Malpractice premiums killing are going to kill specialites. “We’ve got a double-edged problem. We are price-fixed as far as what we get in reimbursement and we’re price-fixed, literally, on what we have to pay out in overhead. There is no other profession that I’m aware of in the United States where, as the years go on, by one means or another, we’re making less money, with an overhead that’s going up.

Here’s the issue at hand: Over the years, physicians are getting reimbursed less for the same amount of professional skill and ability than they did even five years ago. And five years ago, malpractice insurance (cost) less.

Now I didn’t go into the medical field to become a millionaire, but I didn’t go into the medical field either to make $40,000 to $60,000 a year. I’m not saying I make that, but a lot of doctors do. It’s becoming a very sad state of affairs where, you can charge what you want to, but if you accept Medicare, for instance, and if you accept Medicaid and you accept private insurance X, Y and Z, you’re going have to abide by their rules and their talons are locked in on you strong(ly) as to what you are going to be able to get from that patient for the services rendered.” (via a reader tip by ismd, see also DrTony)

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