Quote:
Originally Posted by AXiDTrish
I work for a health insurance company, albeit a smaller one (not an Aetna or United), and believe me we are NOT rolling in dough. Our benefits are less then many of the groups we cover and we as employees have the same concerns about our employment as other companies. Insurance companies aren't innocent by any means, but they aren't all bad either.
What infurates me:
1. Ambulance chasing lawyers and their frivolous, ridulous law suits!
2. Collections agencies that buy accounts from doctors who have left their practice and then collect inappropriately! Seriously, I really hate collectors!
3. Doctor's and hospitals who think they should be paid astronomical amounts. I definitely think they should be paid fairly, but for Pete's sake, just because you went to medical school doesn't mean your entitled to a fortune! DISCLAIMER: This does not apply to every doctor, but there are some doozies out there who have enormous ego's and are total a$$holes!
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I think this is a rarity. Doctors are generally paid an average across an area. We can bill whatever we want, but the insurance companies pay what they have set as the fee for service. Don't forget that the amount that is collected by a physician doesn't all go to the physician, also. For most physicians, this pays for their overhead, including office space, staff, insurance for their staff, medical liability insurance, etc. before it goes towards a physician's salary. For example, a surgeon can spend three hours doing a sigmoid colectomy for colon cancer. He/she will be reimbursed less than $3000 for the procedure which includes the surgery and 3 months of follow-up care including any complications. That is very little money for the time involved, not to mention the education or the 6 years of residency at 100+ hours/week of near slave labor. There are very few specialties in medicine where a doctor can make a fortune anymore....most don't involve insurance companies! Before you blame your doctor for the state of medicine, stop and ask yourself how much you'd want to be compensated for 20 years of education and a minimum of 3 years of post-graduation apprenticeship with up to 80 hours/wk (now regulated by the federal government) work hours for about $6 an hour just to work 70-90 hour work weeks when you go into private practice? Some physicians barely make $90,000 a year and have over $100,000 in student loans. I'm lucky to have picked a field with a shortage of physicians that has a growing need and good reimbursement, but who knows how long that will last. I'm compensated because no one else can do the job I do.