Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site abnji.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!zehntel!hplabs!sdcrdcf!sdcsvax!akgua!whuxlm!spuxll!abnji!jca From: jca@abnji.UUCP (james armstrong) Newsgroups: net.flame Subject: People who gouge others for profits Message-ID: <187@abnji.UUCP> Date: Thu, 17-Jan-85 13:10:48 EST Article-I.D.: abnji.187 Posted: Thu Jan 17 13:10:48 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 22-Jan-85 05:08:22 EST Organization: ATTIS, NJ Lines: 23 There has been a recent discussion about how lawyers gouge their clients, and society in general, for their own profit. I would suggest that there is a group even worse: Doctors. (Not the elderly types, but the new breed of doctor, ie less than 40 yrs old.) Remember those premeds back at your universities? The type of person most likely to succede is the type you'd least want as your Doctor- The unscrupuous money grubbers who would do anything. (I remember one who sabotaged others Organic Chemistry experiments by putting salt in their results...) What brought this on: We recently received a bill from a hospital for $7700+ for a 7 week stay for my Great Aunt (92 yrs. old). The Doctors at the hospital performed every test they could, just to build up a bill. They requested permission for an "exploratory operation" to remove fibers from her bladder. Were the fibers likely to be dangerous? "No ... " responded the Doctor. Quite annoying. Who pays for all this? We all do (my GA was on Medicaid), either through taxes or higher insurance rates. By the way, they never asked before performing many of the tests, they just did them.