Thread: Health Care in the USA

Originally Posted by LX_Emergency

Just a thought here. Does anyone take into account that visiting a doctor actually costs a lot of money?

Doctors invest a lot in their practise, their knowledge etc. Just covering the costs of equipment, buildings etc make sure that even IF services are market driven they can never drop below a certain price. Simply because it costs that muc to keep a practise/hospital running.

That's why insurance is needed. because medical care needs to be ready to be used 24/7 365. Doing that is expensive and drives up the cost.

It's partly a market forces thing....but partly it's not. Things can never go below a certain price if they're market driven. That price is the costprice. And in medicine...the costprice is pretty damn high.

Originally Posted by LX_Emergency

Do not forget the debts a lot of doctors have because of studies, rent on the location, staff they have to pay etc etc.

Buisiness is always more expensive than it seems.

I just thought I'd address this issue of the costs of a doctors office. I have a lot of pets, and I've spent a lot of time in emergency veterinary clinics and regular veterinary clinics and the clinics of specialty veterinarians.

I have never seen a GP's office that was as well stocked as the average Vet clinic. A vet clinic usually has as large of a staff, a veterinarian has the same education expense, and vet tech has the same eduction as a as a hospital tech at the doctors not as much as a nurse but most GP's don't hire Rn's. The modern vet clinic also does in house surgery, and many are open 24 hours.

Why does my GP visit get billed for 4 times the cost of my veterinary visits? Because that is the rate the government allows them to charge. The govt is already the largest insurance provider and has rate setting power in the industry.

If my vet tried to charge what my doctor does I would find another vet and I have done so, as apparently did a lot of other people as the vet in question lowered his rates in order to keep his business.

This is the point and was alluded to with my reference to optional services I mentioned in my previous post. Everywhere in medicine that the government has not touched, everywhere where the haven't set the rate, prices remain low or are getting lower. Look at eye care, look at pet care look at anything not covered by the government plans and you will see reasonable costs and competition for customers.

Obviously you can't shop around for Emergency care but you should be able to once you are stable. People do shop for their cardiologist or other specialists now, they just shop based upon expertise without having to consider cost because the rate is controlled.

Originally Posted by Wildtim

If my vet tried to charge what my doctor does I would find another vet and I have done so, as apparently did a lot of other people as the vet in question lowered his rates in order to keep his business.

no offense, but with animals, you always have the option to have them put down. With dogs this is done regularly if they become so sick that there is no end to their suffering (fractured pelvis for example), or if they turn bad when they get old.

otoh if you are in real medical trouble, your family does not have the option (legally and morally) to have you put down. It's either treatment at whatever the cost, or a slow and agonizing death.