This post is not intended to bash any physicians, as I am well aware
that several read and post on lactnet.  It gives some perspective
on the employer/employee relationship with doctors.

Enroute to the hospital in 1974 to deliver my first daughter, I was
driven by my husand in our 1969 2000TC English Rover sedan.  Having
close regular contractions, my husband stopped the car several times
to allow me to open the passenger door and put one food outside to
comfortably breathe through the next contraction.  We hadn't
realized ahead of time just how confining the front bucket seat was.
(Driving Rovers tells you a bit about us as a couple.)

As we were progressing towards town (20 minutes away) I suddenly
realized with dismay we hadn't finishing prepaying our OB's bill,
as 100% was due before the actual delivery.

My husband said, "That's OK, I have the checkbook with me."

After attending the birth while sitting on a stool at my head and
watching events of my delivery through a mirror, my husband accompanied
the OB out the door.  My husband told the doc "Good job" and pulled the
check out of his polo shirt pocket and handed it to the doctor.

My husband said the look the doctor had on his face was priceless.
He was in shock.  He wasn't accustomed to being paid directly.  His
office did the billing and really "the money never touched his hands
directly."  It had the desired effect of reinforcing our thoughts of
"you are our employee."

This is all lost in the third party payment system so that all the
roles and expectations are skewed.  Sometimes we give our power
away in ways we had not anticipated.
Judy Ritchie

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