Cruitzer

Mark, a big part of the challenge is that Medicare price-sets in ways that distort the entire market. Take something like evacuating a subdural hematoma. My professional fee under Medicare is low enough that the only way a trauma program can function is if the hospital quietly subsidizes the neurosurgeons. That makes me dependent on the hospital and destroys physician autonomy. And that’s before the paperwork, chart audits, coding reviews, and compliance work needed just to get that payment released. Now separate that from the facility fee, which is where the real dollars are. Hospitals get far more than the surgeon because Medicare’s formulas reward overhead. That’s why independent physicians struggle while large systems grow. The bigger problem is we don’t actually have a real market price for most services. Primary care is dramatically underpriced, which is a big reason we have massive shortages. High-volume procedures like joint replacements are overpriced in a hospital setting which fuels consolidation. Independent cash-pay centers often do those same procedures for far less. So you end up with a system where doctors flock to DPC because it strips out that administrative burden and patients get lower prices because the market actually works. Many doctors are actually willing to take less to avoid the admin burden, or they cut out the layers of admin that are increasing costs. Any model pegged to Medicare rates inherits all of those distortions. To make a system work long term, you’d need not just guaranteed payment, but a way to let actual prices form and a way to reduce the administrative load that Medicare currently imposes.

There are two kinds of poverty: absolute and relative Elon is right that we can solve absolute poverty. In fact, we largely already have, especially in the developed world. Relative poverty is about envy. It’s a spiritual rather than economic problem and will always be with us.

BREAKING: In a shocking moment, Medicare & Medicaid head Mehmet Oz says if you want lower insurance premiums, just don't get sick. "If you really want to drop the cost of health care in America, get healthier." Sick advice from an absolute quack.

JUST IN: Elon Musk says AI and humanoid robots will "eliminate poverty" and "make everyone wealthy."