
What Surgeons Get Paid, and What Patients Think Surgeons Get Paid - duck
http://www.freakonomics.com/2012/06/06/what-surgeons-get-paid-and-what-patients-think-surgeons-get-paid/
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FireBeyond
The entire thing to me is a little disingenuous. Apparently, according to an
orthopedic surgeon, his study shows that people think orthopedic surgeons
should be paid $16,000 or so for a knee replacement. And that Medicare "only"
pays $1,400.

Let's clarify: Medicare pays the surgeon "only" $1,400. Medicare payments for
the surgery are far higher. Equipment, drugs, in patient stay, therapy,
anesthesiologist...

Bear in mind, now, that the typical knee replacement takes 1-3 hours. Those
1-3 hours are what lets the surgeon pocket his $1,400 (from Medicare - more if
privately/insurance billing).

Although the study is billed as an example of the disconnect of public
knowledge, it seems difficult to imagine it as anything less than an attempt
to increase Medicare payments to surgeons, which are already in the realm of
$500-$1,000 an hour for this particular procedure.

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zizee
Do the dollar amounts mentioned in the article include pre/post operation
work? Or just the actual operation itself? If it is just the time in the
operating theatre then 1.4k is not too shabby for a couple of hours work (i am
guessing that it doesn't take, on average, a whole day for most hip
replacements).

But if the $ mentioned is to cover before and after consultations, prep work
etc it seems a bit on the light side.

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naner
This has to do with Medicare specifically, not out of pocket costs for a self-
pay patient or regular insurance.

It is robbery and also probably a large part of the reason procedures are so
expensive for the rest of us. Regular insurance reimbursements are much more
reasonable but they still don't pay near what you'd pay if you had to pay for
a procedure out of pocket.

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WalterSear
This is what happens when you can't downvote on a news forum.

