My feeling is that Doctors try to make money by subjecting you to many tests that are not actually required, and direct you to certain labs only to get tested.
2007-02-09 00:16:12 · 5 answers · asked by ninnaajji 1 in Health ➔ Other - Health
Without a doubt doctors over-test. This is because of our malpractice system which forces us to practice defensive medicine. We also have to be accountable to Medical boards for following the 'standard of care', which unfortunately keeps changing as medicine progresses. Is he trying to gouge you for extra cash? Why don't you present the premise to him and take a part in your own health care and see how he responds or replies. If you want cheap medical care, then go to a pharmacy and try treating yourself. Did you know that doctors make less than 15% of all the money spent on health care in the US and they get 90% of the blame for the costs! Some doctors even take offense to such a suggestion that they are trying to gouge patients by upholding the standard of care, so be prepared for his reaction. The state of health care in America has gone crazy thanks to the Government and the insurance companies involvement in your daily lives.
When I first started practicing medicine, A patient without insurance was frequently (usually) treated for free. This was because medicine was somewhat Altruistic towards patient care. Then one day the Federal Government stepped in and said to us, If you don't treat them all for free, We will fine you 50,000 dollars for each infraction! The difference was that before it was a gift and afterwards it was forced labor. This caused most people I know to begin to resent the Government interference.
Then one day they said Medicare is only going to pay you based on the diagnostic group that your patients illness is in, and btw, their private insurance can do the same thing. All the sudden you started getting paid about 50% of what you used to get and in order to keep up you had to pay an insurance clerk a salary and benefits to get enough money to keep up your office overhead.
I finally said to hell with it when I found out that the average attorney get between 200-500 dollars per hour and sees one person and the average doctor gets between 55-100 dollars an hour and has to see 6-8 people in that time span forcing you to spend less time with the patient and more time doing paperwork. This is the norm now and it is unhealthy! It forces you to rely on lab tests and x-rays and not on history and physical exam, which is where 90% of your diagnosis should be made. Further, If you think that the Government getting involved is going to improve things, you are sadly mistaken, remember Katrina? Remember the Red Cross stealing a billion dollars after 9/11 and the government's response (or better lack of response).
I cannot say if your doctor is trying to gouge you or just practice defensive medicine that is the standard of care, but I can say that of all the professions, this one is the most stressful currently.
My solution has been to quit accepting Insurance all together and only charge cash and I don't have any paperwork beyond record keeping and I don't have to answer to the Insurance company nurses and my patients have to take some of the responsibility for health care onto their own backs. Since I charge a flat rate, people are complaining to me how much ancillary services are costing and how much crap they are having to put up with elsewhere and I can spend as much time as needed with each patient and enjoy myself a lot more.
Also if you have insurance then you are being directed to certain labs because the companies only pay for certain labs that they have contracts with, so in some ways it is a big conspiracy, but the doctors have no part in that.
Good Luck!
2007-02-09 00:56:40 · answer #1 · answered by cuban friend 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't completely believe them, I have doubts. Sometimes doctors require you to undergo lab tests that may not be necessary. But I mostly believe that the tests are necessary. Others make you feel nervous. A decade ago, a doctor suggested to do surgery to my right ear, but I strongly objected. It was right for me to feel and listen to body signals and decided that nothing was serious with my bloody ear, the flow was temporary, only a result of misuse of a prescribed medication. I have a normal sense of hearing even now.
2007-02-09 00:45:14 · answer #2 · answered by pearls & lace 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
some doctors have no idea what they are looking for because they are dumb as hell, however they will not try and rob you by giving you erronious tests, every test they give you is important, unless the doc is a dumbass and makes a mistake and accidentally sends you to the wrong lab, but that is very rare. trust your doctor, he/she/it is better educated than u will probably ever be. 10 years of school generally means that they know what they are doing
2007-02-09 00:23:14 · answer #3 · answered by go away 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Too bad you don't know what your talking about.
a night shift x-ray tech
2007-02-09 00:19:49 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
yeah. ok. whatever. do you also think there is a big conspiracy coming to get you?
2007-02-09 00:22:47 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