Well a lot of it is supply and demand plus a little for elective procedures. Orthopedics is so high because there aren't enough doctors. These days all elderly

Well a lot of it is supply and demand plus a little for elective procedures. Orthopedics is so high because there aren't enough doctors. These days all elderly get hip and knee replacements. In the past, they would have just used a wheelchair. Add to that all the sports injuries when chronic over training has 12 year olds getting MCL and rotator cuff surgeries. Also, if you look at Pediatrics and Family Medicine, one could argue that 99% of what they do should be done by CPRN or other highly trained nurses. We don't need MDs to look in a kids ear for three seconds to diagnose an ear infection and prescribe an anti-biotic. This is also one of the things we should be doing to help remove cost from our health care system. MDs in this setting should be at a 10x1 ratio and be there for difficult cases and to oversee.