I have a link to a study that debunks the malpractice claim. Its basic claim is that insurance overall leaped in the times that malpractice insurance leaped, because all insurance companies make their money on investments. so when the overall market is not returning as much on investment, all insurance rates jump. they have a few charts to back this up. They also match the the amount of money paid out during these period. The number of malpractice payments to doctors fell 16,682 in 01 to 14,441 in 04. The 04 number of actual payouts in 04 is only 5% higher than payouts in 91. * from source Now, this doesn't refute that fact that Malpractice Insurance is a leading cost inbeded in healthcare costs, it refutes the claim that more people are suing. but these number are interesting, unfortunately this is from 06, no recent data.
Batman: None of my business...but...is your portion of the bill $4500!? Vs a total charge of $8000 in Europe? Or is the hospital asking you to pay a part of the bill and seek reimbursement from the insurance later? I'm not impressed with your insurance coverage. Best of luck. Wouldn't wish what you're going through on my worst enemy.
The 8K in Europe is meant to be reimbursed by my carrier. It's "only" the $4,500 they're asking me to pay -- $2,250 of which was supposed to be cash up front or they would withhold the surgery. I got it down to $1,500 and my father covered it for me since I don't have that money lying around. According to fmullegun, I am therefore counting on the rest of the country to cover me even though I have insurance.
p.s. In case I wasn't clear, yes the $4,500 is to be paid by me with no reimbursement from the insurance company. $1,500 is surgery deductible and the rest is 20% of total expenses up to a certain point. I should be able to get the whole thing reimbursed if the Amsterdam cops ever catch the ******* who hit me and drove away, but I don't hold out a lot of hope for that happening.
Why not just edit your post seeing as you are a contributing member? P.S. Your coverage sucks. I wonder how much you and your employer pay for you to have that coverage. Not that I think mine is any better.
You're no deadbeat, Batman. A Beatnik -- maybe? The $4500 number shocks me if you'll end up out of pocket this amount. That was really my point. Was the total cost so much greater in the states that your percentage was so high -- or is your coverage quite poor (IMO) or am I misunderstanding the $4500 figure. EDIT -- I see you answered! DAMN! Might have been cheaper to stay in Amsterdam! Get well Caped One.
You cannot make it through 1 semester of medical school without having a background in biology/chemistry or premed. This is required knowledge so that you can understand the human body
yeah I have to go to the Dr. to get allergy meds every year when I know exactly what I need. Just let me buy the spray and be done with it. The Dr. visit only takes like 5 minutes and most of that is chat though. It does suck to have to drive down there during a workday though. Oh yeah Batman I forgot you are on my ignore list. Nothing against you, but you slammed me with personal insults a few months ago I think and I have pretty thin skin for that stuff. When I addressed you I mean for you to talk to the guy saying USA healthcare sucks or whatever.
There are plenty of other countries where medical students study four years and become doctor. Including many who are practicing in the US. You can learn biology and chemistry in medical school. Make grad medical programs if you like. Why do they need all these other course work that they will never use?
Are you joking? You think all a doctor does is read an EKG? I hope you are kidding around and Major...you say that they are telling us it could be 1.5 trillion dollars over 10 years. do you really think the us gov't has any idea? do you really think they have a clue as to real costs? they still don't even have the details worked out yet. and when was the last time the us gov't was even CLOSE when they talked about how much something would cost? I am all for everyone getting the medical care they desperately need, but this is a horrible proposal. I mean, if we have a gov't healthcare system, why would any company who pays for health insurance continue to do so? That means we end up funding everyone, and paying next to nothing to dr's and hospitals, which means no more dr's or hospitals...
when was the last time they ran a medical program that provided good care and was run at budget. The crap they pull in the VA hospitals is disgusting.
It weeds more potential applicants out, and it isn't that undergrad that kills potential doctors financially. Its the med school and interning thats killer. Undergrad degrees also protect those who can't hack it in medical school, and also lead to decisions on what type of medicine they want to enter. Many actually switch to nursing or pharmacy during this time.
Once again, you are wrong. My wife is a doctor...a pathologist. I think she might know a little better than you do. And of the countries where all you need is 4 years of school and you are an MD, where do they rank on healthcare? Also, you are a doctor after 4 years of med school in the US as well. You just have to do a residency in a subspecialty so that you can practice. A brain surgeon has a 12 year residency...so you are telling me that someone with a liberal arts degree can go to medical school for 4 years, simultaneously be taught the basics of biology and chemistry and come out and start opening up people's brains to remove tumors??????? I really think you have no idea what you are talking about (and I wouldn't either if I wasn't married to a MD and didn't interact with them a lot)
The combination of an aging population and advancing medical technology with ever more powerful drugs is probably one of the big reasons. A friend of mine who is a cardiologist in New York once told me he would treat patients in their 80s or 90s for heart problems, use whatever drugs to keep them alive, stay in ICU for several days which cost a lot of money. Then in a couple of month the same patient would come back again, sometimes with a different problem. As people live longer, the health care cost just goes up exponentially.
Many countries have longer life expectancies than Americans and their health care cost are half what ours are. I understand where the longer you live the more you will pay makes sense but we also have many examples of other systems that do better for much less.
Yes, we should get the cost down but I am not going to hold my breath for it. Too many powerful interest group won't let that happen. I just hope I die of a quick heart attack someday when I am old.
