Re: Lawyers and Cyclists Can Mix - Not Just on Serottas/Parl
Posted: Thu May 31, 2012 4:21 am
Are you talking about physicians in the US? Where did you get that pie chart from?
The average physician here in the US will ask for your medical insurance card. To which he/she is happy to bill to.
There is a rather large pause if you say you are not covered by insurance. It's like "Ooooh you don't have coverage". You can see the office assistants face cringe.
The patient pays the co-pay anywhere from 10$-35$ per visit.
So here is how a routine check up goes?
Patient presents insurance card?
Patient pays co-pay 10-35$ It's up to $45 for a specialist (anything other than a general doctor)
The nurse checks your vital signs: blood pressure, heart rate etc
The doctor comes in reviews vital signs on sheet or iPad, asks a few questions on your history,
The doctor prescribes a standard blood test for cholesterol, lipids etc.
Then there is the urine test.
All in all the visit is about 10-15 minutes.
Total cost to patient with insurance is 10-45$ plus the lab work another 35$ plus any miscellaneous pills he might prescribe for blood pressure, cholesterol etc. This would be another 10-20$ for the pills which you will take daily with monthly refills.
Now if you did not have coverage this routine visit would easily cost you 300$ plus not counting the pills.
Of which you may or may not need. Or at least you may need temporarily while you get better. To which then you should be off the meds and resume normal life through good diet and exercise. Right?
But here is the clincher. The drug business is really big. And physicians here do get a cut of this business.
It is common for elderly patients to be placed on a drug regimen. Where by medications become an essential part of their life from then on.
I do question this type of standard practice by physicians on every level.
More patients on drug equals more $$$. So then this scenario looks more like a business model and less like a the good physician wanting to make your life better. And if it's a business well then you can bet someone is going to get the short end of the stick.
I don't know if I have a skewed view of what we call "patient care" here in the US but this is the way it looks to me at least here in the good old US of A.
Now getting beck to this topic. Whether you hold a degree or not is irrelevant. It is also irrelevant to the type of profession you are in. Anyone that has the money regardless of how they got it can ride the expensive bike if they choose to do so. Its about your priorities in life. This person might like to spend that 15K on the bike rather than the car. This other person might want to spend that 15K on a entertainment system rather then a bike.
The average physician here in the US will ask for your medical insurance card. To which he/she is happy to bill to.
There is a rather large pause if you say you are not covered by insurance. It's like "Ooooh you don't have coverage". You can see the office assistants face cringe.
The patient pays the co-pay anywhere from 10$-35$ per visit.
So here is how a routine check up goes?
Patient presents insurance card?
Patient pays co-pay 10-35$ It's up to $45 for a specialist (anything other than a general doctor)
The nurse checks your vital signs: blood pressure, heart rate etc
The doctor comes in reviews vital signs on sheet or iPad, asks a few questions on your history,
The doctor prescribes a standard blood test for cholesterol, lipids etc.
Then there is the urine test.
All in all the visit is about 10-15 minutes.
Total cost to patient with insurance is 10-45$ plus the lab work another 35$ plus any miscellaneous pills he might prescribe for blood pressure, cholesterol etc. This would be another 10-20$ for the pills which you will take daily with monthly refills.
Now if you did not have coverage this routine visit would easily cost you 300$ plus not counting the pills.
Of which you may or may not need. Or at least you may need temporarily while you get better. To which then you should be off the meds and resume normal life through good diet and exercise. Right?
But here is the clincher. The drug business is really big. And physicians here do get a cut of this business.
It is common for elderly patients to be placed on a drug regimen. Where by medications become an essential part of their life from then on.
I do question this type of standard practice by physicians on every level.
More patients on drug equals more $$$. So then this scenario looks more like a business model and less like a the good physician wanting to make your life better. And if it's a business well then you can bet someone is going to get the short end of the stick.
I don't know if I have a skewed view of what we call "patient care" here in the US but this is the way it looks to me at least here in the good old US of A.
Now getting beck to this topic. Whether you hold a degree or not is irrelevant. It is also irrelevant to the type of profession you are in. Anyone that has the money regardless of how they got it can ride the expensive bike if they choose to do so. Its about your priorities in life. This person might like to spend that 15K on the bike rather than the car. This other person might want to spend that 15K on a entertainment system rather then a bike.