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It's an uncomfortable subject because the vast majority of front-line medical professionals like doctors, specialists, surgeons, nurses etc. are doing that job

It's an uncomfortable subject because the vast majority of front-line medical professionals like doctors, specialists, surgeons, nurses etc. are doing that job with passion and honesty to help people. But it's also true, and I think well-known at least in a vague sense, that one can make a pretty good living in the medical field. For-profit insurance companies come in for the most hate since they are in the position to deny care. But their profit margins are not sky-high. Whether or not one believes that private health insurance is a terrible idea, the facts are pretty clear that there is a lot more to the high cost of U.S. healthcare than just private insurance. There is a lot of cost everywhere in the medical system... that's the other side of those professionals making a good living. I'm not going to pretend I have a good answer to this.

maximente 7y ago
> It's an uncomfortable subject because the vast majority of front-line medical professionals like doctors, specialists, surgeons, nurses etc. are doing that job with passion and honesty to help people. don't take this personally, but: this is an oft repeated meme that, in my experience, not really true, at least for MDs and nurses (to include doctors, specialists and surgeons). it certainly contributes to the sort of hero status of health care workers though. physicians in the US earn a ton for a high-prestige, high social power, high earnings, generally safe career. in return they must sacrifice these earnings and social status for most of their 20s due to ridiculous quotas and standards in medical school, propped up by AMA; this makes the system higher prestige and sought after, a nice vicious (or virtuous for them) cycle. the AMA also has them on the hook in a debt-slavery sort of way, because normal wages would never repay their ridiculous medical debt (see e.g. mid/low tier lawyers and law school outcomes when that got popular) nursing, likewise, is seen as a j o b that offers some safety/consistency in return for investing time into education. that these individuals """help people""" is generally of tertiary or lesser concern; much more "help" could be done by opening an affordable grocery store in a food desert. all but the most naive students either readily admit this or cop to it once asked.

maximente 7y ago

> It's an uncomfortable subject because the vast majority of front-line medical professionals like doctors, specialists, surgeons, nurses etc. are doing that job with passion and honesty to help people. don't take this personally, but: this is an oft repeated meme that, in my experience, not really true, at least for MDs and nurses (to include doctors, specialists and surgeons). it certainly contributes to the sort of hero status of health care workers though. physicians in the US earn a ton for a high-prestige, high social power, high earnings, generally safe career. in return they must sacrifice these earnings and social status for most of their 20s due to ridiculous quotas and standards in medical school, propped up by AMA; this makes the system higher prestige and sought after, a nice vicious (or virtuous for them) cycle. the AMA also has them on the hook in a debt-slavery sort of way, because normal wages would never repay their ridiculous medical debt (see e.g. mid/low tier lawyers and law school outcomes when that got popular) nursing, likewise, is seen as a j o b that offers some safety/consistency in return for investing time into education. that these individuals """help people""" is generally of tertiary or lesser concern; much more "help" could be done by opening an affordable grocery store in a food desert. all but the most naive students either readily admit this or cop to it once asked.