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Politics : SI Member Vote 2004/SubjectMarks Only For Bush -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Rarebird who wrote (741)	8/31/2004 7:13:34 PM
From: longnshort	Respond to of 812

In Wyoming you need 100k for insurance just to start your practice, then you have to get customers. Who's got that kind of money in Wyoming, I don't see any rch East Coasters going out there. When those NY doctors are working for nothing, you will see what happens, here in MD they retire at 40-50 and start another career, gov paper work and tort insurance kills them

To: Rarebird who wrote (741)	8/31/2004 7:45:57 PM
From: Carolyn	Respond to of 812

My husband was a doctor. What you don't get is that there are not enough hours in the day to see patients and deal with insurance companies. So you try to take care of the patients and hire someone to deal with the insurance companies. Then your malpractice insurance goes sky high. You cannot afford to pay for that, for your office, and to support yourself. Plus those starting out have to either join a practice or be left hanging - plus pay for their educational bills. It is awful. One can be successful but one has to fall into the right situation.

To: Rarebird who wrote (741)	9/1/2004 9:58:53 AM
From: Cage Rattler	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 812

I’m not sure we really disagree here. Certainly, and thank God, there are dedicated physicians who entered their professions for other than monetary gain. There are reasons beyond monetary gain to explain why most physician enter the profession including academic interest, mental challenge, altruism, etc. I concede to you that monetary motivation is a sorry reason for entering the medical profession. I hear you but do not accept your assertion <<But I see nothing wrong with an Internist or Pediatrician making 70K-75K a year. If they don't like it, let them get a different job.>>, and unfortunately that's what too many are doing. It’s really not a financial problem because they invariably succeed in any field of endeavor. That success is attributed to their higher-than-average mental and academic abilities and drive not millions stashed away. With out demeaning any particular occupation how can you argue that $75K is reasonable compensation for a good practicing physician? Don’t you think physicians are worthy of salaries commensurate with their pre-professional preparation, personal experience, and responsibility. Both the Internists and pediatricians you mention are specialists within the medical professions – they qualified for and completed resident programs and are probably board certified to boot -- start to finish about ten years of preparation. I think that’s worth something. Remember these specialty physicians are on call only 24-7 and responsible for life and death decisions, usually on a daily basis – that’s pressure. I am troubled when some jackass, who contribute nothing to society and less to civilization, like a rap singer, gets on stage and is paid millions for a few incoherent “songs” (sic). Compare that to the contribution-reimbursement ratio of the physicians you used as examples. Now that’s a farce – or at least a matter of priorities until you are seriously ill. Two more points, and there are others that could be argued -- First, because of parasitic professionals like John Edwards and trial lawyers in general that disingenuously fabricate science and generate frivolous claims competent physicians are forced to practice defensive medicine. That undeniably adds to rising health costs and produces nothing worthwhile. I am not saying all malpractice suits are unjustified – let me make that perfectly clear. Who gets blamed for the rising cost not the parasitic trial lawyer, rather the physicians and hospitals. Second, there is the federal (ADC, Medicare) and the private insurance industry with their morass of co-dependent paperwork with regulations and coding procedures that change faster than John Kerrry’s policy positions. It is amazing that any physician would continue to practice for love of money alone, I don’t think either of us believe that. Society has no right to enslave a healthcare provider at sub-standard wages.