there are two reasons why medical costs are high in the USA

from JoeUser Forums
i have recently learned the main reason for the high costs of doctor visits in this country. ready gene, it is because of Medicaid/Medicare.


an example.

before there was Medicaid/Medicare. the doctors in Dallas where charging 20 dollars a visit.

how ever the doctors in Waco where taking chickens for pay.


when Medicaid/Medicare came out they told all of the doctors that they would pay 20 per visit. so the doctor in Waco stopped taking chickens and started charging 20 per visit to everybody.

every year Medicaid/Medicare funding goes up an automatic 3%(or what ever the real percent is). this means that doctors are getting a pay raise of 3% every year. ie the price to go and see a doctor is going up fast.


the reason that medicines cost so much in this country and not in Canada is because, every other country on the planet has a profit cap on medicines. the people who make the medicines are in it to make a profit. partly so they can use that profit to come up with better medicines. and since the USA is the only country where they can make a real profit. they have to charge enough to make up for the lack of profit from the rest of the world.


in other words we are partly paying for the medicines in Canada.
7,573 views 16 replies
Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top

every year Medicaid/Medicare funding goes up an automatic 3%(or what ever the real percent is). this means that doctors are getting a pay raise of 3% every year. ie the price to go and see a doctor is going up fast.
End of quote


Daniel, do you personally know of any doctors whose main income is from Medicaid/Medicare?
Reply #2 from JoeUser Forums Top
Daniel, do you personally know of any doctors whose main income is from Medicaid/Medicare?
End of quote


no

however


the doctors at the va receive their income completely from the va.


but that does not mean that they can't or don't use it as a way to measure how much they should charge for a visit.


SoundPackager - Customize the Windows sound scheme
Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top


but that does not mean that they can't or don't use it as a way to measure how much they should charge for a visit.
End of quote


I'm not talking about how much they charge for a visit I'm talking about your statement regarding doctors getting 3% raises each year from Medicaid/Medicare. That's my point. These doctors get paid very little from them.
Reply #4 from JoeUser Forums Top
I'm not talking about how much they charge for a visit I'm talking about your statement regarding doctors getting 3% raises each year from Medicaid/Medicare. That's my point. These doctors get paid very little from them.
End of quote




you are right, but the doctors tend to raise their prices every year by the same amount. Medicaid or no Medicaid. at least that is what I think is happening.
Reply #5 from JoeUser Forums Top
The other part of that problem is, Medicare/Medicaid will only pay $20, even if the cost to the clinic is $40. So, just like we are subsidizing the rest of the worlds medicines (at least the ones made in the USA), insurance and out of pocket payers are subsidizing medicare/medicaid patients.
Reply #6 from JoeUser Forums Top
just like we are subsidizing the rest of the worlds medicines (at least the ones made in the USA),
End of quote



and all of them that sell meds in the usa
Reply #7 from JoeUser Forums Top
you are right, but the doctors tend to raise their prices every year by the same amount. Medicaid or no Medicaid. at least that is what I think is happening.
End of quote


Agreed however it isn't the doctors that are getting that increase.
Reply #8 from JoeUser Forums Top
what isn't the medicaid increase. or their own increase.


understand I am not saying that the doctors don't need or deserve the increase. I am sure some of them do.
Reply #9 from JoeUser Forums Top
understand I am not saying that the doctors don't need or deserve the increase.
End of quote


Daniel, did you even read? I just told that it is not the doctors that receive this increase. That means although the copay or others may increase but the doctors are not getting all of this increase. They get very little. They do not get this increase of funds. It matters not whether you think they deserve it or not but they are not getting this money. Medicaid/Medicare dictates what the doctors get.

Did ya get it that time?
Reply #10 from JoeUser Forums Top

you are right, but the doctors tend to raise their prices every year by the same amount. Medicaid or no Medicaid. at least that is what I think is happening.
End of quote

Most companies raise their prices by about 3% due to that being considered the standard increase in cost of living per year.

However, if this is what you are thinking is raising medical costs, I don't buy it.

Medical Insurance rates raise way more than 3% a year.  Why is that?  It's due to liability.  Doctors have to be greatly insured against lawsuits.  The cost of their insurance and operating expenses raise more than 3% a year.  They also have to perform unneeded tests on people to rule out everything prior to diagnosis.  If they don't, they risk getting their butt sued.

Medicare/Medicaid does play a roll in determining the going rate for services, but it is not as you would think.  They are the baseline that insurance companies look at to determine what they will cover and what the going rate should be.  Some pay more than that with their insurance, but not a lot pay less.

Most of the time, however, Dr's rates are higher than what they except through different insurances or through Medicare/Medicaid, so they hardly ever get paid their actual rate.  Medicare/Medicaid may have played a roll in the beginning of the raising insurance rates, but it is very doubtful that they are a big player in it now.

Reply #11 from JoeUser Forums Top
Actually, everything that seperates the customer from paying for the services contributes to the high cost of medical care. So does everything that artificially increases the cost of providing medical care.

Separating the customer from pay for services directly takes all the market forces out of the price. If the market was based on what the customers are willing and able to pay, prices would have to be lower. If the service providers didn't have to cover so many artificial costs of doing business, their prices could be much lower.

In other words, every time we place an artificial "fix" on our system, we are only making the problem worse.
Reply #12 from JoeUser Forums Top
i am so glad there are so many perfect people on joe-user that don't make mistakes like little-whip.


she is ready to kill any celeb. if they make any mistakes.

ready to condemn people who have legal charges brought against them. with out proof.
Reply #13 from JoeUser Forums Top
she is ready to kill any celeb. if they make any mistakes.
End of quote


Apparently you didn't read her article.
Reply #14 from JoeUser Forums Top
Apparently you didn't read her article.
End of quote


Para, he reads them it's his comprehension that we question.
Reply #15 from JoeUser Forums Top
little-whip is right this stuff shouldn't be on this thread it should be on the other thread..

I didn't make sure which thread I was on sorry.


please reserve any comments on this thread to medical costs.


please put all attacks or what ever on the other thread.
Reply #16 from JoeUser Forums Top
My collective insurance teacher actually explained to me the rise in medical cost:

People who have a health/medicine insurance that makes them pay a minimum, then cover the rest of the bill don't tend to look at the price they have to pay when they go to the doctor. They don't care if the M.D. prescribe them a 140$ item even if a 20$ generic could do (almost) the same work.

Also, pharmaceutical companies usually woo (but not bribe) M.D. to make them prescribe THEIR own medications over other's. So, there is some sort of collusion between the pharmaceutical industry and the people who prescribe.

That's how you end up with an amazing (artificial) rise in price: if you make "choose", but not make them pay. In canada, we have the same incrase in medicine price, since medicine is not covered except for the most basic coverage. But general healthcare cost don't increase as quickly as the U.S.'s, since MDs have an incentive to NOT take the most costly treatements, as opposed to the US's, where they simple make more profit out of it (either directly, or trough "generosities" of the provider)

It's not the inflation's working, it's the change of the prescribing habits of the MDs.