How much $$$ are you missing from your paycheck

[digimon7068]

How much will you charge me to do my taxes bro?

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you live in florida, so you only need a federal return...you just have w-2's and maybe some other miscellaneous stuff (e.g., interest income), right? you don't have any ex-pat issues or anything, do you?

 

[youpissmeoff]

How much will you charge me to do my taxes bro?

Sent from my HTC One V using EliteFitness

You need to pull out a 1040ez and do it yourself, taxes are not complex enough for a heavy hitter like Digi.

 

[mrplunkey]

I actually like all those changes and believe they will ultimately lower medical cost.

Those changes will lower the medical cost to some individuals, but that cost will be re-absorbed by taxpayers, businesses and healthy individuals. The total cost in the system certainly won't go down and could very well go up. And all of those situations are highly susceptible to abuse.

The changes also pile-on cost of employees. For a $250,000 a year professional, the added cost isn't significant. For a $15.00/hour factory worker, the cost impact is devastating. It really comes down to how many lower-end jobs we want to make available.

 

[digimon7068]

Those changes will lower the medical cost to some individuals, but that cost will be re-absorbed by taxpayers, businesses and healthy individuals. The total cost in the system certainly won't go down and could very well go up. And all of those situations are highly susceptible to abuse.

The changes also pile-on cost of employees. For a $250,000 a year professional, the added cost isn't significant. For a $15.00/hour factory worker, the cost impact is devastating. It really comes down to how many lower-end jobs we want to make available.

not only will the costs go up, but our standard of care will go down (see canada).

 

[mrplunkey]

not only will the costs go up, but our standard of care will go down (see canada).

Yup.

That's happening now.

Cheaper products that are "good enough" are the rage in medical devices. Is a vendor offers something that is cheaper in construction and price, the burden of proof is on the incumbent device to show that it is better. Considering the fact that proof can take years (or decades), customers adopt the cheaper device and wait for the clinical data to prove them wrong.

 

[digimon7068]

Yup.

That's happening now.

Cheaper products that are "good enough" are the rage in medical devices. Is a vendor offers something that is cheaper in construction and price, the burden of proof is on the incumbent device to show that it is better. Considering the fact that proof can take years (or decades), customers adopt the cheaper device and wait for the clinical data to prove them wrong.

docs have been getting hosed for years...some poindexter with a 4-year degree from the insurance company tells a doc with a 15-year education what his services are worth...tail...wag...dog.

 

[mrplunkey]

I'm seeing another interesting thing in surgery centers that may bridge over to hospitals.

Patients are told to bring their credit cards on the day of surgery. Before surgery, they are offered "buy-ups" where they can pay out of pocket for treatments/procedures/devices that are outside the standard-of-care.

So picture this. You've got cartilage damage in your knee and they are going to clean it up. As-is, you'll probably be a knee replacement candidate in 15 years. But if you want to swipe your credit card for $450, they'll use a cartilage-sparing device that can remove the extruded tissue and perhaps buy you another 10 to 15 years until you need knee replacement. No long-term studies are available, but the science behind the device is sound.

So do you swipe your card or not?

 

[mrplunkey]

docs have been getting hosed for years...some poindexter with a 4-year degree from the insurance company tells a doc with a 15-year education what his services are worth...tail...wag...dog.

Yup.

And here's what's funny to me. Since the plastic surgery market is largely out of pocket, those guys have to price their services at market.

So let's see... a boob job runs about $4K and you sit in a doctor's office with a coy pond and mediation waterfall for about two minutes until they whisk you into an exam room and give you the full-on customer treatment. They know you can choose your provider and see you as a lifetime annuity for future procedures.

Now contrast that with a hip replacement.

You're hauled into a cattle-style waiting room, see the doctor for ~20 seconds, told to be at the hospital at 6:00 am for a 11:00 surgery which may or may not happen and then may see your doctor for another ~60 seconds the day after the procedure. And what's the total cost? Oh, about $60,000.

So why are boobs $4k an a hip $60k?

 

[digimon7068]

Yup.

And here's what's funny to me. Since the plastic surgery market is largely out of pocket, those guys have to price their services at market.

So let's see... a boob job runs about $4K and you sit in a doctor's office with a coy pond and mediation waterfall for about two minutes until they whisk you into an exam room and give you the full-on customer treatment. They know you can choose your provider and see you as a lifetime annuity for future procedures.

Now contrast that with a hip replacement.

You're hauled into a cattle-style waiting room, see the doctor for ~20 seconds, told to be at the hospital at 6:00 am for a 11:00 surgery which may or may not happen and then may see your doctor for another ~60 seconds the day after the procedure. And what's the total cost? Oh, about $60,000.

So why are boobs $4k an a hip $60k?

uhhhh, cuz the insurance company will turn around and only pay them like $15,000???

 

[mrplunkey]

uhhhh, cuz the insurance company will turn around and only pay them like $15,000???

The insurance company reimbursement makes the market. There's no incentive to innovate or reduce cost.

Plastic surgery is subject to market forces and the prices have become highly competitive.