re: The cost of Medicare

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When Medicare/Medicaid were first proposed, the AMA opposed it. They were against government intervention and the socialization of healthcare.

Didn't take doctors long to become prostitutes for the government dime once they realize the system is a limitless spigot of dollars.

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AMA played a prominent role in convincing the nation to not go to socialized medicine, long ago, before Medicare came around. Then the 1965 Medicare Act was passed which made prices go up since demand went up, now we have inflation in the healthcare arena far higher than the rest of the economy.
Of course, the govt tries to then screw the doctors on reimbursement for everything from regular visits to nursing home care, so now the doctors and the healthcare entities are forced to issue grossly inflated bills so that at least a portion of the patients will cover the costs of the other patients.

AMA got political and now those morons campaign for single payer and other idiotic ideas. They don't worry about medical errors that much, however. Also, the AMA throttles med school graduate numbers to insure there is always a shortage of doctors and thus higher wages. This leads to physician burnout and prevents doctors from keeping up with the literature. Several studies have shown it takes well more than a decade for research advances to filter their way down to everyday patient care. All of this is adverse to patient safety.

AMA sucks.

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Is that what Medicare paid though?

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This is how it works. The facility and doctors can bill a million but Medicare may only pay 30k. I recently had back surgery and the bill was insane around 350k for all in. I think 23k or so was allowed.

they’ll pay about 15-20% of that.

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1) if billed thru insurance the brace was $938 dollars of which my insurance paid $318 and i had to pay the balance.
2) if i paid cash the cost was $325 dollars

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That's illegal

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That's illegal

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Sounds that way to me too.

“Here’s how it works” thanks dude my 20 years of dealing with billing for my patient care wasn’t sure lmao

Question - I'm admittedly ignorant on this level medical finance situations.

Who gets the bulk of the money if not the doctor or hospital?? is it another case where someone or some organization who 'facilitates the paper work" takes a big cut??

Yes

The surgeon did NOT collect 1% of that $550,000 (which would have been $5,500).

I am an ER doctor in BR (and Lafayette) and a friend came in and was admitted. He was not supposed to be sent a bill for my services but he did receive one (which I canceled). But his 48 hour admit was like $18,000 (maybe $21,000 I cant remember), but my canceled bill was like $145.

I am not arguing that you cannot be mad at me making $145. I am just saying what I made (or would have made) was a tiny piece of that crazy cost.

It’s wild how terrible it all is when you see the behind the curtain shite

I know this is trashy but the info may help someone...

Medicare/Medicade has been denying surgeries for tobacco users. To qualify you have to pass a series of nicotine drug tests which means you can't substitute tobacco for nicotine aids.

A very based and honest nurse at my surgeons office instructed me to start lying and saying I don't use tobacco ever so I won't be denied and subjected to nicotine tests.

I would understand if we were talking about a lung transplant for a smoker or something but they are doing this for any procedure. I could have been denied back surgery just because I dip sometimes.