"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
NOYB wrote:

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
NOYB wrote:

"Gene Kearns" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 16 Feb 2004 10:27:19 -0500, Harry Krause
wrote:


The reason why health insurance policies typically place a low cap
on
annual dental charges is directly related to the outrageous prices
many
dentists charge for their work and the work of their "assistants,"
and
the mark-up on work they send out to their labs.

I was moved by a television show I saw the other day. In many
cultures, care givers will not charge for their services.... relying
for their livelihood on donations from their patients. These care
givers consider money charged for helping others. who are sick or in
pain, as tainted money.

Name one culture in which a person spends 12 years in school, 4 years
in
college, 4 years in medical school, and 2-4 years in a
residency...and
then
doesn't get compensated for his/her work. Donating a couple of
chickens
and
a cow will not help repay a school loan of $250,000...nor will it pay
malpractice insurance premiums equal to or greater than that amount.

My wife has had a bit more school than you have, and, in fact, is
pursuing her second doctorate, although this one is a PhD in
statistics/research. By choice, she does not receive compensation for
50
per cent of her professional time as a psychotherapist, and her
educational loans are pretty high.

Good for her. There are several problems with you comparing her
situation
to mine, however. Dental school is a lot more expensive than psych
school.
She also isn't the sole provider in your household...and you don't have
three children to raise together. You guys are DINKs.

Psych school? Heheheh. My wife is not a psychologist. She never attended
a "psych" school. She has the power of the pen. Oh...the doctorate she
is pursuing now costs around $1,000 a credit hour, and I believe 64
credit hours are required, plus her book.

These are the licensed professions providing the bulk of psychiatric
care these days:

There are physicians who are psychiatrists. The majority of these
provide no therapy, but do examine patients on an initial and ongoing
basis, and prescribe the meds. There are still psychiatrists in
psychoanalytic practice, though. MD or higher.

Psychiatric social workers, master's level or higher. These folks
provide the bulk of psychotherapy in this country.

Psychologists, most of whom, however, provide testing services, and not
therapy. Master's level or higher.

Psychiatric nurses, who provide the bulk of 24-7 care in quality psych
hospitals. RN's, typically with a master's degree.

Mental health counselors, some with master's degrees.

As to your having three children, that was your choice. You could have
had less and perhaps been in a position to do a lot of pro bono work.
There are a lot of children in this country going without dentistry, and
hundreds of times as many around the world who need dental care.

I chose to do pro bono wife on my own kids.