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Comment by medmunds | Hacker News Reader

Every time my lawyer replies to my email, it costs me $35. At least. That's just for one or two line responses. Anything that requires research or (gasp) looping in a partner gets a lot more expensive, very quickly. This doctor sounds like a good deal.

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Typically, when you are talking to a lawyer, you have signed a contract, paid a retainer, and have an explicit hourly rate negotiated for interactions with that specific firm.

Yeah, and typically when you do the same with a doctor the fee you pay has been negotiated with your insurance provider. This is no worse than anything else billing-related in healthcare.

>This is no worse than anything else billing-related in healthcare.

I don't think I've ever seen a lower bar.

I agree. Im just saying that this is not uniquely bad or unfair in context.

$750 dollar office visit for a GP for 20 minutes no procedures performed ($2250 per hr) sounds even better. Welcome to US healthcare.

This is a pretty privileged perspective.

There's also quite a difference between the ethics of healthcare and legal services.

Most of the time if you need a legal answer from a lawyer who charges like that, it's because you know you'll net more money from having the answer than it will cost to get a reply.

With healthcare, you're not trying to make money you're just trying to live.

There's a lot to unpack here, but in the US healthcare is delivered in a fee-for-service model very much like any other service you use. Unless and until we change that model, why do you expect doctors to give up income they could receive from seeing patients in-person in order to read and respond to your emails for free?

It’s both much harder and more expensive to become a doctor than a lawyer.

And usually I’m paying my lawyer to protect me from risks to my financial health, not because I think checking with them will make me money. My doctor helps protect me from health risks. It’s pretty similar. A mess-up in either area could easily mess up my life very badly.

There are many situations in the ordinary course of life where, if not strictly required, an attorney is at least strongly advised. Things like immigration, adoption, divorce, disputes with your landlord, probate, personal bankruptcy, seeking power of attorney for a family member with dementia, etc.

You're correct that I'm in the privileged position of being able to afford my lawyer. (And my doctor and health insurance provider.) I'd just point out that not everything that involves a lawyer is about making money.

But you raise a fair point, and I apologize if my somewhat flip comment came across as insensitive.

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