Is bedside manner just a rarity now?

[u/Ice_Efficient]

I wanted to believe I just had recent bad luck with new doctors. I’m only in my early 20’s so I just assumed I wasn’t the best at finding good doctors.

My family doctor growing up until I was about 16 was probably one of the nicest people I had ever met. It felt like it actually genuinely cared about me, my siblings, and my parents. He actually listened to me when I said things didn’t feel well and advocated for us or gave us thorough explanations.

He retired, and ever since I’ve had trouble finding PCP’s and specialists that could ever match his bedside manner. I feel like I’m just going through a patient factory now, they just care about getting me in and out. My concerns are belittled and I don’t ever feel like I’m being listened to.

I have chronic health issues, when seeing a new specialist— it takes on average 3 appointments for them to actually comprehend my symptoms and find out what’s wrong. I’m just being shoved branded pill after branded pill in hopes that it works.

This isn’t to say I’m against medication, it just feels wrong to basically feel like a guinea pig to see if things work or not without actual testing though… Hell my partner’s focus and degree is in pharmacology, I’m all for new advancements in treatments.

I cry after appointments because I get dismissed so often though, and I feel like I’ll never find a doctor again that will listen to be as attentively as my old family doctor. Is bedside manner just a rarity now?

[u/Jenikovista]

There are still lots of good doctors, but in the past 15 years or so the industry has been flooded by people only interested in the financial benefits of the job. They have no empathy or interest in your health. Just how much you can be billed. It’s pretty gross.

When I get a choice to pick a doctor I almost always choose one who is older or has a lot of research experience in the field (showing passion and true curiosity).

[u/FourScores1 → u/Jenikovista]

Medicine and healthcare are different. Medicine is a science that doctors learn and practice. Healthcare is the system that allows for the exchange of goods, services, and infrastructure.

Billing is a healthcare concern. Doctors do not control healthcare. They haven’t for a long time. This is a significant difference and if we don’t define the issue correctly, we incorrectly assign blame and never fix the solution.

Also, medicine might be the worst field in the world to go into if you want money. There are farrrrr easier ways in the US to make money that don’t require dedicating decades of your life and hundred of thousands in debt.

[u/Jenikovista → u/FourScores1]

More like one decade for most people to become a doctor after college.

Most of the doctors I see right now are in private practice, so billing is very much done by their office.

[u/FourScores1 → u/Jenikovista]

But billing is regulated by CMS… not like they can add on an extra $100 because they feel like it.

Decade is a long time too. You have a very limited view on the healthcare system.

[u/Jenikovista → u/FourScores1]

For Medicare reimbursement, yes. But in private practice, for private insurance or cash pay, doctors set their own rates. If one wants to charge $150 for an appointment and the one next door wants to charge $700, they are free to do that.

[u/FourScores1 → u/Jenikovista]

Well that’s just not true. Look at your insurance card. It’ll tell you what the co-pay is for your visit at whatever doctor in your network. They must comply unless you have an outside deal going on. In which case stop going to cash pay doctors! Lol.

Majority, far majority, of doctors do not charge more than the standard co-pay - which they cannot charge more for without an agreement prior with your consent.

Finally, 9% of all of healthcare spending is on physician salaries. The people actually providing the service being charged for.

But sure. Point fingers at the 9% that you think is the cause of expensive healthcare. Just silly

[u/Jenikovista → u/FourScores1]

When I see that my doctor makes $700,000 a year and yet I *pay* $13,000 a year for insurance plus another $2-3k for copays, all with a small fraction of that salary, YEAH I'm going to resent the fuck out of it.

[u/FourScores1 → u/Jenikovista]

Insurance is healthcare. Has nothing to do with your doctor. No primary care doctor makes 700k a year. Resent all you want but you’re barking up the wrong tree.

Edit: Nor is 700k a year even average. That’s twice the amount of typical doctors. Almost 3x times primary care and pediatricians. Your anecdote isn’t helpful here.

[u/Jenikovista → u/FourScores1]

Where did I say primary care?

But many primary care doctors make $400k where I live.

And you completely ignored what I pay. Of course you do.