Trump's Second and Third year in office
Quote: AZDuffmanI can't get my oil changed for a price that low!
That explains a lot.
Quote: boymimboFor propofil? My understanding is that you used to get 5 "units" for colonoscopy + the work units, but now get 3 "units" at $22/unit from Medicare.
Why do the rates vary so widely???? How does the AET get to charge $910, insurance gets to pay $378, and Medicare get to pay $66?
It's 3 base units plus probably 2 'time units', so 5 total units. A 'time unit' is 15 minutes. As I've said repeatedly, Medicare gets to pay $110 because THEY CAN! It is a LAW! They fix the rates at WHATEVER they want! They know anesthesiologists will be essentially forced to accept whatever they pay. That is not true for the gastroenterologist, for example. If they go too low for them they will just not do the cases, and when grandma can't find a GI doc to do her scope, her congressman will hear about it. Since there is never not an anesthesiologist to do the case no matter how little they pay, they unethically pay a ridiculously low rate.
Quote: AZDuffmanI can't get my oil changed for a price that low!
If I do the anesthesia for a Medicaid patient for an outpatient colonoscopy, I get paid LESS than the Medicaid cabbie.
Edit- If a mod wants to split this off please do.
Quote: SOOPOOIf I do the anesthesia for a Medicaid patient for an outpatient colonoscopy, I get paid LESS than the Medicaid cabbie.
Edit- If a mod wants to split this off please do.
You should have studied harder and been a dermatologist.
Quote: SOOPOOIf I do the anesthesia for a Medicaid patient for an outpatient colonoscopy, I get paid LESS than the Medicaid cabbie.
Edit- If a mod wants to split this off please do.
It always cracks me up when people complain what routine medical stuff costs, like an office visit. They will say how it "costs $50!" or whatever. When you mention what your car service costs, then they say, "but people NEED it!"
Doesn't change things. I figure my personal doctor needs to run $10,000 thru the place to cover costs and make a fair profit. Do a little math and the numbers make sense. The idea that you can pay $10 a visit is insane.
Assuming you administer the proper amount of Propofol and do everything proper prior and during the ordeal, I'll take the chance ill wake up on my own if I can forgo paying you.Quote: SOOPOOThank you. Pretty accurate. When a patient asks me how much it costs to be put to sleep, my answer is always the same..... "It's free! You pay me to wake you up!"
Quote: AZDuffmanIt always cracks me up when people complain what routine medical stuff costs, like an office visit. They will say how it "costs $50!" or whatever. When you mention what your car service costs, then they say, "but people NEED it!"
Doesn't change things. I figure my personal doctor needs to run $10,000 thru the place to cover costs and make a fair profit. Do a little math and the numbers make sense. The idea that you can pay $10 a visit is insane.
Same thing with....practically every business. Businesses have expenses and people can't seem to figure that out. When you go to a restaurant and they serve you a $5 piece of meat that you buy for $50 (example), they don't make $45 in profit on that. They have to pay the chef, the waiter/waitress/busboy (even if it's cheap), the hostess, not to mention the electricity/lights, rent for the property, dish washing, laundry (uniforms[?], table cloth, napkins), behind the scenes people like accountants probably, new dishes and glasses (sh** breaks), plus fade people dining & dashing or giving free desserts/meals to people who b**** about food and other stuff that breaks & stolen steak knives, idk if they have insurance but probably that, plus likely other stuff I don't know about b/c I'm not in the restaurant business....and on top of all that, the owner needs to turn a "sizable-enough" profit to make the venture worthwhile.
Granted, I don't know what kind of costs there are in a doctors office or a hospital or what kind of costs insurance companies have, but chances are their costs are significantly higher (and their profit is significantly lower) than most people would think.
Quote: RSSame thing with....practically every business. Businesses have expenses and people can't seem to figure that out. When you go to a restaurant and they serve you a $5 piece of meat that you buy for $50 (example), they don't make $45 in profit on that. They have to pay the chef, the waiter/waitress/busboy (even if it's cheap), the hostess, not to mention the electricity/lights, rent for the property, dish washing, laundry (uniforms[?], table cloth, napkins), behind the scenes people like accountants probably, new dishes and glasses (sh** breaks), plus fade people dining & dashing or giving free desserts/meals to people who b**** about food and other stuff that breaks & stolen steak knives, idk if they have insurance but probably that, plus likely other stuff I don't know about b/c I'm not in the restaurant business....and on top of all that, the owner needs to turn a "sizable-enough" profit to make the venture worthwhile.
