Doctors price fixing Cartel

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Purple

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From the front page of the Irish Indo, the Competition Authority has told the IMO that it's practice of agreeing (and enforcing) a set pricing structure for medical examinations and reports for insurance companies is illegal.
The Indo also says that this will raise questions about competition in general between GP’s and the medical industry in general.

Long overdue. The medical industry has escaped the scrutiny that the legal industry has been under for the last few years. In my opinion this was a mistake.
 
judging for the previous thread about doctors charging huge fees its great to hear that the "real" doctors will be able to charge what they feel is a fair amount without having to adhere to IMO prices. The next thing i would like to see is a price list displayed along with payment methods before i go in for consultation - surely its not too much to ask.
 
nelly said:
The next thing i would like to see is a price list displayed along with payment methods before i go in for consultation - surely its not too much to ask.
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I think that they are meant to do that at the moment.
 
All practices should have one at reception. Usually on A4 paper stuck on the wall.
 
It seems like this is a popular debate amongst those who frequently visit the doctor. For some reason I rarely hear the same complaints or investigation regarding dentists and dental fees? Maybe this should be brought to light too. I've nothing against dentists, but it does seem inconsistent the amount of negative publicity against doctors today. Its difficult enough that there is the chronic shortage of doctors in ireland (also nurses) resulting in overwork and burn out. The additional negative press and scrutiny isnt helping morale amongst practitioners.
 
Sunster said:
It seems like this is a popular debate amongst those who frequently visit the doctor. For some reason I rarely hear the same complaints or investigation regarding dentists and dental fees? Maybe this should be brought to light too. I've nothing against dentists, but it does seem inconsistent the amount of negative publicity against doctors today. Its difficult enough that there is the chronic shortage of doctors in ireland (also nurses) resulting in overwork and burn out. The additional negative press and scrutiny isnt helping morale amongst practitioners.
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The cronic shortage of GPs is a result of the restriction in the number of training places, a restriction that the ICGP are all in favour of.
 
Yes, the ICGP do have some funny ideas...wish they could support more training posts like most would favour
 
Sunster said:
Yes, the ICGP do have some funny ideas...wish they could support more training posts like most would favour
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Why would they do that? It would/could result in supply equalling demand. This would mean that normal market forces would apply and they could not fleece their customers any more.
 
Some GPs may see it as a business but the majority see it as a service provision. I accept some GPs make a very good living...some don't and shouldn't be tarnished with the same brush. The shortage in GPs has made it very difficult for the majority of older GPs to retire, made it difficult for GPs to take a holiday, lead to increase stress and relationship difficulties etc. As for supply equalling demand....that's definitely not happening in Ireland where GPs are being pressured into taking more and more patients on....immigrants, refugees, older patients living longer, the moving society from place to place, plus a good percentage of GPs in the next 5-10 years are due to retire with not enough GPs coming through to take over their posts and that's if they wanted to.
 
Sunster said:
Some GPs may see it as a business but the majority see it as a service provision. I accept some GPs make a very good living...some don't and shouldn't be tarnished with the same brush. The shortage in GPs has made it very difficult for the majority of older GPs to retire, made it difficult for GPs to take a holiday, lead to increase stress and relationship difficulties etc. As for supply equalling demand....that's definitely not happening in Ireland where GPs are being pressured into taking more and more patients on....immigrants, refugees, older patients living longer, the moving society from place to place, plus a good percentage of GPs in the next 5-10 years are due to retire with not enough GPs coming through to take over their posts and that's if they wanted to.
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But this situation is what the ICGP want! They don't want supply to equal demand, that's my point.
FYI Mrs. Purple is a GP so I know all about the pressures they have. What they don't have is long hours. 5 hours a day of surgery with (on average) one half day a week and no out of hours work is not a huge work load. I know that most GPs have members shifts on the Co-Ops but that's hardly a big deal.
 
"wish they could support more training posts like most would favour" thats what I meant...I wish they could listen to more normal GPs like me! Your wife obviously has some nice hours (more family orientated post I gather)...Unfortunately I dont have her hours, and if you serve an area of extreme deprivation (only 5% private patients) as I do....the work is very hard. AS your wife may agree...all practices are different, and in some cases, chalk and cheese
 
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