Ontario has too many millionaire doctors man

[Locutus]

Ontario Health Minister Deb Matthews 'appalled' by number of millionaire doctors

Surely you've seen this tableau play out in North American pop culture.

A wealthy surgeon exits his multimillion-dollar home and jumps into a shiny sports car. Expensive golf clubs sit in the back seat, primed for a weekend round with other wealthy surgeons (and maybe a politician or two).

Stereotypes like this have inspired generations of parents to push their children in medical school — some for the important contribution doctors make to society, others for the idea that it will cement a lifestyle filled with wealth and prestige.

Though there are a handful of medical professionals who indeed fit the scene above, the reality is a little less cushy.

Only a small number of specialists command salaries in the seven figures, while most doctors these days are paying off massive student loans well into their careers.

Compared to the U.S., Canada has far fewer surgeons tooling around in luxury vehicles. And with the recently announced fee cuts, the National Post reports that many Canadian docs are considering a move down south.

But as QMI Agency reports, Ontario's Health Minister is still angered by the number of millionaire doctors populating the province.
"I was appalled when I saw how many were making in excess of $1 million," Deb Matthews said, referring to a list that counted over 400 names in 2010.

"Some doctors are getting paid too much. We need to address the issue of relativity. Some doctors in some specialties are earning a fraction of what doctors in other specialties are earning."


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Ontario Health Minister Deb Matthews 'appalled' by number of millionaire doctors | Daily Brew - Yahoo! News Canada




h/t sda

 

[TenPenny]

Ah, yes, the solution is simple. Put all doctors, of all specialties, on salary at, say, $250,000 per year. Fixed hours, no overtime, full benefits, paid vacations, and the standard guaranteed pension with COLA clauses.

See how well your system fares after that.

 

[Spade]

If a doctor weren't a millionaire, I'd question his competence.

 

[El Barto]

If a doctor weren't a millionaire, I'd question his competence.

How do you equate that?

 

[Walter]

Matthews is daft.

 

[Machjo]

Ontario Health Minister Deb Matthews 'appalled' by number of millionaire doctors

Surely you've seen this tableau play out in North American pop culture.

A wealthy surgeon exits his multimillion-dollar home and jumps into a shiny sports car. Expensive golf clubs sit in the back seat, primed for a weekend round with other wealthy surgeons (and maybe a politician or two).

Stereotypes like this have inspired generations of parents to push their children in medical school — some for the important contribution doctors make to society, others for the idea that it will cement a lifestyle filled with wealth and prestige.

Though there are a handful of medical professionals who indeed fit the scene above, the reality is a little less cushy.

Only a small number of specialists command salaries in the seven figures, while most doctors these days are paying off massive student loans well into their careers.

Compared to the U.S., Canada has far fewer surgeons tooling around in luxury vehicles. And with the recently announced fee cuts, the National Post reports that many Canadian docs are considering a move down south.

But as QMI Agency reports, Ontario's Health Minister is still angered by the number of millionaire doctors populating the province.
"I was appalled when I saw how many were making in excess of $1 million," Deb Matthews said, referring to a list that counted over 400 names in 2010.

"Some doctors are getting paid too much. We need to address the issue of relativity. Some doctors in some specialties are earning a fraction of what doctors in other specialties are earning."


more


Ontario Health Minister Deb Matthews 'appalled' by number of millionaire doctors | Daily Brew - Yahoo! News Canada




h/t sda

Supply and demand. If doctors in one specialty earn too much, then train more people in that speciality and salaries will start to drop.

 

[lone wolf]

Don't millionaires pay more taxes?

 

[taxslave]

How do you equate that?

If he isn't a millionaire he obviously does not know how to do billing.

 

[El Barto]

If he isn't a millionaire he obviously does not know how to do billing.

I would equate that to having more interest of making money than following his proffession.

 

[B00Mer]

Put all doctors, of all specialties, on salary at, say, $250,000 per year.

The reason there is a doctor shortage in Canada is because south of the border they get paid more..

Limit the salary of doctors in Ontario and they will move to other provinces or to the USA..

