Should there be a warranty on doctor's services?

**Lonestar 48** · 11-29-2012, 09:15

A lot of things have a warranty or a money back guarantee; why not one for doctor's services?

A couple of years ago, I had a heart attack while I was working out. The doctor put a stent in my heart. The next weekend, I was working out again, with the doctor's blessing, and I had another heart attack. Turns out the stent was messed up. A different doc went in to fix that one. The original doc saw what the second doc did and wanted to fix his mistakes. He accidentally severed an artery which led to open heart surgery and a bypass. The bypass failed which led to another heart attack, which led to some more work.

It all ended up costing a lot of money, which between me and the insurance company was all paid. Friends wanted me to sue but I am of the nature that folks make mistakes. Lately though, I have been thinking that between the docs and the hospital, I, and my insurance company shouldn't have had to pay for their services after the first stent. Like it should have been on them to pay for their mistakes.

Anyone else feel this way or have a similar experience?

2bgop · 11-29-2012, 09:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lonestar 48

A lot of things have a warranty or a money back guarantee; why not one for doctor's services?

A couple of years ago, I had a heart attack while I was working out. The doctor put a stent in my heart. The next weekend, I was working out again, with the doctor's blessing, and I had another heart attack. Turns out the stent was messed up. A different doc went in to fix that one. The original doc saw what the second doc did and wanted to fix his mistakes. He accidentally severed an artery which led to open heart surgery and a bypass. The bypass failed which led to another heart attack, which led to some more work.

It all ended up costing a lot of money, which between me and the insurance company was all paid. Friends wanted me to sue but I am of the nature that folks make mistakes. Lately though, I have been thinking that between the docs and the hospital, I, and my insurance company shouldn't have had to pay for their services after the first stent. Like it should have been on them to pay for their mistakes.

Anyone else feel this way or have a similar experience?

You have a recourse available now, just open the yellow pages to Attorney. There will be 100s willing to listen.

dango · 11-29-2012, 09:27

I was a high end designer and builder of fine furniture all my life .
Point being , I was held to a higher standard than the medical proffession, No mercy , no flaws , perfection every time.

On the other hand , I,ve been to six different doctors to finally find out what my problem was. They didn't fix anything and yes , I had to pay them . Makes one wander ?

The problem turned out quite serious but after three surgeries ,
I'm ok now . I should not have payed the others .......!

jollygreen · 11-29-2012, 09:28

There is a warranty. It's called malpractice insurance. And you should definitely sue, assuming you can document all you just described.

I can pretty much guarantee that the quack who did the first procedure is well acquainted with the process by now.

devildog2067 · 11-29-2012, 09:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lonestar 48

Lately though, I have been thinking that between the docs and the hospital, I, and my insurance company shouldn't have had to pay for their services after the first stent. Like it should have been on them to pay for their mistakes.

If you genuinely feel that this is the way the system "should" work (in the sense that the system would work better if it was this way) the solution is simple. Find some investors and some doctors, and start a medical practice or a hospital that works this way.

If you're right, you'll be more successful than other hospitals and everyone will switch to your model. If you're wrong, you'll go out of business.

devildog2067 · 11-29-2012, 09:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by dango

I was a high end designer and builder of fine furniture all my life .
Point being , I was held to a higher standard than the medical proffession

Obi Wan · 11-29-2012, 09:31

I completely agree with you. And include dentists while we're at.

My wife had her gall bladder removed several years ago. She's 5'2", 100 lbs, and in good physical shape. Shortly after the surgery, she developed a hernia in the incision area. The doctor's reply was that "they never put a suture in a vertical incision of the muscle since it should grow closed". Well, that may be fine on fat people, but apparently not on trim women who don't have muscle depth. After he then went back in to install a mesh screen over the hole - which has subsequently developed a fair amount of painful scar tissue in the area - he had the nerve to send me a bill for his services. Keep in mind that he was already paid over $950 by the insurance company, but wanted another few hundred from us. I told him we wouldn't pay it because he should have put a suture in the original incision and all of this wouldn't have happened. He replied that it was "standard procedure to NOT use a suture to close the cut", and if I didn't pay his bill he wouldn't see my wife any longer as her doctor. I told him she already said he was never going to touch her again and he'd be lucky if my lawyer didn't respond to him next.

Yes, IMO, there should be a 'Warranty' for professional services and judgment.

ray9898 · 11-29-2012, 09:32

Doctors don't live in a world of black and white, there are millions of variables. Many times there simply is no 100% right answer.

To compare a Doctor treating a heart issue like you would a mechanic swapping a car battery is the wrong train of thought.

nmk · 11-29-2012, 09:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by dango

I was a high end designer and builder of fine furniture all my life .
Point being , I was held to a higher standard than the medical proffession, No mercy , no flaws , perfection every time.

Do you honestly believe this is a fair comparison?

**Gregg702** · 11-29-2012, 09:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by nmk

Do you honestly believe this is a fair comparison?

Sure, repairing someone's heart should be as foolproof as making an easy chair.

**Lonestar 48** · 11-29-2012, 09:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by devildog2067

If you genuinely feel that this is the way the system "should" work (in the sense that the system would work better if it was this way) the solution is simple. Find some investors and some doctors, and start a medical practice or a hospital that works this way.

If you're right, you'll be more successful than other hospitals and everyone will switch to your model. If you're wrong, you'll go out of business.

