The Richest Doctors? Guess!

OT - just a comment for high cost of hospitals and tests.  Keep in mind you want a hospital that uses the latest and best technology advances and instrumentation available.  It costs MONEY!!  Many hospitals actually lease instruments and equipment but purchase the reagents, etc to run the equipment. They would never be able to afford purchasing and then be stuck with outdated equipment and methodologies.  A clinical laboratory has many different specialty areas to support blood and other specimen testing.  Each of these sub-departments use unique instrumentation, reagents, quality control samples specific to that dept.  Think of the diversity of laboratory tests available today which were not available 10 years ago.

Now regarding the Pharma companies - - $1400 for 3 month supply of Femara is just plain greed!  The research has already been done and the drug approved and generic available.  Why not make the price more competitive against the generic and maybe more patients will stay on it.

Crooks = Insurance companies 

  Sorry - - I did wander off topic......

You'd have to pay me far more than several hundred thousands to work in a specialty where half of my patients die slow, miserable deaths. I don't think I'd want a job in which half of my calls could come from hospice.

My poor mother nearly had a heart attack the last time she accompanied me to my six-month checkup with my onc, who treats all forms of cancer. The front desk kept paging him for calls that you could tell were near-death cases.

Yes, I do believe these people would not earn so much money if there were a cure - that's only logical, because if there were a cure doctors wouldn't have to be juggling a million chemo agents, radiation protocols and trials for Stage IV patients, for example. The trial and error method of trying to keep someone alive demands a lot of resources. 

BUT that doesn't mean doctors who treat cancer don't want a cure. Most healers are not really motivated by money but by pride, for good and bad.  It is uplifting for most physicians to be able to deliver a cure. Imagine how the first doctors who administered penicillin must have felt? Most good healers live for positive outcomes. The greedy bottomfeeders who don't care (and there are plenty of those) would migrate to other specialties where patients haven't a prayer....

But as a rule I don't think the illness/industry makes the person.

There are others who don't want a cure. They happen to love a color I have learned to loathe. Their chief sissy wears about five tonnes of hairspray per day and is 80 responsible for the destruction of the ozone layer because of it - I am sure of that!  If you hate the hot weather, blame Nancy Brinker!

Doctors do NOT have it easy. The years of schooling, specialty training, continued education for board certification. Long hours, taking call evenings and weekends. Having to deliver sad news every stinking day. Why is there a shortage of health care workers? Because it's hard, because people don't want to work hard like that anymore and take on so much responsibility considering the risk and return.

Like every field you'll find gems and bad apples in medicine. Lots of younger people are going into nursing now because of the incentives/bonuses available all over the place. But are the nurses who've been there rewarded? Not always, not often. The new nurses/techs/docs burn out quicker because of the emotional and physical strain.

I agree with the statement about docs versus pro ball players. Are they saving lives? No. But they get paid like they do... Crazy world we live in today.

Goodness....I never thought I would hear pay for play justified over pay for life. Yes I would happily pay more taxes to keep people alive. No, I will not pay $11 for an iffy movie.

Disclaimer: I'm a healthcare professional. OK that's out of the way, LOL. 

First, two words: malpractice insurance.

Second: doctors submit way higher claims to the insurance comapnies because they know they won't get that reimbursed. It's like a betting game. If you go to your doctor and say, I'll pay cash, his or her fee for you would be nowhere near what they send the bill to the insurance company for. Most docs submit a high statement and then the insurance company counters back with what they will actually pay them. Not all insurance companies do this, but I know mine does and my doctor and my previous psychologist both told the identical story to mine. It's almost like making an offer on a house.

My PCP has gone to boutique medicine and is cash only and I am 100% in support of him. My new psychologist did the same. She kicked out the insurance companies because as a PhD she got sick of them rembursing her less and less and telling her she had x amount of sessions to make someone "better" and also that a social worker could do her job (which is what they started reimbursing her for). My former shrink said the same thing in Feb.

I do pay both my PCP and my shrink out of pocket and I love it and they love it. No insurance forms, no added staff of 10 people just to do insurance billing and questions and problems, and much more one on one attention. What's old is new again....I'm hoping house calls will make a comeback. Mine PCP does them on a limited basis now that he's just starting out as cash only but he plans to make it much more of his daily life.

Cheri 

My mo, ro and ps all spent as much time with me as I needed. During visits with my mo, if I mention a tx or study she googles it and then runs out to print off copies for me. If she walks by the infusion center waiting area she stops to chat even if it seems she was running off to the hospital. My care is through a large all inclusive HMO and the doctors are salaried. I have the greatest respect for them all and don't begrudge them a penny. Now, if Charlie Sheen will donate a few bucks to us public school teachers...

Caryn

Nora I think you can see by the testimonials that the mistrust of all things medical isn't resonating.

In addition to four years of med school, my PS spent five years in general surgery training, followed by three years in plastic surgery training (including a stint at one of the Shriner's Children's hospitals), and finally a one year fellowship in hand surgery and mircrosurgery.  That's a total of 13 years of long hours and lousy pay.  He still has the long hours.  But now there is also the crappy reimbursement from the insurance company that he has to contend with.  So insulting considering his level of expertise and years of training.  I don't begrudge him anything. 

Cherilynn64 -- you're completely right about how insurance reimburses doctors.  When I look at my statements, my insurance never reimburses more than half of what they were billed -- and often only a quarter to a third.  And I am absolved of the difference -- only need to pay my co-pay.

My plastic surgeon was not "in network" and basically contributed his services for free, because that's what he does for BC patients...

Never been rushed by my oncologist either.  I was by the first one I went to and then I changed oncologists...

Just jumping in here - Norhamby I find it disturbing that you can even compare the entertainment world to a doctors.  Doctors train for at least 16 years here in New Zealand and in my view earn every penny. Where would we all be without them.  I get wonderful service from all my doctors and never have I been give only five minutes. If you went in to see them with the kind of attitide you have on here I would only give you five minutes as well but to say America likes to be entertained is quite pathetic.  All Americans I am sure would like to have the best in doctors and yet they don't get anywhere near the pay that pop stars get.   I say doctors earn every penny that they get and I would give them more if I could and yes Nurses should get paid way more too.    Might pay to grow up a bit.