the rest of the story

Okay, problems have been laid open so what's the answer? It's almost like being lost then realizing you can't get there from here. From the looks of things there are no simple answers to be sure. Two villins stand out to me. First, the Insurance industry who seem to be calling all the shots resulting in 12 minute visits, patient overloads, unnecessary referrals, and a big part of the reasons for doctors leaving and at least a contributor to doctor suicides. Second, government regulations and a know it all congress. I'm not sure unless it's solely the insurance industry that has caused prices to become so high, no one can afford them with out excellent insurance coverage which few can afford unless he works for a company who provides or subsidizes it. As they stand, medical costs with out insurance can easily wipe out the life savings of an upper middle class family. Lesser classes can not afford insurance or medical care. To be honest the problems almost seem unfixable. To the problems laid out here, the government is a big contributor. I see no answers other than starting completely over with the doctors in charge and that still leaves out a large chunk of humanity here in the USA. Do you have an answer?
 
I have no answers, just thoughts and I think it's the insurance agencies. Had a neighbor who was a general practitioner and told me horror stories of dealing with insurance companies. Basically, they automatically deny every claim and force a checklist diagnosis.
 

I agree they are the biggest part of the problem which results in higher costs and less care and more. The insurance companies will sell you a policy, on anything, and have someone researching ways to keep from paying your claim when one is presented. Yet their lobbyist are well armed and keep our congress living well.
 
From the article:

But the primary care doctor doesn’t have the political power to say no to anything—so the “to-do” list continues to lengthen. A stunning and unmanageable number of forms—often illegible—show up daily on a physician’s desk needing to be signed.

Reams of lab results, refill requests, emails, and callbacks pop up continually on the computer screen. Calls to plead with insurance companies are peppered throughout the day.

Every decision carries with it an implied threat of malpractice litigation. Failing to attend to these things brings prompt disciplining or patient complaint. And mercilessly, all of these tasks have to be done on the exhausted doctor’s personal time.
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Doctors in the old days were much happier and independent. They could decide for themselves exactly what medications and treatments were necessary for each individual patient. I remember as a child, our doctor coming to our home when we were really sick, and treating us there. My in-laws used to have a good old-fashioned doctor who visited them at home when they couldn't make it to the office.

Now everyone is "sue crazy", they're just looking for an excuse to file a lawsuit against a doctor for anything they can. Doctors don't have the independence anymore to make their own decisions and have them respected. They are pressured by the big pharmaceutical companies to write prescriptions for any new drug they are trying to make money from, and the doctor only knows what the representative tells him in the office when he hands him a new pamphlet. The doctors need to sell those drugs, and they are chastised if they don't write scripts for all the new pills.

The computer these days puts added pressure on everyone, including doctors. I never thought I'd see the day where I'm in a doctor's office talking to him while he faces a computer screen, and is pecking away. It's all business, not personal anymore, and the insurance companies add to the confusion.
 
It is a thankless job because they are no allowed to cure anyone it the drug companies caught them curing cancer they will take away their license.
 
Very true D0ug, in modern society it is a thankless job. Doctors are often held under a microscope to make sure they don't do anything that the health industry and pharmaceutical companies would disapprove of. I'm sure they are depressed personally, and lost most of their self-esteem in the profession....such a shame.
 

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