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Doctors are in the business of helping people get healthy. And unfortunately in the US this is tied very tightly with finances. If a doctor in the US wants to
by paulcole 3y ago
Doctors are in the business of helping people get healthy. And unfortunately in the US this is tied very tightly with finances.
If a doctor in the US wants to be great at their job, they can’t ignore the financial component of their work — obviously some exceptions here like the doctors who work fee-for-service on the rich.
- alistairSH 3y agoNo idea why you're being down-voted, as I agree completely. If a doctor recommends a treatment that the patient can't afford, and the patient doesn't discover that until days later at the pharmacy, that likely results in wasted time for all involved. The patient has to meet with the doctor again to discuss cheaper alternatives. Or forgo treatment, and risk more significant health problems, which lead to more cost in the future. My dermatologist almost always discusses the costs of treatments. One example - a topical cream is available as name-brand or generic. The generic is formulated at a higher strength but costs less. So, I can pay more for a gentler, slower treatment. Or save money, but get a harsher treatment. Both work fine, but after selecting the harsh generic once, I won't do that again - it works faster, but the side-effects were miserable.