@mentsch1
“What other field allows the government to insist on a person (doctor) to provide services and doesn’t allow the provider to set his own fees.”
Unfortunately your representation is flawed.
You only have to treat this group of patients and accept the fixed fees if you CHOOSE to accept Medicaid, Medicare and/or specific insurance company covered patients.
Many of my doctors have signs at their windows stating they do not accept Medicaid, do not take Medicare assignment (patient is responsible for difference between Medicare reimbursement and full fee) or Insurance company X.
BTW, I’m a family law attorney. If I take cases in Probate Court (Surrogate’s Court in NY) The percentage of the estate that I can charge for being executor is set for me. If I represent youth in Juvenile Court who are DCF (CPS elsewhere) wards, my hourly rate is set by the court (about 1/3 of what I charge on the open market). I can make the decision whether to do this work or not, I’m not a slave.
BUT>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
At any moment that I am in the courthouse, a judge can snag me and order me to represent an indigent criminal defendant at NO CHARGE (pro bono) where I not only don’t get paid for my time, but must bear the cost of many expenses from my own pocket. Attorneys are expected to take on X number of pro bono case hours per year. Here in CT we don’t have a Government Legal Aid department, so we become indentured servants at times.