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Private insurance companies have earned the public’s distrust. They routinely put profitability above their policyholders’ well-being. And a system of private health insurance provision also has higher administrative costs than a single-payer system, in which the government is the sole insurer.
But the avarice and inefficiencies of private insurers are not the sole — or even primary — reasons why vital medical services are often unaffordable and inaccessible in the United States. The bigger issue is that America’s health care providers — hospitals, physicians, and drug companies — charge much higher rates than their peers in other wealthy nations.
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Anaesthesiologist take over your breathing and control your physiology when undergoing surgery. I want them handsomely compensated.
Edit: also let’s be honest here. Anthem isn’t going to take the savings from paying physicians less and pass them onto you the consumer. They’ll take the savings and issue a stock buyback.
Sorry, they don’t get handsome compensation. Not when they have to pay back those student loans.
The era of the rich doctor is over. Medical group and hospital CEOs are the ones getting rich these days.
Anaesthesiologists are not having trouble paying back student loans. It’s one of the highest paid specialties.
This article is BS as was Anthem’s policy. But, anaesthesiologists are doing just fine. If you want to feel bad for an MD, try pediatric oncologists or another specialty that isn’t in high demand.
I don’t know why you think anyone isn’t having trouble paying back student loans at this point.
Because, I know MDs with student loans. I don’t know why you think _everyone _ is having trouble paying back student loans.
I’m not saying the whole student loan business isn’t fucked up. Or, that there aren’t lots of people screwed over by the system.
But, of all the the people with student loans, anesthesiologists are the least of concern. It’s just stupidly laughable to show concern for an anesthesiologist‘s student loans. They’re fine. It’s one of the highest paid specialties.
Anthem’s policy proposal was dangerous and fucking scary from a patient treatment perspective. Arguing against it from the perspective of the anesthesiologist‘s loan payments makes no sense. The anesthesiologist would still be getting paid well while the patient laid on the table in agony or dying from lack of treatment.
They can’t do that.
The ACA requires large health insurers to spend 85% of their income on health care providers. If they don’t (eg because they start paying less to anesthesiologists) then the savings must be used to reduce premiums or give rebates to customers.