Who hasn't wondered why doctors need to charge so darn much for an office visit? If you have insurance and bother to look at what the insurance company pays, it is always much lower than the charge. Why does medical care cost so much? Is the doctor gouging? One of the best explanations I have seen is stolen from another blog. I would like to give credit but all I know is the name Dr. Adam. He shows this letter to his patients:



Why are doctors' bills so high?



Over the past few years several patients have asked this question. It is a very good question that needs to be answered in the context of our current health care system.

When I was growing up and went to my family doctor, my parents or I paid around $10 for a typical minor problem visit (in 1966). With inflation, that would be around $62 today (in 2006 dollars) (http://www.westegg.com/inflation). Today Medicare reimburses me approximately $33 to $45 for a similar patient visit. When I was a teenager the overhead costs of…