Posted on 04/15/2014 5:13:58 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Nine of 10 doctors discourage others from joining the profession, and 300 physicians commit suicide every year. When did it get this bad?
By the end of this year, it’s estimated that 300 physicians will commit suicide. While depression amongst physicians is not new—a few years back, it was named the second-most suicidal occupation—the level of sheer unhappiness amongst physicians is on the rise.
Simply put, being a doctor has become a miserable and humiliating undertaking. Indeed, many doctors feel that America has declared war on physicians—and both physicians and patients are the losers.
Not surprisingly, many doctors want out. Medical students opt for high-paying specialties so they can retire as quickly as possible. Physician MBA programs—that promise doctors a way into management—are flourishing. The website known as the Drop-Out-Club—which hooks doctors up with jobs at hedge funds and venture capital firms—has a solid following. In fact, physicians are so bummed out that 9 out of 10 doctors would discourage anyone from entering the profession.
It’s hard for anyone outside the profession to understand just how rotten the job has become—and what bad news that is for America’s health care system. Perhaps that’s why author Malcolm Gladwell recently implied that to fix the healthcare crisis, the public needs to understand what it’s like to be a physician. Imagine, for things to get better for patients, they need to empathize with physicians—that’s a tall order in our noxious and decidedly un-empathetic times.
(Excerpt) Read more at thedailybeast.com ...
Many have quit or are quitting.
Since I’m an OldPossum, I have had contact with Medicare-accepting doctors. Fortunately, I live within driving distance to Charlottesville, Virginia, home to many quality doctors. So, I have not had to deal with foreign doctors. I’m sure they’re out there, but I have no experience with them.
The problem is getting enough business, I have one friend and one acquaintance that have tried and gone bust. I looked into it myself about 7 years ago, capital costs were outrageous and recurrent cost were very high, I decided to continue working for the man for the time being.
One of my worst experiences as a Neurology Resident at Charity Hospital - New Orleans, was a 7 day old infant, shaken to death by their “Father” with the Mother making excuses for him, in my presence. The infants brain had taken on the texture of tapioca pudding...
One of two times I permitted Murder into this Heart.
Thanks.
I live in a semi-rural area that is within spitting distance of two large cities, so I think because of the density of population, it may be easier here.
Also, our state “reformed” health insurance some years ago, and we've been living with Deathcare-like rates for a long time. I took my company to a high-deductible plan with an HSA a long time ago, so we've had over a decade for the health economy in our region to “mature” to a point where concierge medicine is more on par with regular health insurance, cost-wise.
I suspect that if Deathcare isn't repealed or dramatically altered, this model will become increasingly appealing, because the costs for Deathcare will exceed the costs of this model. Alternatively, if folks were to wake up, we'd find that it'd be a good idea to replace Deathcare with a legal infrastructure that supported and encouraged this model.
sitetest
Mission accomplished. The lefties have had a death wish for evil profiteering doctors. It just is so cruel that they get paid for their decades oftraining and education. Obama demonized tgem for years and now stomped the life out of them with Obamacare. Docs will continue to be his punching bag strawman until the day Obama dies.
As was noted in the original article, what Obamacare does is codify a highly dysfunctional system into law. My own estimate is that if the gov't hadn't been involved in screwing up health care for decades, medical care in the US would cost half as much and be twice as effective. (Note to self, go to kitchen and get another bottle of water.)
They pay out of pocket, then seek reimbursement from the insurance companies themselves.
This takes the burden off the doctor and puts it where it belongs, as an issue to be worked out between a patient and their insurance company.
It used to be the case that you paid the doctor. My father still has a doctor's bill from when he was born that my grandfather paid. The entire cost of delivering a child at that time was $17.50. That was in 1937.
The problem is when it's the doctor that has to deal with the insurance company, they have no leverage. All they can do it send a bill to the customer for whatever the insurance refused to pay and hope that the customer pays it.
Fighting with insurance company's and patients over payment is very stressful, costly, and time consuming. By making this one change, a doctor can transform his practice from one he hates to one he once again loves.
Will some people not want to deal with this? sure! and they are free to go get in line with the cattle at the hospital, but those who want to be treated in a timely manner by someone they know and trust will gladly take this deal.
Very interesting. Of course, if you are not healthy or you have a long-term condition (i.e. diabetes; heart disease; cancer), your insurance company might actually want you to switch companies. For somebody who is healthy however, this would definitely be the way to go.
I decided I’m going to call the outfit that provided the professional “services rendered” and tell them that I don’t remember them being present because if I did have $1,018 worth of “professional services” in 1.5 hours and survived I would jolly well remember it and be back for more!
And your practice will likely be restricted to coughs, sore throats, bruises, ring worm and warts........anything else you'll probably be referring out........LOL!
And your income will likely be in the $30K range............
I would.......considering what my nephew went thru and the years of training to become a certified Harvard trained Thorasic Surgeon, he should have become an electrician............
He would have had almost 20 years of experiencing life, making good money and having fun while raising a family...
It wasn't until about 4 years ago, at the age of 38, when he finished up his Harvard fellowship at Mass. General in Boston and was able to finally come home and take on a permanent job as a thorasic surgeon with the Beaumont Hospital group.
That was all fine and good but he's working 6 days a week with sometimes 16 hours a day in surgery and on call when he's not working........That's not a life I would want............
And all the doctors I know that do this are worth north of 10 million, and have all the patients they wish.
I can not understand why you and others deny this to be true. Apparently you think no one has money to pay doctors? because I hate to inform you but people pay large amounts out of pocket for medical procedures all the time that are not covered by insurance, medicare or medicaid. Procedures such as face lifts, tummy tucks, lasik eye surgery, liposuction, hair transplants, and hair removal are never covered by insurance, and other treatments like In vitro fertilization or needed care for pets are rarely covered. And most people dont have dental insurance and must pay out of pocket. The list goes on and on.
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