What the fight between Anthem and anesthesiologists was really about.

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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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  • Flying Squid
    5•3 days ago

    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.

    • @athairmor
      29•3 days ago

      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.

      • @twistypencil
        -2•3 days ago

        My cousin is one, he is not wealthy. He is solid middle class, not sure it’s about putting workers against workers here

      • Flying Squid
        -9•3 days ago

        I don’t know why you think anyone isn’t having trouble paying back student loans at this point.

        • @athairmor
          17•3 days ago

          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.

          • @FlowVoidEnglish
            1•2 days ago

            Anthem’s policy wasn’t going to leave patients in agony. It was going to cap how much anesthesiologists could bill.

            There are already plenty of billing caps in medicine. Medicare has a cap for every single patient in the hospital.

            When a patient reaches the cap they aren’t dumped to the curb in agony, that would be an instant malpractice lawsuit. Instead, the hospital works for free. The same thing (in principle) happens when your plumber offers a flat rate for a job but it takes a lot longer than expected.

            That’s why a large number of hospital patients actually lose money for the hospital, but the hospital (and presumably these anesthesiologists) make up for it on the other patients. In the end it all averages out.

        • @dogslayeggs
          2•2 days ago

          Anesthesiologists base pay ranges from $350k to $550k. I don’t think most of them are having problems paying back $200k in student loans.