[FITZ]

Basically people's wages are established based on their worth to others. As a medical professional I have a worth to others in this society that commands so much money for minutes of my time.

I wonder how much medical professionals would make without socialized health care programs like Medicaid and Medicare.

[Dad was my hero]

I have no idea, but I get no income from those sources as I'm not a doctor (nor do I play one on TV).

I can tell you that I have read many articles written by doctors with economics degrees that have said that the institution of Medicare (primarily) has altered the way medicine is practiced and has increased the pressure on private health insurance to pick up some of the problems created by that government run system. Many MDs and DOs I know would rather not participate in that system. (For what it's worth.)

[Ethrane]

"I wonder how much medical professionals would make without socialized health care programs like Medicaid and Medicare."

Medicare pays about 30% of commercial rates, and Medicaid about half that...it doesn't even cover our cost outlays/overhead.

It's kind of complicated...I guess we'd in theory lose the about 20% of our total revenues generated by these programs (which BTW, consumes a lot more than 20% of our time). But then again, I doubt all those seniors would go without health care...some would get private insurance, and some would pay cash.

Kind of hard to tell.