Ontario is going to shoot itself in the foot if it tries to regulate doctors wages.

ECFMG® | Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates they just pass a the USMLE and they are now earning 3 times the pay.

 

[taxslave]

I would equate that to having more interest of making money than following his proffession.

I thought that was the whole point. You don't think anyone is going to spend all that time in school just to be poor do you?

 

[El Barto]

I thought that was the whole point. You don't think anyone is going to spend all that time in school just to be poor do you?

Isn't the premise of learning a proffession to do what you love?
Mind you some doctors get a commission for the perscriptions they give out ....

 

[LiesOfTheIntell]

If a doctor weren't a millionaire, I'd question his competence.

If he is a millionaire, I'd question his ethics, I'd question his motivation, and I'd question the system that supports such immoral GREED.

lol @ Deb Mathews for not knowing. lol @ Mathews for acting tough, 3 years too late. Your fake disgust at this issue and what has transpired at Ornge, E-Health and a few other financial scams, comes too little, too late, and only finds expression since now it is plitically expedient to do so.

Sorry Deb, you've benefitted significantly by being part of the ruling class, you've benefitted by nepotism. (Father in law was Don Mathews President PC party of Ontario, she's also related to ex-Premier Peterson). You're a fraud. I'll never vote for you or any Liberal again.

Yes pay them less, much less. They want to move south? Good, make sure they repay 75% of their schooling costs that the taxpayer invested in their education.

If you remove the medical elites from setting the entrance requirments for med schools, in other words if you remove the self-serving self regulation, then I suspect you can graduate teh amount of docs as required by society.

 

[Nuggler]

Not often I agree with Walter, but Debby is daffy fer sure.

Health care system gradually (with fed. & prov. help) going down the tubes and the best she can do is diss the docs for having bucks.

 

[lone wolf]

How come government people don't rein in lawyers and insurance companies?

 

[L Gilbert]

"Ontario Health Minister Deb Matthews 'appalled' by number of millionaire doctors"

Yeah, well her being a politician says everything. IMO, I don't care what anyone makes as long as they are paid relevant to their ability.

 

[LiesOfTheIntell]

How come government people don't rein in lawyers and insurance companies?

Because it is a canard that insurance costs are a significant factor in the budget. They account for < 2%.

It's good to be informed no?

"Ontario Health Minister Deb Matthews 'appalled' by number of millionaire doctors"

Yeah, well her being a politician says everything. IMO, I don't care what anyone makes as long as they are paid relevant to their ability.

Their pay is entirely subjective so why the brain dead comment? Other docs do the same work, some for almost twice that rate, most for less than half.

Doctors control their own labour supply. End their labour supply monopoly, end their monopolization of patient records, and watch the costs of our "second most expensive system of 'health care' in teh world" drop to much more reasonable rates.

Oh and a big LOL at Deb Mathews for suddenly giving a damn about costs. Sorry Deb, you should of made cuts years ago. I kick myself in the ass for voting for you last time, I'll never vote for you or Liberals ever again.

 

[lone wolf]

Because it is a canard that insurance costs are a significant factor in the budget. They account for < 2%.

It's good to be informed no?

By you? No....

 

[Kreskin]

Doctors are self-employed with fixed commissions. They aren't given government offices, they pay for their offices and all the equipment in them. Most, if not all, are incorporated. They aren't government employees.

Rather than quibble over how much commission they make the Provincial bodies need to loosen up other rules. Pharmacists should have some ability to prescribe meds under certain limited situations. More doctor appointments could be handled by telephone.

 

[Liberalman]

Doctors

Hospital visits in the mornings

Seeing patients from mid-morning to afternoon

Reviewing patient’s lab results and tests.

Giving patients treatments orders and then follow-ups

A doctor’s day is 12 hours.

A specialist spends more time in the operating theatre.

Doctors are over worked so they get the big bucks.

Cut their pay and they will cut their hours because it will not be worth it for them and the aging population will suffer.

You will have the choice of cheaper services like nurse practitioners and they are not doctors and your life will be in their hands and there will be other disciplines like needles and beads and all kinds of quackery.