Doctors are scam artists

[Anonymous No.10886018]

American here

>pay $150/month for health insurance
>get respiratory tract infection
>book appointment with doctor a week in advance, take the day off work
>pay doctor "only" $100 thanks to my insurance discount
>doctor takes 5 minutes to look at my throat
>"hmm, I can't tell if it's bacterial, but I'll give you some antibiotics just to be safe"
>goes in the back to check webMD for what kind to prescribe (if he's going above and beyond)
>finally get permission from the state to take antibiotics
>pay "only" $50 at the pharmacy, thanks to my insurance discount

How can anyone defend this when you can buy the exact same drug for $15 with no prescription as long as the packaging says it's for birds?

[Anonymous No.10886023]

You're American right? That's what libertarian freeedom affords ya.

[Anonymous No.10886063]

>>10886023
The problem here is a lack of libertarian freedom, though. People think of the American healthcare system as being more "capitalist" than the socialized healthcare systems in Europe and Canada, but in reality, the reason it's so shit is because the state enforces a monopoly on doctors with unnecessarily stringent and expensive requirements to become one, and also mandates that you need permission from one of these overtrained boomers in order to take medicine. Healthcare would be much cheaper if "people who give medical advice" were voluntary consultants, and medicine was freely available for anyone to purchase. (addictive drugs like painkillers and stimulants not included)

[Anonymous No.10886095]

>>10886063
Welcome to the thread Mr. Shkreli I'm a big fan.

[Anonymous No.10886107]

>>10886018
never go the the doctor again then

[Anonymous No.10886119]

>america
>complaining about health insurance

no meme, this is literally a /pol/ topic

[Anonymous No.10886121]

I remember being sick of who knows what. But I basically had Dengue-like symptoms. I went to 3 doctors here in the US who all prescribed me random shit and antibiotics. None of the shit was working at all. I even got a shot that supposedly was a higher dosage than normal and the doctor warned me to come back if I felt anything go wrong. Didn't feel shit, but the same effects of my illness. I then went to Mexico to some shady ass doctor and he gave me some medicine that basically cured my shit the next day. Got bitch tits later on, but that shit worked.

[Anonymous No.10886187]

>>10886119
the European model and the ultra-libertarian model described here >>10886063 are both better than the current American system. It's like everything in America is specially formulated to rip off the citizens as efficiently as possible.

[Anonymous No.10886197]

>>10886121
Scientists would make better physicians because they would take a scientific approach compared to the "well, idk here have some medicine I hope it works". Physicians are turbo brainlets from my experience with premeds during my 3 years of undergrad.

[Anonymous No.10886244]

>>10886197
I don't understand why I can't go to my local lab and have then swab my throat, determine with actual certainty what kind of germs are in there, reference a table to find out what antibiotics or other mode of treatment will be effective, and hand the medicine to me right there before sending me on my way. What part of that transaction requires a PhD? I'd literally trust a student to do it.

[Anonymous No.10886251]

>>10886244
>I'd literally trust a student to do it.
doctors are all going to be replaced by computer AI anyway. But, they will be owned by big corporations that charge $300 medical test, which costs them 5 cents to perform.

[Anonymous No.10886265]

>>10886244
From what I remember, the cost and speed of such a method is not feasible.
There are new machines that are supposedly coming to market soon that claim to do what you are asking for. I think they are claiming something like a 2 day turnaround time.
I don't remember the details so don't quote me on this.

[Anonymous No.10886279]

>>10886251
>>10886265
What kind of equipment would be required to figure out what kind of bacteria I have at home? Just say hypothetically, I have a petri dish with some bacterial colonies from my throat and it's sitting on my desk. Are they checking them out with a really high-powered microscope, staining them or using some chemical test strips, or what?

