The problem with the health care system is not the "profit" motive, it is the fact that profit is not linked to health. When I was CFO of Medicare's largest contractor, we did nothing to promote health. All we did was pay claims. But my Medicare Advantage provider is all over about keeping me healthy. The healthier I am, the less care I need. Because they are both the provider and "insurer", they win when I am healthy.
It is true that med students don't learn enough about health. I cofounded and ran a PCP group of over 400 physicians caring for well over 1 million patients. In hindsight our biggest failures were in the areas of nutritional counseling and identifying and assisting in the treatment of mental health issues.
Regarding student loans, my daughter's MD education through residency is going to cost us around $1 million dollars for college, her "gap" years, medical school, and subsidizing her cost during residency. In contrast, one of her friends signed up with the military, that is paying for their education and providing stipend, but will expect a period of service, when they complete their education.
One of other daughters got a DNAP with a starting salary of over $200K for almost nothing including college and medical school. So, the cost of education can vary a great deal.
Regarding compensation I had physicians earning $1.2 million and other physicians earning $185K, not based on their ability or time in school, but simply their specialty. At some level the federal government plays a big role in determining compensation in health care due to the how it reimburses for care. The government and health care system in general is very procedurally driven and does not pay well for consults.
I did not mean to imply that some people don't take their health seriously, but most don't until they reach the point where their diet is beginning to impact their health. Then after a life of bad habits, it is really hard to change.
Sounds like you have experienced some rough events in your life and the resulting stress contributed to your health issues. I can relate, I retired at age 50 due to serious heart issues. I was fortunate in that I had a very profitable career and did well investing my savings. But it is hard, when you feel trapped by "life".
The issue with what gets covered and not covered by insurance is one that has been debated for my entire lifetime. At present, the country is rapidly reaching the point where was spend 18 cents of every dollar in this economy on health care. So, the issue is not that we are spending too little on health care.
Japan whose citizens have the longest life expectancies (84.6 years) among developed countries subsidizes health insurance through over 3000 for profit health insurance companies all competing to provide your health insurance.
To many on the left try to argue that single payer health care is the way to go, but I witnessed three forms of single payer health care in the US and saw no such benefits (Medicare, Medicaid, and the VA). What we need is an educational, employment, and health care system focused on health.
The more we can avoid medical conditions among our population, the more resources we will have for those who through no fault of their own need health care resources to treat their medical conditions.
