

Back in 1990, the race for the Mass Governorship, was between 2 very smart men, neither of them experienced politicians. Bill Weld vs John Silber. John Silber was the President of Boston University (the famous school that AOC graduated from).

Silber lost by a hair. One of the most famous sound bites from that election, was when John Silber said:

".... old people have an obligation to die".

His contention of course, was that we can continue to subsidize "death watches" as we do.

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2456526)

Everyone will die. Therefore, everyone has an obligation to die. We can't avoid it, we can't prevent it. It will come, whether we like it or not.

The "when" and the "how" are the unknowns. I think everyone should have the RIGHT to die on their own terms. If someone is in the hospital, with their hearts and lungs being forced to operate via machines, AND that someone has said "this is not what I want for myself when the time comes," then it should be honored. In every state. Further, if they're not being kept alive by machines, but are spending time, space, and money being forced to endure pain and suffering because of terminal end-stage illness, they should have the RIGHT to receive a lethal dose of pain relief if they want it, so they can end their lives in dignity and relative peace.

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2456526)

Everyone will die. Therefore, everyone has an obligation to die. We can't avoid it, we can't prevent it. It will come, whether we like it or not.

Originally Posted by retiredguy123 (Post 2455802)

I also refuse to pay a $25 copay for the physician to call me with test results, which takes about 5 minutes, when I can read the results myself.

Originally Posted by Rainger99 (Post 2456286)

I find these statements amazing. The USA spends more than 50% per person than the second highest country and yet doctors aren’t making that much money.

What are we doing wrong?

Originally Posted by golfing eagles (Post 2456376)

No, that's not it. Here:

We have a much higher level of technology
We have a population that wants everything done (but doesn't want to pay for it)
We have way too many lawyers and don't cap malpractice awards
We spend 70% of our health care dollars on people in their last 6 months of life.

Originally Posted by jimjamuser (Post 2456317)

It is obvious what we are doing wrong by looking at that list. The US is the only non-National Health Care country. The US has too many middle-men in its system.

Originally Posted by Caymus (Post 2456366)

Curios if other countries have more or less malpractice lawsuits.

Originally Posted by golfing eagles (Post 2456425)

And no, physicians are not paid for referrals to specialists

Originally Posted by Pugchief (Post 2456566)

How do you avoid that if it's their policy and refuse to release the info?

Originally Posted by retiredguy123 (Post 2456580)

As I understand it, if you pay for a test, you have a right to the results. Most tests, especially blood tests, are available on the provider's website. Quest and Lake Medical Imaging will always release test results to the patient. But I am happy to make an in-person visit for the physician to discuss test results. But, in the past, the office has wanted to schedule a phone call, including a full office visit charge and copay for the physician to call me. I agreed to that once, and the physician called me more than 2 hours later than the scheduled call time. No apology and no refund, even though I wasn't home when he called. Years ago, I had a physician who would call me with test results and didn't even think about charging me for the call.

Originally Posted by golfing eagles (Post 2456617)

You don't know what someone might do if they got that news over the phone, especially without a chance to fully explain it