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Politics : Arnold for Governor! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: 10K a day who wrote (568)	10/10/2003 12:12:58 PM
From: richardred	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 773

Good post- IMO- many citizens don't take into account the cost of doing business. IMO- Being a doctor is more than just treating patients, but running a business to. In my area. Those who don't want to bear the later burden are being recruited to work for a practice in a hospital group. Apart from sole proprietorships, partnerships and sub chapter S corps. Those who do work for companies (like myself)are being forced to bear some of the burden, retirees also. We are also offered choices in medical plans. For those with low doctor visits -higher co-pays, but lower weekly medical deductions. For the opposite, higher weekly deductions, but lower co-pays. Both have similar emergency care. Prescription service is also factored in different plans. Our company (235 employees)eliminated it's pension plan many years ago. Personal monies involved were doled out to be rolled over into another qualified plan. We now have our 401-K and profit sharing as our nest egg at work. Of course individuals can still contribute to and IRA within IRS guidelines. In my case. The company matches our contributions with 35 cents on the dollar up to 6% our gross pay. Gov't threshold limits for those making big dollars. It's also will make a profit sharing contribution to a profit sharing plan if targets are meet. Just within the last two years. We now have gain sharing. When the company reaches over its reasonable return (8 % in our case) (industrial)we share some upside on a sliding scale up to 11%. A check is cut for all individuals every three months(equals amount)if profit warrants it. I don't know if this a trend, but it does offer an incentive.

To: 10K a day who wrote (568)	10/10/2003 12:21:03 PM
From: Dr. Voodoo	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 773

Would you like me to show you the bills? 176 FREAKING US DOLLARS PER FREAKING PT VISIT. THIS IS NOT WORKERS COMP!!!!! and YOU ARE WRONG. You forgot the $40 for a heat pack, $60 for EMS.... $10 because I'm ugly.... It all adds up dood, and NO, I'm not wrong, and YES the prevailing rate = 66-69 bucks, but the insurance company paid. My PT ate up my $1500 limit in less than 2 months and tried to stick me with the rest. I go to a chiropractor now who charges me 35 bucks a visit..... He went to school twice as long as the PT'st and owns all the overhead. He charges 35 bucks, because that's what the insurance company will pay. Because the PT'st worked out of an orthopedists office, he can charge what he wants after surgery. So go take a flying leap, you are talking out of yours. I KNOW WHAT A REAL PT CHARGES SO READ THE ENTIRE FREAKING CONVERSATION BEFORE YOU LEAP IN WITH A DUMB COMMENT.

To: 10K a day who wrote (568)	10/10/2003 1:19:49 PM
From: Dr. Voodoo	Respond to of 773

Sorry for the anger in the last post, but no I'm not pulling the numbers out of thin air, my backend or any other orfice and pardon if I get a little cranky when you try to call me a liar. Any amount of money you would like to wager to see the PT bills, I would be happy to oblige. I'll even give you the address of my orthopedist if you'd like to call him yourself. I also understand that reimbursment rates have not gone up for medicare and medical etc and workers comp, and yes I know how billing works, which is why I am here raising hell right now, because I know what the prevailing costs are and I know what is being paid. The same $176 service under a different health plan at UCLA costs $55. Why is it my freaking job to have to shop around for healthcare rates when insurance companies require a referral????? You may know what what many doctors charge, but I've got the paper right here to prove what I'm talking about and in my hands more often than not, I am getting overbilled, because I have insurance that pays everything. Now if you want to tell me I should eat the costs for people who can't pay out of my insurance costs, subsidize workers comp and medicare, I'm still going to tell you to take a flying leap, and that's what's making the system open for abuse. People are not making up rising healthcare costs and it's not all old folks boozing it up on viagra and claritin. Companies have been trimming their healthcare benefits every 2 or 3 years( I have been in CA about 8 years now). It's not like we're talking sacrificing basic care... but stuff like vision and dental have meant more out of pocket. Limits on chiropractic and pt, etc. All of these are getting trimmed, and the size of the pie keeps getting bigger. Why? I'll tell you my family doc is absolutely fantastic, but he charges whatever he can get. The costs aren't rising because of medicare, and workers comp. They're rising because doctors push the envelope of what the insurance company will pay at every chance, and the insurance company can pass this cost along in premiums to business owners and raise the bottom line. Oh and just so we get our facts straight, workers compensation insurance is different from typical medical insurance. Workers comp is for when you get hurt on the job. Employers are required in most states to pay workers compensation insurance and it it tightly regulated, hence the cost controls. I didn't see medical insurance benefits listed, so I guess you don't provide them. Thats ok, most of the doctors I know don't pay their employees premiums either, I mean at a couple K per month for a girl to run ur office why pay?But hey, if they get sick and it costs them 11 grand for surgery, you can just get another employee right?? If you were paying your employees 70-80 K you'd play hell getting any without medical insurance.