Back when I was in pest control lead calls in, talking to one of the office girls. She asks me what the minimum is for some kind of service, which we were not supposed to quote anyhow. I tell her $150. She tells them. Says, "they want to know how much if he just does this one little part?"
"$150."
"Why is it the same they want to know?"
"Because we do not roll the truck for less. We have all kinds of costs, we do not charge just a few bucks to be there a few minutes."
"Thanks, have a nice day!"
Then there is the "do you know what they are making on this?" argument. To which I say, "why do you care, don't like the price, don't buy it."
Quote: AZDuffmanIt always cracks me up when people complain what routine medical stuff costs, like an office visit. They will say how it "costs $50!" or whatever. When you mention what your car service costs, then they say, "but people NEED it!"
Doesn't change things. I figure my personal doctor needs to run $10,000 thru the place to cover costs and make a fair profit. Do a little math and the numbers make sense. The idea that you can pay $10 a visit is insane.
The difference is that I can change my own oil with the right tools and a bit of effort. You can also do your own car repairs. In fact, you can read a book and do whatever you want to your car. And if the car is ruined as a result, you live.
You can also self-represent in court.
You can pretty much do any service activity on your own, except be a witness to your own signature.
Except for healthcare. I can't get my hands on my own anesthesiology drugs nor can I administer it to myself, or perform my own colonoscopy. The end result (by not doing anything) is a small risk for colon cancer. And the price is set by the doctors (private) who choose their own price and don't get paid most of the time anyway.
Come on WH, keep your lies in order!!!
Quote: boymimboor perform my own colonoscopy.
Oh, I bet you could. Everyone has their price. Some do it for free.
He's tough, and rough around the edges. He's politically incorrect, and he's exactly what we need right now.
Quote: boymimboThe difference is that I can change my own oil with the right tools and a bit of effort. You can also do your own car repairs. In fact, you can read a book and do whatever you want to your car. And if the car is ruined as a result, you live.
You can also self-represent in court.
You can pretty much do any service activity on your own, except be a witness to your own signature.
Except for healthcare. I can't get my hands on my own anesthesiology drugs nor can I administer it to myself, or perform my own colonoscopy. The end result (by not doing anything) is a small risk for colon cancer. And the price is set by the doctors (private) who choose their own price and don't get paid most of the time anyway.
So you are saying that a much higher price is justified due to the high skill level needed?
Quote: AZDuffmanSo you are saying that a much higher price is justified due to the high skill level needed?
I am saying that a MARKET price is justified based on a free market. Because the value of human life is high and the number of providers very limited (1 to 2 in very many places) , the market is not free. This allows medical professional like SOOPOO to charge $900 for private, receive various amounts of compensation from various insurers, or receive peanuts (which is actually more of the order of $66 for a Colonoscopy - 3 units - $22) from Medicare which works out to about $88/hour if an unit of work represents 15 minutes. SooPoo, I believe, works in a place where many providers are present and therefore the insurance companies need to compete a bit with a healthy dose of collusion to make sure everyone gets rich.
What I would like to see for medical professionals is an income that provides an very good income commensurate with their training that is consistent across the board. Maybe a rate of $300/work hour is a good rate for SooPoo, more for complex services, and less for simple services. Given that CMS reduced the amount they were paying for screen colonoscopies there was a decision made to pay 40% less than last year. So medicare/medicaid should pay out the same as insurance companies and should be close to the private cost as well. Maybe at $180 for the procedure which gets SooPoo to a respectable $240/work hour.
Colonoscopies are interesting because while you don't require full sedation most people (who are insured) will elect do it, which increases the cost of the routine procedure tremendously as it ups the AE charges and then adds in facility costs, etc, etc, to a point where the cost of doing the procedure runs in the thousands, for what should be routine preventative or diagnostic care costing hundreds.
Question for SooPoo. How much do you think you should get paid per hour of work? At what rate / hour would you say, "I quit"?
The other trump thread already devolved into a gun violence/2A thead.
Lets keep this thread about trump his policies scandals and stupidity/genius depemding on your pov
If you want to discuss the fair cost of a colonoscopy please start your own thread
Quote: darkozGuys guys guys
The other trump thread already devolved into a gun violence/2A thead.
