Omaha daily bee., 1908-12-13
BILLS TO FIT YOUR INCOME
Physicians Services Rated on 'what
the Traffic Will Bear"
CURES CONE HIGH FOR WEALTHY
Better Dodge the urgeo ~ You're
Scheduled at n Million
Charity Practice Must
lie onset.
How much do l W you, doctor7"

How much do l owe you, doctor?r
Really. my dear sir, l haven't had time
to Investigate your income and look up
your rating in Bradstreet's''-
'Ihunder! what's my income got to do
with your bill for services? When 1 buy a
thing l want to pay the market price, which
is ultimately based on the cost OF produc-
ton. You evidently want to reverse the
economic law and charge all the traffic
Will bear, like the big monopolfes. Why.
man, that's unnstural; it's like those ORR
email shopkeepers."
Gently, my friend. You don't under
stand the ethics Of the medical profession.
We physicians are not TO be classed with
manufacturer or traders. Do they ever
give anything away? A large part Of our
practice is charity. Our prices justifiably
range from nothing up to several thousand
dollars. Our services are humanitarian,
like those of the clergy; they are often
priceless, and cannot be balanced on a
scale Of dollars and cents
THAT sounds sort of reasonable, doc. 1
fee. like apologizing. Only II must be hard
for you professionals to figure out the de-
tails of a bill, making 1t match with the
patients necktie and his diamonds, and all
that. Maybe, the patients wearing a
'phony' stone, or he's dressed way beyond
his means, or he's a rich man dressed
cheap. You must be Sherlock Holmes to
know the right price to charge when you
haven't time to investigate and want cash
on the spot"
1T is an art" Omitted the physician.
I'm the words Of an eminent surgeon in the
North American Review by Dr. A. c. Hef-
fenger, The fixing of a fee correctly is a
talent which is either born in a nan or
only learned after long experience. The
physician should endeavor to ascertain the
patients circumstances. He can thus be
in a position, knowing as he does the
gravity of the operation or It's trlvality, to
say what the operation is worth to the
patient. The physician is necessarily the
better Judge of the two . ."
The possession of great wealth carries
with 1t heavy obligations, It is stated, and
these obligations are rightfully cashed by
the practitioner. Some wealthy men don't
have the instinct of distribution, like COL
\ lege builders and library givers, and these
need encouragement Legal fees are no
more invariable than medical fees; they
depend on the amount OF money involved
in a lawsuit or the wealth of the client and
the jeopardy of his position.
American fees are not worse than Eng
llsh. A city specialist charges from S. to
$40 for an office visit and asks about $50
for half a days trip out of town. A day or
two spent away from the office is worth
between $500 and $1,000. There was a rail-
road owner who hired an obstetrical spe-
cialist to remain with his daughter during
a critical period which lasted for two
months. The service was successfully per-
formed and It was we'll worth q fee of
5000, being at the rate OF 500 a day and a
bonus of $1,000. 10 sYlvb!GT.
That's a beautiful theory; I'll sure
read that article" said the patient,
hastily scribbling a check of sufficient
proportions to avert an inquiry at his
bank. still, you can always argue on
the other side. and I know some men
who'd rather judge for themselves what
an operation was worth. to save their
lives or otherwise. A man who isn't par
ticular about living wouldn't like TO pay
a fancy price. An operation may seem
elegant to the operator, like a painting
does to the painter, but that doesn't take
account of the customer"