>>>>>>That's how the system works. When doctors are considered a fair game, patients become fair game for doctors.
>>>>>
>>>>>I agree completely, except that I wouldn't call it a system. It's an industry, that's how they call themselves anyway.
>>>>
>>>>Of course it's a system, but it's a sink and has no output. It takes ill people as input and converts them into money for the doctors. Sometimes there's a bi-product - the odd well person gets output.
>>>
>>>It's not a system. It's a bunch of sort-of-independent players. You can't find a single insurer that works in all parts of the country, and no matter how you get involved, YMMV. A system would have same properties no matter where you touch it.
>>
>>Sorry. I thought you were referring to the medical "system".
>>
>>Tell me. DO you have to pay for dentistry for your kids? Once upon a time we didn't pay at all, then dentists got greedy; they were only able to change their Porsches once a year, so they pulled out of the NHS. Some stayed, but you still have to pay (but not as much as private). But kids are free up to, well 16 or 18 - not sure.
>
>And as dentists get paid for doing work we end up with a lot more dentistry being done . A lot of it completely unnecessary.

That was part of their greed, I seem to recall. Instead of being paid annually for each patient (as doctors are/were)they decided they wanted to be paid per visit/treatment. So yes, I guess there was less incentive for them to do more work per annual stipend then, but now there is.

OTOH, I don't recall having anything unnecessary done and my dentist often discourages me from having work that I may think needs doing.