• Rentlar@lemmy.ca
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    8 months ago

    It’s nice that he can run a one person show. It might be more variety of work but dealing with insurance paperwork sounds like a second job in itself.

    I think if more primary care physicians can go back to a no insurance, flat-fee model and insurance is saved for urgent, emergency, specialized and long term care then Americans can live healthier and save money (neither of which is good in the eyes of for-profit healthcare and insurance), doctors and general practitioners will actually do what they enjoy and all around increase the efficiency of healthcare in the US.

    • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppet@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      dealing with insurance paperwork sounds like a second job in itself

      It certainly is. They have to hire an office manager to handle all of it. Which raises their rates, which raises the insurance cost to us.

  • danc4498@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    I paid $200 to get my son medication for strep. I already knew he had it, I just needed the antibiotics.

  • Maeve@kbin.social
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    8 months ago

    If enough care providers do this, we’d become much closer to single prayer care.

  • LemmyKnowsBest@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    I’m just curious how he has enough revenue to keep his medical supplies current and up-to-date and enough to pay overhead in the space he works out of, in addition to paying to survive, and he’s a one-man show, so how does he have enough time to rest and exercise and take care of himself In addition to taking care of all the constant influx of low income people seeking medical care from him

    • madcaesar@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      Another huge expense for doctors is liability coverage.

      We have this shit ass backwards. Cops should be forced to carry liability coverage out of pocket, not doctors.

      And doctors should have a union.

      • batmaniam@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        Are you familiar with relative value units (RVUs)?

        If not prepare to be furious. It essentially is Healthcare on commission. Everytime a physician orders a test, provides a service, etc, it counts towards an RVU quota. Multiple systems in my area base 100% of a physicians salary on meeting that quota. The minimum one bases 15% of the physicians salary on meeting that quota.

    • Miaou@jlai.lu
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      8 months ago

      I’ll guess, and I’ll say, like every other MD outside the USA.

    • areyouevenreal@lemm.ee
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      8 months ago

      This would be totally normal to do in a European country and aren’t part of the local healthcare. I went to the dentist in Spain because finding one in England where I live is a nightmare and kind of expensive. I had a checkup, cleaning, and two x-rays for about €40. You had to book only a few days or maybe 1 week in advance instead of waiting months or having to go private. Didn’t even ask for an x-ray either, that’s their default standard of care for that price. They were able to confirm that I had a wisdom tooth and where it was located thanks to that x-ray. All for less than a good bottle of single malt.

      If you need medical care in America or some services like a dentist in England your best bet is to get a cheap flight and leave the country for somewhere cheaper and with higher standards of care. That’s how much better it is. You all need to stop making excuses for your shit healthcare system in places like America and England.

  • intensely_human@lemm.ee
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    8 months ago

    Let me guess: he’s facing some kind go resistance from the powers that be, trying to force him to stop this?

  • massive_bereavement@kbin.social
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    8 months ago

    How that works economically for him? That’s like making 35 bucks an hour before taxes…

    Maybe he can meet multiple patients in an hour, but there would still be fluctuations.

    • maccentric@sh.itjust.works
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      8 months ago

      It’s not per hour, it’s per visit. I’ve rarely seen a regular doctor for more than 10 minutes at a time (typically it’s less than 5).

          • OneWomanCreamTeam@sh.itjust.works
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            8 months ago

            Honestly, if you bump that up to 6 patients an hour that’s just $210/hour, even if the booked up 100% of the time. That doesn’t seem like enough to run an entire practice.

            • Croquette@sh.itjust.works
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              8 months ago

              If he doesn’t have to deal with all the administrative work, the overhead will probably reduce drastically.

              The insurance system in the US is so fucked up that it wouldn’t surprise me if a big part of the doctor’s fee are eaten by dealing with insurers.

              Anyway, I am pretty sure the guy didn’t choose 35$ blindly.

              And let’s not forget that it is only for a consultation. If he does other acts, he charges more.

    • LemmyKnowsBest@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      Maybe he saved up enough from his 4 years of being a doctor out in the mainstream system, and he invested his six-figure earnings from those 4 years, and he’s living in a modest home, driving a modest car and living within his means. Not wealthy. But surviving okay.

    • Thorny_Insight@lemm.ee
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      8 months ago

      Yeah I charge 50€/h (incl. VAT) as an home improvement contractor and it’s a fair price. For 35€/h I’d be basically doing charity.

  • Hawk@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    8 months ago

    “Just” $35.

    What a hilarious statement, I think I pay around €2 for a doctor’s visit.

    • realitista@lemm.ee
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      8 months ago

      That’s because you live in a place with single payer. In the US, a $35 flat rate can save a lot of lives for people who have no options.

      • OneWomanCreamTeam@sh.itjust.works
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        8 months ago

        I think their point is “wow, look how backwards America is. This incredibly cheap option by their standards is fucking dog shit by mine”.

        And like yeah, they’re right.

    • Fermion@mander.xyz
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      8 months ago

      Why do they even bother charging the patient at all if the vast majority of funding is coming from the national system?

    • BastingChemina@slrpnk.net
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      8 months ago

      In France the cost for a doctor’s visit is 26€. 18.55€ is reimbursed by the public health care insurance and the rest is generally reimbursed by private insurance.

      There is a big debate right now because the doctor’s unions want the cost of the visit to go up to 30€ !