Personally I think that the real devil is the insurance companies if you are self employed you better have a perfect bill of health or you are el screwbo.

I have been in medicine since the day I took my first breath of air. The hospitals aren't making the big money, the doctors aren't making the big proportions, and the nurses aren't either. The people making the money are the pharm and instrument manufactures. People can cite the R&D thing all day long but the fact of the matter is that despite all of the huge and often subsidized R&D risks have huge bottom line profits at the end of the year.

The doctors developing the surgerys are usually rewarded with some speaking engagements and their names in the text books the 15 minutes of fame while the instrument manufactures run away with the money. Arthroscopic knee surgery was developed by two doctors as time passed one of the doctors continued to teach and help patients while the other who was also a fine surgeon spent a bit more time selling the instruments. Although both are very well off guess which one is close to a billionaire.

The problem is literally going down peoples throats and in thier ass, not salaries and payrolls that knuckleheads would like to think.

Correct again.

The average doctor is basically an educated working man. They do make a decent living........most over $125K........but everyone forgets the opportunity cost to achieve this and the workload required to maintain it.

The specialists do quite a bit better with a lesser workload.

But, nobody beats the fellow selling the instrument/device/drug. They make out like bandits with a gross margin of greater than 90% on every single item they produce.

Imagine if you could get a 90% gross margin on a new house.

I know first hand of an uneducated Arthroscopic device salesperson that made more money than the guy who actually invented the surgery....that is no BS, 100% for real. Think about how many people benefited by the doc's efforts.

An illegal wetback with a broken arm will get the same treatment at the ER that a rich person, HMO subscriber or privately insured person will get. Only he doesn't have to pay, nor does it concern him that the rest will end up paying for him.

Actually, he does have to pay. The issue is collection of the money from an individual with no assets and without a proper job with a W2 income.

Such people are judgment proof.........and........may be in better shape than a fellow who is 50 years of age without insurance but with a proper job.

Explain to me the part about how "he does have to pay" when it cannot be collected. I'm missing something.

You're simply confusing the requirement to pay a debt with the capability of collecting on a debt owed.

I'll grant you that the outcome might be similar.

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Hi Medmech,

When I hear that, I can only wonder why more US residents are not trying to get into Kanada.
We may have to wait for prceedures, but once you are IN the hospital, all is top knotch.
All you pay for is your bedside TV and cafeteria snacks when you can get out of bed to avoid the "airline food"

The parking lots were privatized at most hospitals... now you pay about $4 an hour to park..
With prices like that, you don't get much company and certainly no flowers.
( Of course, the doctors get to park for free in their segregated Mercedes lot. )

Should I be complaining?

Komrade Ron
from {Kanada)