universal health care

[dmd20000]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

how will universal health care affect the salary of the dentist?
will it go down to $50,000 a year?

 

[MrLebowski]

Thanks to Bear Stearns, AIG, and many many thousands of bad mortgages we'll be paying for on top of a $10 trillion national debt, we likely won't be able to see universal healthcare anytime in the immediate future. Unless we raise taxes to 70% (anyone??).

But to answer the question, Japan for instance has universal health care with both government and private insurance programs available, depending on employment situation. There are still private clinics, the profession is still very much a business, and dentists do quite lucratively there (along the lines of their American counterparts).

The key to maintenance of this high earning is limited Government management of the system as a whole, allowing for competition and private enterprise while still providing coverage access for all. Thankfully it seems Obama plans to go down this road rather than restructure the whole system a la Canada.

 

[gomisweird]

Follow Canada's single-payer system and you will see universal health care.

 

[smile101]

I don't know how it will affect the salary of dentist, but I think a mixed system would be a better option. If all other industrialized nations can manage to have one then we can too. In reality, it may be extremely hard to establish one in the United States. Many health care providers are used to independence and there certainly will be objections!

 

[MrLebowski]

Follow Canada's single-payer system and you will see universal health care.

Canada is a bad example of an ideal universal system. I'm about as liberal as they come, but I still don't like the idea of Government administering the entire system like they do up north. Just look at how well the Government is managing everything else in our country right now.

What we need is the Government to sell affordable premiums to anyone not able to be covered through employer-sponsored insurance (again, see Japan) and keep the business end of the healthcare free enterprise to ensure competition and quality.

This idea of "free healthcare for all" was never put on the table by either candidate, and is fiscally impossible in a country as big as America with so many non- or under-contributors with high demands for Government assistance.

 

[Contach]

In Canada, Dentistry is still private. We have not gotten around to giving universal dental care just yet... In the UK, they tried to make dental care public, but it is failing and in retaliation many dentists have been successfully opening privately, fee-for-service clinics.

 

[Epictetus21]

In Canada, Dentistry is still private. We have not gotten around to giving universal dental care just yet... In the UK, they tried to make dental care public, but it is failing and in retaliation many dentists have been successfully opening privately, fee-for-service clinics.

Yeah, I have a friend who lived in the UK for a few years and he told me that there are basically two types of people getting medical and dental services: those who can afford to pay a private practitioner and get decent care, and those who can't, and so they have to go to the substandard government payed practitioners. Basically all of the good physicians and dentists practice privately on a fee for service basis, and the only ones who are forced to accept the government coverage are the ones who aren't good enough to practice privately. The US won't be able to force medical professionals to take lower fees any time soon. The costs of an education and practice overhead are way to high. If they try to force it on the medical/dental communities, they will simply find practitioners going out of business. They will either find that the current shortage of medical professionals will greatly increase, or they will find many clinicians dropping government coverage completely and moving to fee for service practices.

 

[hoss19]

Yeah, I have a friend who lived in the UK for a few years and he told me that there are basically two types of people getting medical and dental services: those who can afford to pay a private practitioner and get decent care, and those who can't, and so they have to go to the substandard government payed practitioners. Basically all of the good physicians and dentists practice privately on a fee for service basis, and the only ones who are forced to accept the government coverage are the ones who aren't good enough to practice privately. The US won't be able to force medical professionals to take lower fees any time soon. The costs of an education and practice overhead are way to high. If they try to force it on the medical/dental communities, they will simply find practitioners going out of business. They will either find that the current shortage of medical professionals will greatly increase, or they will find many clinicians dropping government coverage completely and moving to fee for service practices.

there are also quite a few brits who, when given the opportunity, seek dental care in other countries...because the cost at some of the uk FFS practices is steep for procedures relative to what is charged in other countries. i learned this while working with a brit/american citizen who noted that she, along with several of her family and friends back home in the uk opted to pay out of pocket abroad for services. mostly though they travel for expensive procedures like multiple implants, etc. and not so much less costly cleanings and restorative work.

all in all, i dont think (hope?) there will be vast changes in dentists's salaries as a result of the eminent changes in healthcare policy next year.

 

[AggieDDS]

They will either find that the current shortage of medical professionals will greatly increase, or they will find many clinicians dropping government coverage completely and moving to fee for service practices.

Actually, there isn't really a shortage of people who want to go into these professions (doctorate programs). There is a self imposed restriction on the # of people allowed to enter the professions in order to keep wages up.

There is a real shortage of nurses, however.

 

[Enso]

how will universal health care affect the salary of the dentist?
will it go down to $50,000 a year?

I can't see universal health care covering any aspect of cosmetic dentistry.

 

[MrLebowski]

I can't see universal health care covering any aspect of cosmetic dentistry.

This is true, but when every dentist in the country realizes this and becomes a cosmetic dentist, the supply will far outstretch the demand and the net result will be lower pay for everyone.

 

[gomisweird]

As a ex-Canadian myself, I feel like Canada's is much much superior. They are ranked higher than the USA in overall W.H.O. healthcare ranking. Yes, there are some flaws, but I can guarantee you this: No Canadian will ever trade their health-care card for your American healthcare 🙂

 

[Epictetus21]

As a ex-Canadian myself, I feel like Canada's is much much superior. They are ranked higher than the USA in overall W.H.O. healthcare ranking. Yes, there are some flaws, but I can guarantee you this: No Canadian will ever trade their health-care card for your American healthcare 🙂

Yeah, as long as you can stand to wait a couple of months to be seen by a physician. Personally, I'll pay more out of pocket and be sure that I can get an appointment for myself or a family member this week.

 

[Enso]

This is true, but when every dentist in the country realizes this and becomes a cosmetic dentist, the supply will far outstretch the demand and the net result will be lower pay for everyone.

The Dude, Duder, El Duderino 😉 --

With the amount of people in the US that need and want dental work, cosmetic or not, I can't fathom there being "too many cosmetic dentists." Especially with the dispensable incomes of future baby boomers.

Great movie by the way.

 

[Contach]

As a ex-Canadian myself, I feel like Canada's is much much superior. They are ranked higher than the USA in overall W.H.O. healthcare ranking. Yes, there are some flaws, but I can guarantee you this: No Canadian will ever trade their health-care card for your American healthcare 🙂

that's not really a fair trade since Canadians are paying out of our asses for our Health care system.

A better trade would be our healthcare system + taxes for USA's healthcare system + taxes. For the wealthy, the USA option is probably better - but if everyone thought like me, our country would be doomed.

 

[gomisweird]

It's not about being wealthy or not; what if the insurance company won't even cover it?

In the USA, you have effectively REMOVED 50 million from this "line".

And frankly, the $12,000 a year you pay for insurance here in the USA may not be a 'tax', but it's still a big fat bite out of my ass.


This is why France > Canada > every other industrial country > USA in health care.

 

[boxdesker]

...but it's still a big fat bite out of my ass...

Wonderful imagery.