Certainly I could try your suggestion, but I think you are making this issue more black and white than it is. As 2bgop pointed out, there are lots of lawyers who would like a crack at cases like this, but that ends up costing more money than a "warranty" service would cost. The car industry has figured out a way to keep their customers safe by issuing recalls; bad product, they pay to fix it. That seems to work well for many consumer goods; why not medicine?

The cardiologist, with whom I've become friends, told me that he had never done that before, and it rattled him like no other case. As I mentioned earlier, a lawsuit solution was never an option for me. We all make mistakes.

Psychman · 11-29-2012, 09:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by AudiGregg

Sure, repairing someone's heart should be as foolproof as making an easy chair.

good one

GRD67 · 11-29-2012, 09:48

I think doctors should not be paid until they cure you, no cure no pay.

Gun Shark · 11-29-2012, 09:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by GRD67

I think doctors should not be paid until they cure you, no cure no pay.

Then I guess oncologists should work for free then. Or what about all the other afflictions that can't be cured yet.

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Altaris · 11-29-2012, 09:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by GRD67

I think doctors should not be paid until they cure you, no cure no pay.

I would hate to be a doctor dealing with cancer then.

GRD67 · 11-29-2012, 10:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gun Shark

Then I guess oncologists should work for free then. Or what about all the other afflictions that can't be cured yet.

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I wonder why there is no cure yet, I was going to a Chinese herb doctor here in the Seattle area who was curing all the diseases that modern medicine says there is no cure for. Such as cancers modern medicine they told the people there was no cure for, Lupus, Lou Gerig disease, MD, ect. His name was Hen Sen Chin and you didn't have to sell your house to pay him.

devildog2067 · 11-29-2012, 10:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by GRD67

I wonder why there is no cure yet, I was going to a Chinese herb doctor here in the Seattle area who was curing all the diseases that modern medicine says there is no cure for.

Good luck with that.

Quote:

Such as cancers modern medicine they told the people there was no cure for, Lupus, Lou Gerig disease, MD, ect. His name was Hen Sen Chin and you didn't have to sell your house to pay him.

I have a really nice bridge I'd like to sell you.

GRD67 · 11-29-2012, 10:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by devildog2067

Good luck with that.

I have a really nice bridge I'd like to sell you.

You can try to sell all the bridges you want, I'm just telling you what I experienced and saw. Many of Hen Sen's patients here in the Seattle area were Doctors who also brought their families to see him.

***Rabbi*** · 11-29-2012, 10:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by GRD67

You can try to sell all the bridges you want, I just telling you what I experienced and saw. Many of Hen Sen's patient here in the Seattle area were Doctors who also brought their families to see him.

You dont know what you are seeing. That is the problem.

ronin_the_great · 11-29-2012, 10:29

When it comes down to it, they call it "practicing" medicine for a reason. Not a whole lot of recourse other than to sue if there was a clear sign of malice or incompetence. You pays your money and takes your chances.

***Rabbi*** · 11-29-2012, 10:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by GRD67

I think doctors should not be paid until they cure you, no cure no pay.

I think you should learn what doctors do.

Most doctors diagnose and treat. Few cure. For an obvious example, you get your leg torn off in a car wreck. How do you cure that? (you dont) you treat the injury.

Do you know what a Pathologist is? If you need one, YOU NEED ONE. He isnt going to cure you but you will be very happy to pay him for his services.

There are countless other examples and again, the problem is your lack of understanding of the roles of doctors.

devildog2067 · 11-29-2012, 10:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by GRD67

You can try to sell all the bridges you want, I'm just telling you what I experienced and saw.

Let me ask you something.

If I were to say I have a device that lets me turn magically weightless, you would tell me to prove it. Isn't that right?

Logic tells you that if I did indeed have such a device and it actually worked, I would have tried to sell it. Such a thing would be incredibly valuable.

Apply the same logic to a "cancer cure" that some guy in Seattle has.

If such a cure actually worked--as in, after doing double-blind clinical trials, the cure produced statistically significant results--it would be worth hundreds of billions of dollars. Maybe trillions. The guy who proved that he had a cure for cancer could buy himself a small country.

Why doesn't your Seattle friend do so?

The logical answer is, his "cure" doesn't work. This is doubly true since he doesn't claim to have invented it; he claims that Chinese medicine has known about it for hundreds of years.

GRD67 · 11-29-2012, 10:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rabbi

You dont know what you are seeing. That is the problem.

I'll tell you what I saw, I saw people in total despair because their Doctors told them they could not cure them, come to see Hen Sen and he cured their disease. I learned through this that a lot of people are buying the bridge.

devildog2067 · 11-29-2012, 10:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by GRD67

I'll tell you what I saw, I saw people in total despair because their Doctors told them they could not cure them, come to see Hen Sen and he cured their disease.

OK, then let's start with an easy one: define "cured their disease."

686Owner · 11-29-2012, 10:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by GRD67

I wonder why there is no cure yet, I was going to a Chinese herb doctor here in the Seattle area who was curing all the diseases that modern medicine says there is no cure for. Such as cancers modern medicine they told the people there was no cure for, Lupus, Lou Gerig disease, MD, ect. His name was Hen Sen Chin and you didn't have to sell your house to pay him.

Why do people in China still die of cancer then?