6/15    Hi guys, my dad was recently billed $180 for outpatient services and
        $200 for the actual process of removing wax from one ear.  After the
        Medicare deductible, he has to pay $160 (the govt is paying $380).
        Is this normal?  Thanks.
        (FYI, I had the same process done for myself under my company health
        plan, and didn't pay crap.)
        \_ Sounds about right.  Think about how many man hours went into
           getting his ear dewaxed.  Reception/doctor/maybe a nurse.  Cleaning
           up after he left, supplies, billing, paperwork whathaveyou.  Stuff
           costs money.  160 dollars isn't that much these days.
        \_ what does ear dewaxing do for you?
           \_ basically when your ear's clogged up with wax it's really
              clogged up.  fyi, i've since learned you can buy a $5 kit on
              the shelf at the drug store and save yourself the dr.'s visit.-op
              \_ Does the type of earwax (dry or wet) matter?
                 \_ I don't know.  Presumably if the $5 kit doesn't work, it's
                    time to visit the doctor.
                    \_ The doctor will shoot warm water in your ear and catch
                       it in a bucket.  Even if they threw the bucket away
                       afterwards, the procedure shouldn't cost $380.  But
                       yes, that's "normal" in the U.S.  -tom
                       \_ Thanks, tom.  A word of warning to do-it-your-selfers
                          though:  If you stick the syringe in your ear and
                          squeeze, MAKE SURE to leave an opening for the water
                          to pour out of. -op
                       \_ The doctor is the expensive part, not the bucket.
                          If you go see a doctor (and in this case, it sounds
                          like he went to a hospital) for basic personal
                          grooming, why would you expect it to be inexpensive?
                          He's paying for the doctor's time and the hospital's
                          facilities.  Would you also expect it to be cheap
                          to visit the emergency room and have a surgeon trim
                          your toenails?
                          \_ OK, how much do you think five minutes of time
                             with a doctor should cost?  You think $300 is
                             reasonable?  -tom
                             \_ Most professionals set minimum billable amounts
                                of their time (often one hour or one day).  Are
                                you saying that doctors should bill by the
                                minute?  If that was a minimum billable amount
                                of one hour at $150, plus that much again for
                                the hospital, then I'd say it sounds about
                                right.  Frankly, I wouldn't want it to be cheap
                                to get my ears cleaned by a doctor at a
                                hospital.  I'd prefer that this be expensive to
                                make it less likely that hospitals are clogged
                                with stupid things like this when someone goes
                                in with a real problem.
                                \_ Fortunately, it's expensive to do
                                   anything at all at a hospital or doctor's
                                   office; up to five times as expensive in
                                   the U.S. as in other comparable nations.
                                   And the crowding problem is mitigated by
                                   the fact that millions of Americans don't
                                   have health insurance.
                                   If you think the U.S. health care system
                                   is good at anything other than providing
                                   Viagra, you're either nuts or trolling. -tom
        \_ I think the $7 kits are just 90% isopropyl alcohol or something like
           that so you if you have a syringe don't need to spend $7
           when $0.99 will do.
           \_ Debrox, the most popular OTC treatment, is 6.5% carbamide
              peroxide with citric acid, glycerin, propylene glycol, and
              other lubricants.  This is why you don't necessarily read the
              motd for medical advice and squirt the i-PrOH in your ear.