Lets keep this thread about trump his policies scandals and stupidity/genius depemding on your pov
If you want to discuss the fair cost of a colonoscopy please start your own thread
Trump signs tariffs into law, skips Mexico and Canada. Estimates that it will create steel and aluminum jobs at the cost of killing jobs that use steel and aluminum products. Moreover, the exemption is on the raw material. It doesn't prevent someone from buying steel and aluminum goods made in these foreign lands.
Estimates by real experts suggest 100,000 - 150,000 jobs lost.
And you WILL get a retaliation from the EU, China (which produces over 1/2 of the world's aluminum) which will push up prices and inflation. That in turn will raise interest rates and put pressure on the debt.
Tariffs are good when a country is dumping commodities. Obama stuck a 500+% tariff on some rolled steel from China to stop them from the practice.
Quote: boymimboTrump signs tariffs into law, skips Mexico and Canada. Estimates that it will create steel and aluminum jobs at the cost of killing jobs that use steel and aluminum products. Moreover, the exemption is on the raw material. It doesn't prevent someone from buying steel and aluminum goods made in these foreign lands.
Estimates by real experts suggest 100,000 - 150,000 jobs lost.
And you WILL get a retaliation from the EU, China (which produces over 1/2 of the world's aluminum) which will push up prices and inflation. That in turn will raise interest rates and put pressure on the debt.
I just heard the impact will be about $150 on a car. Less than 1/2 of 1%.
Quote: AZDuffmanI just heard the impact will be about $150 on a car. Less than 1/2 of 1%.
I dont want to pay more for my chocolate
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/03/02/590314013/trumps-steel-aluminum-tariffs-could-raise-car-beer-and-candy-priceso
Quote: AZDuffmanI just heard the impact will be about $150 on a car. Less than 1/2 of 1%.
Dont you mean 15% of that $1000 bonus handed out because of tax cuts?
Lets see what else is done to get it all back lol
North Korean leader has invited Trump to a meeting, U.S. officials say.
And trumpy has said he's eager to meet Kim.
Quote: wapoNorth Korea’s belligerent leader, Kim Jong Un, has asked President Trump for talks and Trump has agreed to meet him “by May,” South Korea’s national security adviser said at the White House Thursday after delivering the invitation to the American president.
I for one hope trump does visit Korea. Maybe Kim will show him his anti-aircraft guns.
IT'S A TRAP!!!Quote: OnceDearBreaking news...
North Korean leader has invited Trump to a meeting, U.S. officials say.
And trumpy has said he's eager to meet Kim.
Yes. I agree.Quote: AxelWolfIT'S A TRAP!!!
You know, Obama received it just for being elected. LOL!
Quote: KeyserI wonder...do you suppose President Trump will receive the Nobel Peace Price for eliminating nukes and creating peace with North Korea?
You know, Obama received it just for being elected. LOL!
No i dont wonder.
Nice skit routine. Dont think its comedy central worthy though
Quote: AZDuffmanI just heard the impact will be about $150 on a car. Less than 1/2 of 1%.
Funny, the GOP was making a big deal when a high school teacher was bringing home an extra $1.50/week!
Historically, under Reagan, Clinton, Bush I and II, Obama, and now Trump, tariffs have had a detrimental effect on the economy. I guess you think the job loss estimates that even the right-wing think tanks are coming up with is fake news.
Trade deals are key to economic success - things that open up barriers around the world is the only way that the US is going to continue to be economically successful. Go on and say what you want to say about bad trade deals. But please explain exactly what trade deals were bad and why they were bad. Cite your sources.
Or read this: US wins trade agreements
Or another point of view: It's Not Bad Trade Deals, it's bad money. Blame currency manipulation and cheap money and bad US monetary policy for the trade imbalance.
Quote: boymimboFunny, the GOP was making a big deal when a high school teacher was bringing home an extra $1.50/week!
The point is that it is not the end of the world it is being made out to be,
Quote:Trade deals are key to economic success - things that open up barriers around the world is the only way that the US is going to continue to be economically successful.
And that is the idea, get markets opened up. The USA has been played as a sucker on trade deals for decades now. NAFTA was supposed to be this great thing. But we went from trade surplus to deficit with Mexico and factories closed all over the land.
Quote: KeyserI wonder...do you suppose President Trump will receive the Nobel Peace Price for eliminating nukes and creating peace with North Korea?
