The national survey of more than 58,000 medical students from 2003-2007 showed an overwhelming majority were confident about their clinical training. But when it came to understanding health economics, the health care system, managed care, managing a practice or medical record-keeping, 40 percent to 50 percent of students reported feeling inadequately prepared.

Less than half of medical students understand health care system | University of Michigan Health System

via Stayin’ Alive, who notes:

Tell me about it. I used to teach a course for med students called Patient, Doctor and Society, in which we tried to explain it all. They eliminated the course because the students complained they didn’t have time for that shit, they had a licensing exam to pass.

And it was a whole lot of shit, to be sure. Just explaining Medicare was a week. I tried to create a diagram showing the organization and financing of health care in the U.S. and it ended up looking like a wiring diagram for a jet fighter. I couldn’t get a readable version onto a legal-sized page. For each patient, the doctor has to figure out what is covered and what isn’t — including which drugs are in this person’s formulary — and how and where to send them for specialty services and how much the doctor is going to get paid and by whom and when. Here’s the answer:

Universal, comprehensive, single payer national health care.

Ease of use is precisely the reason I want single payer.

(via sexartandpolitics)

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