Having now seen medicine in the military for thirty years -- all branches -- and then comparing that to what I've seen in the civilian world -- as it stands now, I would take military medicine over civilian medicine any day of the week.
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I can’t point to any studies on this but my sense is that folks having a choice choose Medicare over the va system
ReplyDeleteMy hunch: you are absolutely wrong. The active duty member upon retiring would prefer the VA over Medicare. I can't speak for family members of active duty, but I know the active duty population pretty well and I know human behavior very well.
Delete"Back in the day" The 1980's I was always told that any Army Dr over the rank of Major were in the Army because they couldnt make it in private practice.
ReplyDeleteIt does seem to have flipped in recent years.
And I might add, for all the complaints out there, many legit, the VA has been very good to me.
1. Practicing medicine (the art of medicine) and running a business are two separate things, so anyone who says a physician in the military could not make it in private practice has nothing to do with providing health care.
Delete2. Same with those physicians in academia.
3. My father-in-law loved the VA system.
4. If I had my choice, I would take the VA system over Medicare. No question.
Is that because military medicine (all of it, active duty and va) is much more socialistic than Medicare ?
ReplyDeleteDo you favor a government takeover of all us healthcare? The government is so good at everything it does which is way too much.
That's very interesting. I think about that a lot. I was thinking about it moments ago when walking from the pool back to our little hovel.
DeleteTwo things: the US government already "runs" / "owns" / "controls" -- use whatever word you.
To your question, the short answer is "yes," I would like the US to migrate to the British / Canadian / German health care system. I've worked in / with / alongside two of the three.
There was a third thing, but I've forgotten. If I remember that third thing, I will post it.
Would you care to compare the "working" net income of a private practitioner to that of a "working" military practitioner... and then the retirement income of a private practitioner of the same age to a 30 year plus military physician? My guess? The military is way more secure and stress free....
ReplyDeleteIt's incredibly difficult / virtually impossible to compare military vs civilian physicians when it comes to income, benefit, lifestyle.
DeleteFor family practice physicians, internists, pediatricians, and general dentistry, military medicine competes favorably with the civilian sector when it comes to pay.
However, even with all the bonuses the DOD pays medical specialists, civilian specialists do so much better financially, there is no comparison.
For me, I ended up in the military simply because the DOD paid for my education, and, of course, I always had good thoughts about the US Air Force.
I stayed in the USAF because a) I loved the lifestyle; b) I loved traveling --13 consecutive years overseas); c) I did not have the "thick skin" required to practice medicine in the civilian world -- more business than medicine; and all the litigation / medical malpractice lawsuits; and, d) as a pediatrician, military pay easily exceeded what I would likely have earned in the civilian world.
I never would have been a CEO of a healthcare facility had I practiced medicine as a civilian. In the military, I was CEO of three healthcare facilities, including the flagship hospital in Air Combat Command.
Our two daughters benefited immensely -- especially the thirteen years overseas. The younger one was six months old when she arrived in Germany; she returned to the states at age 13.
My Daughter was born in W Germany. Our pre-natal care thru local German hospital was top notch. Post-natal and peds care was archaic at best and I have never understood how it could be so different.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I didnt always agree with mindset above. I have seen poor medical care in the civilian sector as well.
Military service is a calling and not a means to get rich. IMHO
Your comments about German pediatrics is spot on as I remember our experiences in the 1980s.
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