On Sun, 25 Oct 2009 09:51:03 -0700, jps wrote:
They're not in the US from what I can tell.
Of course not. That's why you're looking in the wrong place.
If you try to reinvent a wheel using U.S. models, it will be square.
And they are all virtual single payer, non-profit systems.
The problem is viewing health care as a business.
Every organization that uses money to exist can benefit from
efficiencies found in business. Non-profits do it all the time.
Should have said for profit business. Doesn't work.
That's why we're here, and the rest of the modern world covers
everybody, with much better results and much less cost.
That cat is out of the bag.
It's a calling; it's an occupation. You can make a good living.
But it's not a business.
Doctors and nurses and administrators all have to pay their bills. The
interest in making money has thwarted the "calling." They know they
can make oodles more money by specialiizing. There are so few GPs
coming out of school it's a disaster. No one wants to go through
school, residency to make a ****ty living. Might as well be a
teacher. 
I don't see docs driving Chevys. You don't really think docs make a
****ty living, do you?
http://www.studentdoc.com/family-practice-salary.html
Average of $204k for GP's.
What's that, 98th percentile or thereabouts?
Wasn't aware of that.
So all the bitching about Medicare billing can as easily be laid off
on the private insurance industry by those who want to.
It still represents overhead and a cost of providing care. That's why
the gov't is offering stimulus money to those who can devise systems
that do it more efficiently.
There's always overhead. My point was that Medicare billing is mostly
done by the private sector.
More taxpayer funded socialism to the for-profit private sector.
I understand your frustration. I own a business that's saddled with
the cost of providing health care coverage. It's been going up
between 10 and 15%/year for the last ten years.
Don't worry about me, I handle frustration well, and can afford the
insurance. I don't anticipate any problems, though it's possible.
It's your business that's getting ****ed.
--Vic