I have a graph that I show to people who complain about "the high cost of doctors" which shows the growth in total health care costs compared to the costs of doctors' fees and to the costs of administrators salaries. Administrators have skyrocketed in numbers and in salaries in the past 20 years, doctors have been almost stagnant in both areas. The reason health care costs so much today is that people who do nothing to deliver healthcare are taking over the system.
This is why 60 cents or more out of every health care dollar spent goes to administrative and regulatory costs. Bureaucracy.
The orthopedic surgeon who did my ankle recently said that he joined his practice in 2001 and since that time they've kept the same number of MDs, same number of support staff, and same number of patients.
Today he's making less money, and we're all paying higher premiums. And the prior year
United Health Care made a $3B profit. That's not where I want my medical dollars going.
