my experience of a different healthcare system

[HadEnuff]

My DW broke her thumb on a bike trip a couple of years ago in Sicily. She was treated at a hospital in Catania. She had excellent care and the cost was under 100 euros.

Amazing what other developed countries have been able to accomplish with their health care systems. I suspect the “secret” is single payer.

another secret may be to subsidize education so that providers aren't up to their eyeballs in debt by the time they are earning.

 

[kcowan]

another secret may be to subsidize education so that providers aren't up to their eyeballs in debt by the time they are earning.

Yes education and health are priorities for many of the world democracies. It is considered a cost that all their citizens should support.

 

[stephenson]

My sense is that doctors that have heavy education debt get past that pretty quickly - otherwise they wouldn't live in those really nice houses

 

[Meadbh]

My sense is that doctors that have heavy education debt get past that pretty quickly - otherwise they wouldn't live in those really nice houses

“The Association of American Medical Colleges reports that the average medical school debt balance for graduating physicians in 2015 was $183,000, and is no doubt higher today. Add that burden to their average undergraduate balance of $24,000 and the total average student loan balance for a doctor is $207,000.”

https://lendedu.com/blog/average-medical-school-debt/

Many physicians, particularly specialists, do not earn high salaries until well into their 30s or even 40, depending on the duration of training, which may be 10 or more years after completing medical school. There are many physicians who are still paying off student loans in their 40s. There is also financial pressure on physicians with large debts to enter specialties associated with higher income, for example, surgery. The need for income generates the need to bill for as many procedures as possible.

 

[stephenson]

So, "Billable Hours" (attorneys) becomes "Billable Procedures" (doctors)

 

[Meadbh]

So, "Billable Hours" (attorneys) becomes "Billable Procedures" (doctors)

Yes.

 

[aja8888]

So, "Billable Hours" (attorneys) becomes "Billable Procedures" (doctors)

It works even better for the professional when the client (the patient) can't decipher the codes that are billed to even figure out if he actually was given the procedure/device/medication/etc.

 

[MRG]

It works even better for the professional when the client (the patient) can't decipher the codes that are billed to even figure out if he actually was given the procedure/device/medication/etc.

Actually the people who do the coding many times are guessing at the codes. It's not they don't know or understand, many times their working with legacy systems that have serious limits.

At least it was like that when I was still w*rking. We were selling solutions to many providers and payers.

 

[brett]

I think that it comes down to how the provision of medical care is viewed by a particular jurisdiction.

Some view the delivery of medical care in the same way they view the provision of public safety services, clean water, etc.

Other jurisdictions view it as a consumer product. You shop for it, pay for it. The amount of product and the quality of the product is dependent on how much you can afford or are willing to pay.

 

[Aerides]

I was in the UK I think 2003? (Labor govt at the time, so things may have changed). Had an emergency accident, got taken to the ER. Got stitched up (quite well), cleaned up, tetanus shot, ER bed for several hours while they monitored me for concussion, etc.

No bill, no mention or discussion of payment, no request for ID. I did have to call my own taxi afterwards to get back to my hotel. No one asked if I was a citizen or a tax payer. I kind of faked my way through my old accent being an expat, but probably wasn't fooling anyone. Had it happened in the US even with insurance that would be a few hundred. Without it? Guessing several k.