Money is a large incentive, and if it weren't for financial gain things wouldn't have progressed as quickly as they have. But most of the medical procedures we have today were developed to prevent disease, save lives, correct deformities, or otherwise improve the quality of people's lives. Sure, there are some unscrupulous people out there, just out to make a buck, and some incompetent doctors. And the medical industry is not perfect... but to paint everyone involved with the same brush is a bit naive. Nothing is black and white.

And as for strangers making comments, ya gotta learn to be quick with the snappy comebacks!

Man: "Haw big yin, If it rains, you'll be the first to know!"
Me:   "If it floods, you'll be the first to drown!"

Someone made the comment that in a capitalist society we have competition.  Ha! At least here in US, under the current model, Doctors fall under an oligopoly model.  A few very large insurance company's get together (they actually have a seperate Co. that does this) and set reimbursable prices for procedures.  That establishes the floor.  The Doctors themselves have an exemption from the price fixing rules and supplies of specialists themselves are limited by various rules.  Keep the supply down, then prices go up.  Lets say 3 plastic surgeons are performing facelifts in a city (market) and the price is $10,000.  If another plastic surgeon moves there, the price will INCREASE to $13,000, so that every doctor continues to make the same amount of money.  And if enough Plastic Surgeons begin to overwhelm the market, the AMA will kick back the number of slots given each years for that particular specialty.  There is certainly no better union to belong to than the AMA the Doctors Union (if you don't like it-just die).

Quote from: Simone V on January 05, 2011, 02:54:27 AM
whole topic is a downer

This ^

Quote from: VeronikaFTH on January 05, 2011, 10:12:13 AM
Man: "Haw big yin, If it rains, you'll be the first to know!"
Me:   "If it floods, you'll be the first to drown!"

Woman: "Why do you wear heels when you're already so tall?"
Me: "Why do you wear flats when you're already so short?"

Quote from: Vexing on January 05, 2011, 01:15:32 PM
Woman: "Why do you wear heels when you're already so tall?"
Me: "Why do you wear flats when you're already so short?"

LOL LOVE IT!

I suppose that a lifetime of Testosterone makes me a cash cow then, just like a lifetime of insulin shots makes my diabetic cousin a cash cow.

Quote from: Cindy Stephens on January 05, 2011, 10:54:49 AM
Someone made the comment that in a capitalist society we have competition.  Ha! At least here in US, under the current model, Doctors fall under an oligopoly model.  A few very large insurance company's get together (they actually have a seperate Co. that does this) and set reimbursable prices for procedures.  That establishes the floor.  The Doctors themselves have an exemption from the price fixing rules and supplies of specialists themselves are limited by various rules.  Keep the supply down, then prices go up.  Lets say 3 plastic surgeons are performing facelifts in a city (market) and the price is $10,000.  If another plastic surgeon moves there, the price will INCREASE to $13,000, so that every doctor continues to make the same amount of money.  And if enough Plastic Surgeons begin to overwhelm the market, the AMA will kick back the number of slots given each years for that particular specialty.  There is certainly no better union to belong to than the AMA the Doctors Union (if you don't like it-just die).

Yay! America is the whole world!
This is why Thai surgeons exist - and all those other pesky surgeons from other planets, like planet UK and planet Australia.

Quote from: Vexing on January 05, 2011, 05:15:07 PM
Yay! America is the whole world!
This is why Thai surgeons exist - and all those other pesky surgeons from other planets, like planet UK and planet Australia.

None of those places exist outside American TV and films. Does that mean I'm the a figment of some coked up film execs imagination?

Quote from: Helena on January 05, 2011, 05:18:23 PM
None of those places exist outside American TV and films. Does that mean I'm the a figment of some coked up film execs imagination?

Yes! My country (New Zealand) is a cunningly crafted hoax that allowed New Line Cinemas to tax-dodge while filming The Lord of the Rings.
In actual fact, New Zealand is just a section of New Hampshire that's filled with forests, hills and hobbits.

Quote from: Vexing on January 05, 2011, 01:15:32 PM
Woman: "Why do you wear heels when you're already so tall?"
Me: "Why do you wear flats when you're already so short?"

Yeah!!! That's the spirit! 

Quote from: Vexing on January 05, 2011, 05:15:07 PM
Yay! America is the whole world!
This is why Thai surgeons exist - and all those other pesky surgeons from other planets, like planet UK and planet Australia.

And increasingly, Planet South America. Lots of people seem to be going to places like Buenos Aires these days for FFS and the like...

Quote from: Helena on January 05, 2011, 05:18:23 PM
None of those places exist outside American TV and films. Does that mean I'm the a figment of some coked up film execs imagination?

Perhaps. Or, maybe America doesn't exist, and those television shows you see are part of a mass effort by your government to dumb down the citizens of the UK... A mind control broadcast by the GCHQ.