You know, Obama received it just for being elected. LOL!
It's weird, EvenBob made almost the exact same post at DT. Is there some right wing news source that is confusing "agrees to talks" with "agrees to eliminate their nukes?"
If Trump DOES get NK to eliminate their nukes and create peace, then he should get the Nobel Prize. That being said, I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you....
Quote: NathanI was shocked to learn that North Korea really does have nukes in this day and age. I assumed the whole "North Korea has nukes they can use to blow up USA," was propaganda trash meant to unfairly cause tensions between North Korea and USA. I can't believe that NK really does have nukes in 2018. This isn't 1942 or 1984. I would think we would have evolved better than to still worry about nukes.
Quote: MaxPen
I'll admit I am a bit naive at times and need to open up my eyes more. I also actually thought an internet cafe that was closed down years ago and had a restaurant open up in its place rented out the restaurant for a night. That was stupid of me. LOL. SMH.
Quote: NathanI was shocked to learn that North Korea really does have nukes in this day and age. I assumed the whole "North Korea has nukes they can use to blow up USA," was propaganda trash meant to unfairly cause tensions between North Korea and USA. I can't believe that NK really does have nukes in 2018. This isn't 1942 or 1984. I would think we would have evolved better than to still worry about nukes.
There was one post you did in another thread that pegged you as being wiser than you let on and a possibly savvy AP
So... Are you just play acting?
Nukes in 1942? Shocked the world has nukes in this day and age?
Hmmm... Smh
Quote: darkozThere was one post you did in another thread that pegged you as being wiser than you let on and a possibly savvy AP
So... Are you just play acting?
Nukes in 1942? Shocked the world has nukes in this day and age?
Hmmm... Smh
Well maybe more like "Living in denial," about the nuke thing ;)
The possible savvy AP post may have been the "Take the Wynn offer and don't come back for an entire year, do the same thing next year and so on," advice in the hopes that if the OP of that thread only played Wynn once a year his Wynn offers would have grown substantially.;)
Or the thread where someone asked if $200 in cash or $250 in free play was better. Not realizing that he meant playing in an online Casino, I answered something like, "$200 is better because you have cold hard cash that you can use to get the heck out of Dodge and run for the hills with it. If you take the $250 free play you HAVE to play that $250 free play and may be feeling fatigued at this point and make stupid bets on tight machines. If you only end up making $50 from the $250, you'll be kicking yourself for not running with that $200 right off the bat. I pointed out that if you are feeling fresh, wide awake, and alert you're better off picking the $250 in free play since you are more likely to make good bets in good slots.
Quote: AZDuffmanAnd that is the idea, get markets opened up. The USA has been played as a sucker on trade deals for decades now. NAFTA was supposed to be this great thing. But we went from trade surplus to deficit with Mexico and factories closed all over the land.
Keep toting the FoxNews line. It was the devaluation of the Peso and removal of key tariffs that drove jobs south. On the other hand, manufacturing was suffering before NAFTA and manufacturing jobs GREW in the years after NAFTA was passed. They started to tank once China joined the WTO.
You can read this
Something supporting your argument
Or this
Quote: KeyserI wonder...do you suppose President Trump will receive the Nobel Peace Price for eliminating nukes and creating peace with North Korea?
If Trump can get NK to eliminate nukes, open up their borders, and solve their humanitarian crisis, he would definitely have earned a Nobel Peace Prize.
NK has been rebuffed for a meeting by every american president in the last 20 years
NK has repeatedly said they want to be recognized as equals at the bargaining table
Trump is now handing them exactly what they want. An opportunity to be major players in global affairs
Trump is so stupid. An object lesson in how money handed down from your parents means you can be as stupid as forrest gump and still succeed
Quote: darkozAccording to NK specialists trump is about to play the fool
NK has been rebuffed for a meeting by every american president in the last 20 years
NK has repeatedly said they want to be recognized as equals at the bargaining table
Trump is now handing them exactly what they want. An opportunity to be major players in global affairs
Trump is so stupid. An object lesson in how money handed down from your parents means you can be as stupid as forrest gump and still succeed
There are some positive scenarios about the meeting between Kim and Trump, most of which having to do with Trump ending up in a prison camp.
