I was rereading a blog entry I made from earlier this year (does anyone else do this? Go back and reread their earlier entries?) on "Health Care Providers of the Future" and an anecdote from a lecture I attended came back to me.

I was attending a lecture on pediatric dentistry, given by one of the foremost authorities in the field, Dr. Marvin Berman of Chicago. Dr. Berman is a practicing pediatric dentist (also called "pedodontist") and he is nationally recognized as an expert on treating behavioral cases. He's even been on Oprah! (if that means anything...)

His fees are high, as you can imagine. I don't know how much higher his fees are compared to my own, but I'd guess it's a significant amount. He has an office in downtown Chicago, with a beautiful view of several skyscrapers from his office, by his account.

Insurance companies often send his patients a letter telling them that Dr. Berman's fees (which they are well aware of before starting any treatment) are higher than the "U and C" for the area, and that there is a significant amount left uncovered.

Dr. Berman said that when patients tell him that this is what their insurance company said, usually in the form of a complaint about his higher fees, he opens the drapes to the window in his office, and points out some of the bigger buildings that are visible. "The John Hancock Building." "The Prudential Building." "The Equitable Building." Then he asks them if they see a "Dr. Berman Building" out there.

The point being, the insurance company that's complaining that his fee is 10 dollars higher than someone else's in the area is the one that's making money hand over fist!!!

I found that anecdote amusing. Thought I'd share...