i have recently learned the main reason for the high costs of doctor visits in this country. ready gene, it is because of Medicaid/Medicare.


an example.

before there was Medicaid/Medicare. the doctors in Dallas where charging 20 dollars a visit.

how ever the doctors in Waco where taking chickens for pay.


when Medicaid/Medicare came out they told all of the doctors that they would pay 20 per visit. so the doctor in Waco stopped taking chickens and started charging 20 per visit to everybody.

every year Medicaid/Medicare funding goes up an automatic 3%(or what ever the real percent is). this means that doctors are getting a pay raise of 3% every year. ie the price to go and see a doctor is going up fast.


the reason that medicines cost so much in this country and not in Canada is because, every other country on the planet has a profit cap on medicines. the people who make the medicines are in it to make a profit. partly so they can use that profit to come up with better medicines. and since the USA is the only country where they can make a real profit. they have to charge enough to make up for the lack of profit from the rest of the world.


in other words we are partly paying for the medicines in Canada.
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on Jan 08, 2008

every year Medicaid/Medicare funding goes up an automatic 3%(or what ever the real percent is). this means that doctors are getting a pay raise of 3% every year. ie the price to go and see a doctor is going up fast.


Daniel, do you personally know of any doctors whose main income is from Medicaid/Medicare?
on Jan 08, 2008
Daniel, do you personally know of any doctors whose main income is from Medicaid/Medicare?


no

however


the doctors at the va receive their income completely from the va.


but that does not mean that they can't or don't use it as a way to measure how much they should charge for a visit.


on Jan 08, 2008


but that does not mean that they can't or don't use it as a way to measure how much they should charge for a visit.


I'm not talking about how much they charge for a visit I'm talking about your statement regarding doctors getting 3% raises each year from Medicaid/Medicare. That's my point. These doctors get paid very little from them.
on Jan 08, 2008
I'm not talking about how much they charge for a visit I'm talking about your statement regarding doctors getting 3% raises each year from Medicaid/Medicare. That's my point. These doctors get paid very little from them.




you are right, but the doctors tend to raise their prices every year by the same amount. Medicaid or no Medicaid. at least that is what I think is happening.
on Jan 08, 2008
The other part of that problem is, Medicare/Medicaid will only pay $20, even if the cost to the clinic is $40. So, just like we are subsidizing the rest of the worlds medicines (at least the ones made in the USA), insurance and out of pocket payers are subsidizing medicare/medicaid patients.
on Jan 08, 2008
just like we are subsidizing the rest of the worlds medicines (at least the ones made in the USA),



and all of them that sell meds in the usa
on Jan 08, 2008
you are right, but the doctors tend to raise their prices every year by the same amount. Medicaid or no Medicaid. at least that is what I think is happening.


Agreed however it isn't the doctors that are getting that increase.
on Jan 08, 2008
what isn't the medicaid increase. or their own increase.


understand I am not saying that the doctors don't need or deserve the increase. I am sure some of them do.
on Jan 08, 2008
understand I am not saying that the doctors don't need or deserve the increase.


Daniel, did you even read? I just told that it is not the doctors that receive this increase. That means although the copay or others may increase but the doctors are not getting all of this increase. They get very little. They do not get this increase of funds. It matters not whether you think they deserve it or not but they are not getting this money. Medicaid/Medicare dictates what the doctors get.

Did ya get it that time?
on Jan 08, 2008

you are right, but the doctors tend to raise their prices every year by the same amount. Medicaid or no Medicaid. at least that is what I think is happening.

Most companies raise their prices by about 3% due to that being considered the standard increase in cost of living per year.

However, if this is what you are thinking is raising medical costs, I don't buy it.

Medical Insurance rates raise way more than 3% a year.  Why is that?  It's due to liability.  Doctors have to be greatly insured against lawsuits.  The cost of their insurance and operating expenses raise more than 3% a year.  They also have to perform unneeded tests on people to rule out everything prior to diagnosis.  If they don't, they risk getting their butt sued.

Medicare/Medicaid does play a roll in determining the going rate for services, but it is not as you would think.  They are the baseline that insurance companies look at to determine what they will cover and what the going rate should be.  Some pay more than that with their insurance, but not a lot pay less.

Most of the time, however, Dr's rates are higher than what they except through different insurances or through Medicare/Medicaid, so they hardly ever get paid their actual rate.  Medicare/Medicaid may have played a roll in the beginning of the raising insurance rates, but it is very doubtful that they are a big player in it now.

on Jan 08, 2008
Actually, everything that seperates the customer from paying for the services contributes to the high cost of medical care. So does everything that artificially increases the cost of providing medical care.

Separating the customer from pay for services directly takes all the market forces out of the price. If the market was based on what the customers are willing and able to pay, prices would have to be lower. If the service providers didn't have to cover so many artificial costs of doing business, their prices could be much lower.

In other words, every time we place an artificial "fix" on our system, we are only making the problem worse.
on Jan 09, 2008
i am so glad there are so many perfect people on joe-user that don't make mistakes like little-whip.


she is ready to kill any celeb. if they make any mistakes.

ready to condemn people who have legal charges brought against them. with out proof.
on Jan 09, 2008
she is ready to kill any celeb. if they make any mistakes.


Apparently you didn't read her article.
on Jan 10, 2008
Apparently you didn't read her article.


Para, he reads them it's his comprehension that we question.
on Jan 10, 2008
little-whip is right this stuff shouldn't be on this thread it should be on the other thread..

I didn't make sure which thread I was on sorry.


please reserve any comments on this thread to medical costs.


please put all attacks or what ever on the other thread.
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