until you actually read for comprehension.



The lobbying blitz by doctors also comes amid concern in Washington that Medicare spending is spiraling up so fast the nation can't afford to boost it further by significantly raising doctors' pay. And government analysts and independent experts suggest that although doctors could not absorb a 25 percent fee cut, the claim that they have been inadequately compensated by Medicare until now is wildly exaggerated.

Among the top points of contention is the complaint by doctors that Medicare's payment rate has not kept pace with the growing cost of running a medical practice. As measured by the government's Medicare Economic Index, those expenses rose 18 percent from 2000 to 2008. During the same period, Medicare's physician fees rose 5 percent.


...


Whatever the cause, the explosion in the volume of services provided helps explain why Medicare's total payments to doctors per patient rose 51 percent from 2000 to 2008.

A review of physicians' incomes suggests that specialists - who have more opportunities to increase the volume of the services they offer than primary-care doctors - reaped most of the benefit.

On average, primary-care doctors make about $190,000 a year, kidney specialists $300,000, and radiologists close to $500,000, figures that reflect the income doctors receive from both Medicare and non-Medicare patients. The disparity has prompted concern that Medicare is contributing to a growing shortage of primary doctors.


Just like airline pilots. Limited quantity (self enforced, yeah, like 30 hour intern slave shifts do anything other than cut the people who realise it's stupid), highly trained highly skilled individuals, but in this case they also have a lot more business acumen and attitude. And make a lot more money, both directly and as part of their total business environment.

No. Simple as that. $100K in debt for your education? For a career which you can reasonably expect $150K a year after a couple of years in the real world? At the LOW end?

Hmm. 2/3 of your yearly wage.

Hmm, let's look at what might be a reasonable education debt for the rest of us. How about $5-$10K per year? And between 3-6 years of education. Which ranges between $15K-$60K. Let's say I up with a $40K debt load out of a 4 year degree. How many careers out there will give me $100K-$300K (reasonable range)? Very few. And I'd add 4 year of experience as pert of the non-doctor salary to make up for the extra training time, but it still does not come close.

Ok, assume I'm a LUCKY guy who makes $60K after 4 years out of school. I'm not in the "you want fries with that" liberal arts crowd. And I'll be incredibly lucky if I continue a career path that doesn't top out at $100K.

So for the next 20 years, I make an average of $70K (wild ass number drops obviously), which gives me a $1.4MM total (ignoring the many issues concerning of when someone receives money and how it might be invested over a lifetime).

A doctor over 20 years making an average of $180K per year? Hmmm. $3.6MM. How much more did he spend in the education? Not a lot. And how much more does he get over the cost of living that we ALL have to pay for? Once you cross that, your lifestyle skyrockets as compared to the rest of us. As well as savings and a comfy old age.

The bottom line is there are a subset of docs in it for the money, and I say either they are so good that they will get it, or they aren't worth it and don't really care, so they should drop out of medicine.

The rest of them can learn to live on single person income of $150K (which can range up to $300K) (after a few years in the work place). If that's not enough, then the spouse (hey, it could be a guy) can take in washing to supplement the income.

Hehehe.

You said $80K. I said let them range between $150K and $300K.

And you chose to make up a number and respond to Another, but not mine.

Not nice.

Not logical.