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BigV · 02-27-2017, 08:49 PM

orthodoc, first of all, good to see you again.

Next, you don't owe me any apologies, we're just talkin here. I agree with everything you say in post #11 (except the apology part). Healthcare, when delivered as a fee for service leads to trouble. I'm not trying to get free healthcare. I want my healthcare providers to be rewarded for their work. But there are problems.

Like, ordering unnecessary tests. I'm sure we've all heard such stories. "couldn't hurt, let's just check t be sure out of an abundance of caution". And the obfuscation of not paying for it DIRECTLY confuses the issue, "um, sure, yeah, let's be safe". ka-ching!

But of course we pay later in higher premiums for more shit that wasn't really needed. I could run up the bills on lots of the customers that I do work for. But, I don't get paid for how much billable time I log. I just get my paycheck based on getting the work done.

There's much to be said of the organization, the name escapes me at the moment, where the care delivery outfit is paid a base rate and they keep/make more if the person doesn't come back. Make'em healthy, do the job right the first time, and send them home. But not like some places where the longer they keep you the more they can do to you and the more fees can be collected. That, combined with a fear of being sued for malpractice for not finding something that MIGHT be found with xyz test, and a doctor's desire to obey their oath to do no harm, and it doesn't cost THEM anything extra, and *maybe* they get extra something on the side, not a kickback, though that can happen, but reciprocal superfluous traffic from the tester... I can see how this would go wrong.

But being paid a flat rate, I want to do the job right the first time, expeditiously.

I don't know any doctors who ... nope, take that back. I do know a doctor who runs his own practice. I'd put my life in his hands. But most of the others all work for biiiig hospitals, umbilicaled to biiiiig insurance companies...

Unintended consequences? Ortho, my friend, you have a flair for understatement.

02-27-2017, 08:49 PM	#12
BigV Goon Squad Leader Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Seattle Posts: 27,063	orthodoc, first of all, good to see you again. Next, you don't owe me any apologies, we're just talkin here. I agree with everything you say in post #11 (except the apology part). Healthcare, when delivered as a fee for service leads to trouble. I'm not trying to get free healthcare. I want my healthcare providers to be rewarded for their work. But there are problems. Like, ordering unnecessary tests. I'm sure we've all heard such stories. "couldn't hurt, let's just check t be sure out of an abundance of caution". And the obfuscation of not paying for it DIRECTLY confuses the issue, "um, sure, yeah, let's be safe". ka-ching! But of course we pay later in higher premiums for more shit that wasn't really needed. I could run up the bills on lots of the customers that I do work for. But, I don't get paid for how much billable time I log. I just get my paycheck based on getting the work done. There's much to be said of the organization, the name escapes me at the moment, where the care delivery outfit is paid a base rate and they keep/make more if the person doesn't come back. Make'em healthy, do the job right the first time, and send them home. But not like some places where the longer they keep you the more they can do to you and the more fees can be collected. That, combined with a fear of being sued for malpractice for not finding something that MIGHT be found with xyz test, and a doctor's desire to obey their oath to do no harm, and it doesn't cost THEM anything extra, and maybe they get extra something on the side, not a kickback, though that can happen, but reciprocal superfluous traffic from the tester... I can see how this would go wrong. But being paid a flat rate, I want to do the job right the first time, expeditiously. I don't know any doctors who ... nope, take that back. I do know a doctor who runs his own practice. I'd put my life in his hands. But most of the others all work for biiiig hospitals, umbilicaled to biiiiig insurance companies... Unintended consequences? Ortho, my friend, you have a flair for understatement. __________________ Be Just and Fear Not.