[Anonymous No.10886295]

>>10886279
https://www.uwyo.edu/molb2210_lab/info/biochemical_tests.htm
I think they use some of these.
Anyway, from what I remember, the currents tests have a turnaround time of a few days minimum. I think I read something like 5-9 days or something depending on the test.
Yes, all of those tools are used:
https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/infections/diagnosis-of-infectious-disease/diagnosis-of-infectious-disease

[Anonymous No.10886309]

>>10886279
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/09/180920102125.htm
>A new cell phone app and lab kit now allow a smartphone to identify bacteria from patients anywhere in the world.

cell phones are the true multipurpose tool of our generation. You can build an adapter for them, sell the adapter online, and when coupled with the internet and power of AI they can diagnose almost anything.

One day I'd like to see this as an all in one unit instead of being a single adapter for a single test it can perform hundreds of medical tests. Medical industry would hate it, so you'd have to gain popularity in a non-US country first.

[Anonymous No.10886310]

Blame insurance companies ,private vs national etc. But a huge issue is medical education, we are expected to have a shortage of physicians yet the supply is arbitrarily capped by the AMA. Get rid of worthless barriers like requiring an undergrad degree and just make it to having pre reqs filled, expand mid-level and advanced practice education of other providers like nurses, PA's and pharmacists, and outright separate some specialties from medical school ie things like derma and psych should get their own schools like optometry and dentistry have. Burgerland medical salaries are inflated because of interest groups not due to quality of care.

[Anonymous No.10886354]

>>10886310
good post, makes sense

[Anonymous No.10886554]

>>10886121
>got bitch tits later on
Fucks sake anon

[Anonymous No.10886568]

>>10886295
>>10886309
>It requires little more than a smartphone, a hot plate, LED lights and a cardboard box.

Do normal humans own hotplates?

[Anonymous No.10886597]

>>10886568
yes, they're called stoves.

Normal humans use them to cook nutrition before consuming it.

[Anonymous No.10886612]

>>10886597
Stoves don't have the temp control that hotplates do.

[Anonymous No.10886624]

>>10886309
Too bad they brain damage and sterilize you. So much for your near-omnitool when its creators and users are completely incompetent.

It's like playing in an xray machine at the shoe store. Yes, there used to be xray machines for shoe fitting. Yes, kids used to play in them.

[Anonymous No.10886628]

>>10886063
>The state enforcing a monopoly on doctors is the problem.
>Not insurance companies forming an oligarchy.

[Anonymous No.10886633]

>>10886018
It's what you get for being unlucky enough to be born in the land of the mutts

[Anonymous No.10886641]

>>10886063
Think about antibiotic resistance tho, that's because retards use them to much that you need a prescription

[Anonymous No.10886649]

>>10886641
prescriptions is kinda broken though
Drug addicts still get scripts from 4 different doctors.
Doctors still overperscribe anti-biotics for cold and flu because of placebo effect and end up creating superbacteria.

[Anonymous No.10887095]

>>10886023
>Compulsory health insurance. State enforced monopolies. Drugs illegal without prescription.
How libertarian

[Anonymous No.10887096]

>>10886018
>>pay doctor "only" $100 thanks to my insurance discount
Did you go to a specialist or something? You should only be paying a copay of 10-25 bucks.

[Anonymous No.10887097]

>>10886628
OY VEY GOYIM DELETE THIS POST IMMEDIATELY. BLAMING THE DOCTORS IS THE APPROVED OPINION. LAY OFF THE INSURANCE COMPANIES UNLESS YOU WANT TO GET A VISIT FROM MY DOCTOR IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.

[Anonymous No.10887098]

I have a 20g bottle of Dox powder in the fridge of my lab. Shoulda asked me, woulda been free.

[Anonymous No.10887175]

>>10886063
>this is what libertarians actually believe
>this is even what a lot of ordinary conservatives actually believe.

>the state enforces a monopoly on doctors with unnecessarily stringent and expensive requirements to become one
I think the key word here is
>unnecessary

The libertarian's answer to everything - 'It would be a lot cheaper if we just got rid of safety standards.' Doctors only charge $10 dollars for a consultation now? Great. Don't mention the fact that it's because their only qualification is a three-year degree, and the rate at which they miss serious illnesses (which become extremely costly to treat if not caught early) is ten times a fully qualified doctor's.

