Uh....
I am related to a several healthcare professionals, doctors, nurses. I have worked in biotech and pharmaceuticals for 13 years. My sampling was quite random and I stand 100% by what I said. MOST of them way overbill for the services rendered and reduce their costs when you call them on it. Ever look at your insurance bill? Try deciphering what they have coded. Go visit a chiropractor and a regular doctor and see what the differences are in the services provided, and the charge...
Here's some real numbers from my end. My insurance eats the cost on everyone of these.
100 bucks for a 15 minute follow up office visit is B.S., but standard fair for at least 80% of the doctors I've been to.
Charging 500 bucks to show up for a surgery when you don't do anything is garbage too, and $200 for an hour of physical therapy is no joke and the insurance company pays.
They may be good people but they are ripping off the system for every penny and refusing to itemize what they charge for.
As for the quality of care--I did not mean to infer they should lose their license for malpractice. Most doctors are good doctors, but they also are business people who will make as much as they can.
Of the 15 or so doctors in my sample. What I contend is that,,, MORE OFTEN THAN NOT:
1) In general most overate their ability to treat conditions using surgery or medications.
2) Claim to know more than the last guy I went to see.
3) Schedule you for as many office visits as they can reasonably get away with.
On at least 2 occasions performed inadequate diagnostic work before prescribing medication or reccomending surgery, one of which bordered on malpractice.
Maybe it's just me, but I find those numbers really high.
Add to that my surgical experience with nursing assistants who couldn't speak any english and fleas in the hospital bedding, and I guess maybe I'm just a little bit cynical.
I will tell you that I know how to research and understand every bit of clinical data and science for everything that I've had trouble with, and I consider myself a pretty reasonable person. What I'm telling you, is that I have gotten myself into trouble with the healthcare system by listening to a lot of know-it-all doctors---and from reading what you've written, IMO it's a lot worse than you think. |