But seriously, Pyongyang has shifted its strategy markedly. They've calmed down their rhetoric, teamed up with South Korea at the Olympics, and hasn't done any major arms tests in a while.
At the best, NK will get rid of its nukes and in exchange, NK will gets all of its sanction lifted and will raise NK's status to the same as the other despot nations on Earth. That's the most we can hope for.
Quote: boymimboThere are some positive scenarios about the meeting between Kim and Trump, most of which having to do with Trump ending up in a prison camp.
But seriously, Pyongyang has shifted its strategy markedly. They've calmed down their rhetoric, teamed up with South Korea at the Olympics, and hasn't done any major arms tests in a while.
At the best, NK will get rid of its nukes and in exchange, NK will gets all of its sanction lifted and will raise NK's status to the same as the other despot nations on Earth. That's the most we can hope for.
Counterfeit money is the real problem
The treasury dept is amazed at what NK can do. They print the best counterfeit money on the planet
Nukes is a potential problem that may never develop
NK flooding the planet with the best counterfeit money a country can print is the real problem
Quote: AxelWolfAssuming you administer the proper amount of Propofol and do everything proper prior and during the ordeal, I'll take the chance ill wake up on my own if I can forgo paying you.
That's what a certain celebrity said......
Quote: boymimboKeep toting the FoxNews line. It was the devaluation of the Peso and removal of key tariffs that drove jobs south. On the other hand, manufacturing was suffering before NAFTA and manufacturing jobs GREW in the years after NAFTA was passed. They started to tank once China joined the WTO.
You said it, not me.
night. I happened to have the TV on
(a rarity) when SK made the announcement.
I turned to MS and CNN for fun and was
amazed at how supportive they were.
Some were saying Trump will go down as
one of our best presidents if he pulls this
off.
Then the memo's from above came in and
they immediately went to, Trump will screw
this up, he's being played, he will cause a
nuke attack, he's a fool, we're all doomed.
But for a brief period, they were honest. It
was quite refreshing.
Quote: EvenBobIt was interesting on CNN and MS last
night. I happened to have the TV on
(a rarity) when SK made the announcement.
I turned to MS and CNN for fun and was
amazed at how supportive they were.
Some were saying Trump will go down as
one of our best presidents if he pulls this
off.
Then the memo's from above came in and
they immediately went to, Trump will screw
this up, he's being played, he will cause a
nuke attack, he's a fool, we're all doomed.
But for a brief period, they were honest. It
was quite refreshing.
I agree with evenbob
After they lied about trump maybe going down as the best president ever fhey finally told the truth
Quote: darkozI agree with evenbob
After they lied about trump maybe going down as the best president ever fhey finally told the truth
I never said that, so you aren't agreeing with
me. I wish every president was as 'bad' as
Trump. If Obama had been half as 'bad' as
Trump, he wouldn't be the laughing stock
he is today.. Trump has gotten more done
in a year than Obama did in 8 years.
Quote: EvenBobTrump has gotten more done
in a year than Obama did in 8 years.
Quote: rxwineI don't get what all the excitement about this Trump meeting. It's not even the equivalent of the beginning of first day of negotiations. Everyone knows how many times negotiating talks start and often get nowhere.
Besides being delusional trumpers need something to trump about while the adminiatration collapses quicker than an obama birther conspiracy
Quote: rxwineI don't get what all the excitement about this Trump meeting. It's not even the equivalent of the beginning of first day of negotiations. Everyone knows how many times negotiating talks start and often get nowhere.
It was the only thing Trump could think of to knock his porn star diddling off the front page. He even ran in the press room himself to announce he would be announcing it later. First visit to the press room.
That was last night. Today, as the air went out, his SoS among others expressed complete ignorance, and SHS backed out of it citing conditions, they leaked a rumor that Trump is axing WHCOS Kelly, NSA McMasters, and Jared and Ivanka.
Everybody gets tossed out of the troika when the wolves are snapping at your heels, I guess. More non-porn star headlines tomorrow.
Quote: rxwineI don't get what all the excitement about this Trump meeting. It's not even the equivalent of the beginning of first day of negotiations. Everyone knows how many times negotiating talks start and often get nowhere.
It is like when Nixon went to China. Or the Russians agreeing to meet with Reagan. Much smaller country, but same idea. After decades of hostility, they asked for a meeting. We did not beg, they asked. Not like when Obama just decided to relax relations with Cuba with nothing in return.
