Do BMW driving doctors prolong illness to keep their revenues up?

[Toots]

In the health care industry in America is it possible that because of the tremendous amount of money doctors make that they(some anyway) deliberately prolong illness just so they can make more money off the ill? I think the temptation must be very strong to either prolong the healing process or possibly even proscribe expensive treatments that are completely unnecessary. I can not imagine that happening in a country that has Universal Health Care but in America anything is possible. We Can Do Better as a Nation

[Gman]

1. Nope... there's plenty of sick people to go around to make those payments

besides, if he/she makes the patient well, that's good for repeat business.

I'm not that cynical... yet.

[Riding this Donkey]

2. I don't know about that, but I do know

that some Dr.'s get kickback from insurance companies for NOT running expensive tests like Cat Scans or MRI's. This is why you may find your doctor hesitant to have one done on you and rely on the good ole excuse of " don't want to expose you to all that radiation".................................

[WillowTree]

17. Can you document...

....that statement?

[ender]

18. its the low-cost HMO's

that apply pressure to doctors to keep costs down.

[WillowTree]

20. That does not address my question.

RTD stated as a fact that insurance companies give kickbacks to doctors if they don't order expensive tests. I'd like to see some documentation behind that statement, including which insurers.

Insurance companies don't pay for and never have paid for testing which is outside the normal standards of medical practice for a given diagnosis. In other words, they probably wouldn't pay for a CT scan for a diagnosis of "back pain" for a patient with no prior history of back problems, but wouldn't question it if the same test was run on a patient who's had progressive or ongoing problems which haven't been resolved by normal initial courses of treatment or one showing symptoms of a disc herniation or such. Problem is, it's not uncommon for doctors to order excessive testing these days to try to cover their butts against malpractice suits. Can't say as I blame them, but the purpose of health insurance is not to pay for procedures done for the protection of the doctor rather than for the necessary and effective treatment of the patient.

That, however, is a long way from giving or taking kickbacks. That's an allegation that ought not to be made without proof.

[UdoKier]

3. This is a horrible slur against doctors.

As a person with several doctor friends who are left-wing and in favor of SINGLE-PAYER insurance plans, I resent this premise. It's insurance companies gouging people, not doctors. Most doctors are doing their best, despite having to work under the pressures of HMOs and the insidious temptations from Big Pharma.

Please research the subject further and re-post your idea in a fair way rather than demeaning an entire profession.

[libbygurl]

12. Thanks for the support, UdoKier. n/t

[UdoKier]

21. Of course. The whole premise is disgusting.

I'm amazed that this bigoted, dishonest thread wasn't locked.

[Fescue4u]

4. Everybody gets sick and eventually dies.

except those who meet their end through an accident or crime....and even then there's a good chance a doctor will be involved to save your life.

No. theres more than enough sick and dying to keep medicine relevant.


Maybe in 200 years when we cure all illness, but such a thing is far out of reach right now.

[rfranklin]

5. Only true in the case of dentists, who have managed to...

create at least four different specialities applying just to teeth. Your regular dentist sends you to the endodontist who sends you to the periodontist who sends you to the reconstructive specialist and then back to your regular dentist.

[physioex]

6. I would have to disagree.....

Becoming a Doctor is very difficult both physically, emotionally and financially. First you have premed, medical school, and then residency. By the time you are done you are probably in your mid 30's or later with a great deal of debt depending on your area of speciality. I have nothing against a doctor making a high salary to be compensated for his/her years of hard work. And most docotors are honest caring people who are in the profession to help people. The problem is with the industry (insurance companies) not doctors themselves.

Not that there aren't a few bad doctors like you have talked about....

[high density]

7. I'd rather have a doctor driving a BMW operate on me...

...than have a doctor with a Yugo operating on me...

Chances are the doctor with the Yugo isn't doing a very good job. If anything, doctors should be paid MORE money for what they do.

[Warpy]

8. The docs I know work damned hard

and have to see twice as many patients as they did just 15 years ago to keep their incomes high enough to afford those Beemers. The last thing they're going to want is to artificially increase that patient load.

Remember, most docs are now working for insurance companies. That means that they're paid a salary, not by the head, and they've undergone a tremendous speedup as insurance companies insist they increase those patient loads. They also have bean counters questioning them at every step. Is this test really necessary? Is that drug really necessary?

Docs are overpaid, mostly due to the bizarre way they're educated in this country, with 8 years of higher education required of them before they go into supervised and underpaid practice for another 4 years, minimum. However, they're not what is driving healthcare costs, and they have absolutely no stake in promoting or prolonging illness.

Drug companies, on the other hand, do both.

[xultar]

9. WTF does BMW have anything to do with it??? n/t

[SmokingJacket]

10. Only the psycho/sociopathic ones.

My doctors are actual feeling human beings, and I think most are.

Some might be monsters, but no more than in any profession.

[libbygurl]

11. Wow, this is one of the wildest charges I've ever seen yet...

...once again, directed against doctors. This is against the Hippocratic oath, for one thing, and it will be a true PSYCHOPATH who would even think of doing such a thing! I work in the health care field, and have NEVER heard of anyone doing this as a matter of course.
Yes, I suppose ANYTHING is possible, but please limit your "accusations" to the realm of plausible, real-world situations. Most doctors are not EVIL! Geez, what'll they think of next?

[AZCat]

13. What about the doctors driving Ford Aspires?

I've told him it is a piece of sh*t but he is stubborn... :shrug:

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[BanzaiBonnie]

15. I've heard that in China

the doctors are only paid when people are in GOOD health.

[underseasurveyor]

16. I don't believe it's the doctors that are at fault

Their hands are tied pretty tightly as it is. The FDA, the drug companies, etc. yes, but not the doctors themselves, no.

[REP]

19. No.

I very much doubt that. Most doctors work hard to give their patients the best care possible.

Now insurance companies are a different matter.