Medical Questions » Diet Questions » Question No. 281
| Question: | Why are doctors' fees so high? They all earn a fortune, so why do they insist on robbing sick people? |
| Answer: | Doctors' fees in Australia are very reasonable by world standards. A general practitioner consultation in the United States will cost US$70 (AUS$140), in Hong Kong HK$350 (AUS$90) and a private GP in England will charge £25 (AUS$70). The AMA recommends that S45.00 is a reasonable fee for a standard general practitioner consultation, but Medicare only gives a rebate of $23.50.
Doctors in Australia earn a reasonable income, but they are not in the millionaire class by a long way! Some general practitioners are suffering considerable financial hardship.
What the public tends to forget is that it takes at least 12 years after leaving school to become a doctor in private practice. That is many years of no income or low income that has to be made up.
Doctors also take a great deal of responsibility in their job, work long hours and often have disturbed family lives. As a last straw, the expenses in running a practice take $6 out of every $10 the doctor earns, and in pathology and X-ray practice this may exceed $8.50 out of every $10 earned.
Medicare has provided a financial safety net for Australians who fall chronically ill. There should no longer be any excuse for anyone not being able to see a doctor about any medical problem for financial reasons. Patients are still expected to meet some of the cost of their medical care, but any patient who has genuine hardship with the payment of fees should discuss the matter with their doctor.
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