Comments on: How the health care system is corrupting doctors

By: Paul MD

Paul MD — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:29:51 +0000

Alex,
Please post more often with your satirical “Dave Barry” style and content. Funny!

By: er doctor

er doctor — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:39:21 +0000

I don’t completely agree with you that putting doctors on salaries would reduce health care expenses.

I work in an ER with a set hourly, so it’s not like I get paid for my RVUs. In essence, I’m on a salary and not fee-for-service. I still overorder tests, and the major driver is fear of litigation.

However, I do agree with your main points. I’ve worked in China and seen how the doctors there get paid kickbacks from drug companies for prescriptions, it’s disgusting and leads to a high rate of inappropriate prescriptions. While I think decoupling physicians from direct reimbursements for testing/therapies won’t decrease expenses, it will lead to better care for patients.

By: anon

anon — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:34:18 +0000

Imagine that, after years of education and training, in the trenches patent care, now doctors are expected to not want or need to actually be paid accordingly, for their expertise and services rendered. Nay, they’re now expected to just be a cog in the machine, accepting the scrapes thrown their way, in grateful servitude.

By: Jenga

Jenga — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:51:59 +0000

Seriously, why don’t you list your telephone number so my patients have someone to call when we enlist into this salaried mecca.

By: Nuclear Fire

Nuclear Fire — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:09:31 +0000

As a VA doc, I think alex’s comment is hilarious and true.

By: alex

alex — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:54:45 +0000

We Doctors must be the Holy Ones. Not like those filthy mechanics or accountants or most of the rest of the US economy that gets paid for providing an individual service. Unlike those people (who are irreversibly corrupted by the stench of being paid MONEY for SERVICES), we must rise above the moneychangers in the temple by embracing the US government and accepting the VA-level yearly salary that represents true freedom.

Now if you’ll excuse me it’s 3pm and I’ve put my 38 hours in this week so I don’t have to see patients any more.

By: Dr. Mary Johnson

Dr. Mary Johnson — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:15:51 +0000

I’m sorry you’re so easily corrupted, Dr. Brown. Contrary to current popular thought, not all of us are so easy to sway with a free lunch or drug samples or a bag full of nick-knacks at a convention.

I did the salary thing (I believe you would call it being a “valued employee”). My problem was that the people I worked for (who were not doctors) were corrupt.

Apart from quitting – or letting a baby die – do you have any suggestions for that?

By: Doc99

Doc99 — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 02:19:45 +0000

In order to purge healthcare of corruption, let’s turn it over to the US government! Brilliant!

/sarc

By: Nuclear Fire

Nuclear Fire — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:50:33 +0000

You forgot patients. Always trying to corrupt us by catastrophizing symptoms so we over- treat, neglecting to inform us of their non-compliance so we prescribe more expensive second line treatment, demanding to mention another problem at the last minute to try to work two office visits into one copay and steal time from the next patient.

Everywhere we look are corrupting influences. We can’t practice pure medicine like this. We must run away and lock ourselves in our ivory towers, practicing medicine in theory only so there can be no hint if corruption. The world is just too corrupting for our genteal sensibilities.

/sarcasm