It's typical right-wing economics - trick people into thinking you've made an improvement because you've lowered the upfront costs, while hoping people don't notice the explosion in the number of problems down the line which need to be paid for. It happens every time. Get rid of environmental regulations? Yep, it boosts jobs in the area for a few years - then there's a toxic spill that destroys thousands of hectares of land, crippling the local economy. Outsource prison contracts, celebrate the reduction in costs for a few years, then watch as crime goes up because private corporations have no interest in rehabilitating away their revenue stream.

There is a British saying: 'penny wise and pound foolish'. It describes the sort of person who'd park a mile away from their destination in a bad neighbourhood just because they didn't want to pay the £2 parking charge, and comes back to find their car has been broken into. If I had to sum up all of conservative economic philosophy in one phrase, it would be that one.

[Anonymous No.10887224]

>>10887175
You have to admit tho, snake oil is only a dollar a bottle and it "cures" almost everything.

[Anonymous No.10887233]

>>10886018
>American here
Found the problem. Fix your shitty health care system.

[Anonymous No.10887248]

>>10887233
We have a more fundamental problem of lobbying and money in politics. Politicians listen to their wallets and the insurance/pharma industries have the money.

[Anonymous No.10887263]

>>10886018
>American here

That’s your problem. American healthcare is horrendous and expensive.

[Anonymous No.10887267]

Yes- overpaid idiots in my experience

[Anonymous No.10887314]

>>10887175
>they miss serious illnesses (which become extremely costly to treat if not caught early) is ten times a fully qualified doctor's
Pulled right from the ass.
>penny wise and pound foolish
Don't need to explain it.
Plenty of arrogant lazy know nothings miss illnesses all the time. See plenty of you blokes here to get treatment that your country wouldn't provide even if you were willing to pay.
>(addictive drugs like painkillers and stimulants not included)
Fuck that. Power removed from doctors and given to the establishment. I used to contribute to society until the "war" on legal and reasonable prescription pain killers. They took my pills away and now I just shitpost.

[Anonymous No.10887786]

>>10887314
>Don't need to explain it
Well excuse me for assuming I'm dealing with morons when talking to Americans about healthcare.

>See plenty of you blokes here to get treatment that your country wouldn't provide even if you were willing to pay.
Speaking of things pulled right from the ass.

>Plenty of arrogant lazy know nothings miss illnesses all the time
So basically your underlying argument here is that since doctors who've been to medical school aren't perfect, the profession might as well be opened up to anyone who took a biology class in a community college (or heck, anyone who just feels like calling themselves a doctor regardless of qualification).

[Anonymous No.10888233]

>>10886063
Amerimutts really are a lost cause, aren't they.

[Anonymous No.10888235]

>>10886641
The invisible hand of market will fix it. Survival of the fittest.

[Anonymous No.10888239]

>>10886554
What?

[Anonymous No.10889147]

>>10886018
should've signed for obamacare fren

[Anonymous No.10889199]

>>10887175
Based, /pol/tards BTFO

[Anonymous No.10889209]

>>10886018
Insurance companies are the problem anon. The doctors don't really set the prices.

[Anonymous No.10889210]

>>10886018
>finally get permission from the state to take antibiotics
?
What do you mean by permission?

[Anonymous No.10889234]

>>10887314

If you actually had a serious case for pain medication then you would just go to a few different doctors until one was willing to believe your sob story.

It's hilarious because your stupid story isn't even the government's fault even if it was true.

[Anonymous No.10889237]

>>10886187
That's fine, burgers already have too much shekels from the jews for free, the jews just take them back, it's zero sum game.

[Anonymous No.10889266]

>>10886244
Well, it's useless, you don't really need antibiotics to cure a mild Streptococcus infection. Just eat that gay Halls to reduce symptoms. That's why doctors don't give a shit about it, if you want cure, you will receive it, but it's not a big deal, it will cure by itself anyway.