I work ina doctors office. So I'll easily answer your questions.
At 6/30/08 02:54 PM, PrespectBlock wrote:
First off this not a thread on what type of healthcare system is better (nothing to do with insurance (unless relevant) or universal healthcare v.s privatized systems).
I hear that healthcare costs are high and rising a rate quite a bit more inflation (first question: is this true or not). The second question is, why if this is true, is it so?
Of course. Inflation effects everything. When the doctor order supplies, since the American dollar is weaking in other countries, it takes more dollars to purchase those supplies. Not to mention gas prices, cost of start up, licensing and everything else.
Is it actually due to the underlying costs of providing healthcare
YES. Unless you actually deal with patients. You don't fully understand how much money it takes to treat individuals.
Is mal-practice insurance to blame (alot of people on the internet seem to think so)
Part of it. Yes, you gotta have it, and is always going up. So to compensate and stay in business, gotta either cut costs, or raise prices to the patients.
Is there a shortage of medical professionals, or have they started to work less (there was a cbc doc pointing to younger doctors less willing to work has much as predecessors)
It's not there is less physical doctors, just there are less doctors to at certain prices or certain insurances. Government medicaid and medicare sometimes barely pay over 50% for a claim.
For instance, if I file a 235 medical office visit. After going through red tape, following procedures and everything. AT MOST that will be collected under normal circumstances is only around 110. So basically less than 50% of the costs to treat patient is actually paid. That reason is why alot of doctors are not acceptaing medcaid or medicare patients simply because it is not profitable to have them. Yes, there are millions of people who those type of government/state inusrances, but if keeping them is costing you money. It is better to only appeal to the working, private pay citizens and let the lesser financial population find other means.
Is insurance to blame (reducing competition in the market, or being evil greedy corperation or any other way
Always, Insurances are out to make money. The more money they give away, the less they earn. But, at least private insurances are more willing to pay more than government insurances. Thus making them more desireable to have in your practice.
Are labour cost too high (they have started to outsource healthcare, because it is alot cheaper, main component being lower labour cost in other countries)
Don't know what you mean by too high. Just, if your a person in great need of care, can you put a price on yourself to much it should take to treat you? Imagine diabetics who have blood pressure problems, how much can you say per hour does it take to treat them? How little should people pay for doctors to take care of elderly who have no extra income and only government insurances such as disability?
Besides, how much should you pay to go see a specialists? Cardiologist, nymphrologist and all other types of specialists aren't cheap. Government requires them to have certain qualifcations and maintain certain equipment. And naturally, equipment isn't cheap. So sometiems it's not the labor costs that is high, but what knowledgeve/expertise is what high. YeaH, you can shrimp at captain D's, but if you want the best shrimp or require certain kinds, gotta pay more for the Red Lobster.
Is gov regulation to blame
Always. Soo much red tape, paper to go through. Much of which is seemingly unneccessary. Plus government officials always making new laws.
Or is the inflation of other things (drugs, gas)
Always.
I also want to know what hopital margins are and the actual (break down) costs of providing care. How exactly does a surgery or a couple weeks stay in the hospital cost tens of thousands of dollars.
lol, obv. You don't know. If someone is performing heart surgery help a person live. You don't think thats not worth a couple of thousands dollars. I mean, most people only get on heart.
Basically like this. You first have to pay the hospital to do all the paper work, pay for the people to put in the paper. Pay for your rooms. Pay the nurses who take care of you. Nurses are in very high demand and shortage. Nurses easily make up to 40,000 year just for a BA. 50,000 for a masters.
Then, you gotta pay a surgion and his team. Gotta pay for all the blood your gonna use. Gotta pay for equipment. Gotta pay for all the cottonballs, gauzes, suters. Oh, lets not forget the anesthicologist (fuck spelling) he has a about 4 degrees and requires a certain amount. Then you gotta pay for the drugs, IV fluids. All the needles, the depreciation of the equipment.
NOw, after your surgety. Someone has come in and clean up the mess. So now gotta pay for the janitor, the water, cleaners.
Surgery is finished, gotta pay for more drugs, antibiotics, pain killers. Electricity, water. A person is using up resources.
So you think all that is only worth a couple of hundred? Seriously, 200 dollars isn't even enough for a doctor to even think about looking at you.
