Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
This is related to why local practices have mostly all been swallowed up by big corporations like Northwell, NYU Langone, etc. For one thing, they can then self-insure, which may be cheaper than buying insurance, and have the assets to back it up (which perhaps only a catastrophic umbrella policy to cover very large cases that could seriously financially damage the company - many smaller hospitals have closed due to this).
For another, it's just not practical for solo or small practices to deal with both the malpractice insurance costs and having to hire an entire billing department to fight with the health insurance companies. Being part of a larger company allows you to negotiate better rates with the health insurers, and having the manpower to claw back the procedures they deny payment on.
Of course, we all suffer from this, since overall these large companies provide far worse care than you would have gotten 20 years ago with a skilled small practice.
Having worked in a small private practice over 30 years ago, I don't dispute malpractice playing a role, but I also assign part of their demise to the rise of HMOs. Each year, the practice lost patients as their employers switched from traditional health insurance (where the patient would submit their receipt for 80% reimbursement) to low copay HMO options. The doctor went through all the hoops to become an in network HMO provider. When he was accepted, it was like he made a deal with the devil. Reimbursement was a fraction of his fee (worse than Medicare), he was forced to give up his in office lab (patients had to utilize an in network lab - like LabCorp. Billing was sent from our office to a medical billing group, along with payroll.
In essence, the loss of income caused by the HMO agreement made it that much more difficult to keep up with malpractice insurance. The doctor wound up bringing a second doctor into the practice to extend hours and see more patients per hour. I was in the area last year and noticed that my former employer has been absorbed by Northwell.
Having worked in a small private practice over 30 years ago, I don't dispute malpractice playing a role, but I also assign part of their demise to the rise of HMOs. Each year, the practice lost patients as their employers switched from traditional health insurance (where the patient would submit their receipt for 80% reimbursement) to low copay HMO options. The doctor went through all the hoops to become an in network HMO provider. When he was accepted, it was like he made a deal with the devil. Reimbursement was a fraction of his fee (worse than Medicare), he was forced to give up his in office lab (patients had to utilize an in network lab - like LabCorp. Billing was sent from our office to a medical billing group, along with payroll.
In essence, the loss of income caused by the HMO agreement made it that much more difficult to keep up with malpractice insurance. The doctor wound up bringing a second doctor into the practice to extend hours and see more patients per hour. I was in the area last year and noticed that my former employer has been absorbed by Northwell.
The vast majority of doctors are overpaid prescription writers.
The only doctors worth their pay are surgeons, anesthetists, and a small sliver of specialists who are actually good at their job.
The AMA is a cartel so a profession which was always upper middle class turned into a cash grab.
What’s funny is that most dentists are actually more useful than most doctors but make crap pay compared to MD/DOs.
Who would want to be doctors? Only morons.
He has to study hard to get straight A and cannot get drunk on weekends, he has to pass numerous tests to get into medical schools and has to do well, neglecting his social life and sleep. Then with all these massive school debts piling up they have to do internships and residencies for 5 years of further training.
Then when you get sick or have an accident, the guy who determines your next quality of life or who determines how to make you continue to live is a moron because you don't think he deserves to be paid better than plumbers. In other words, you will get what you pay for.
Surgeons make more than 350k. If they didn't botch so many people up the premiums wouldn't be so high. If Insurance companies walls could talk there be a strong case that many shouldn't even be practicing. They have too many lawsuits.
Who would want to be doctors? Only morons.
He has to study hard to get straight A and cannot get drunk on weekends, he has to pass numerous tests to get into medical schools and has to do well, neglecting his social life and sleep. Then with all these massive school debts piling up they have to do internships and residencies for 5 years of further training.
Then when you get sick or have an accident, the guy who determines your next quality of life or who determines how to make you continue to live is a moron because you don't think he deserves to be paid better than plumbers. In other words, you will get what you pay for.
You really think that people who want to be doctors are morons?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
