[logfromblammo]

I certainly don't get more money if I accidentally introduce critical crash-to-desktop bugs, and then spend more time fixing them. I get paid to do the job to a minimum standard of quality. The customer is paying for the outcome they want, not for the amount of work it takes to get there. The Labor Theory of Value rears its ugly, no-good keister again.

If an actuary can quote me the price of a life insurance premium 40 years before a person is expected to die, such that the company doesn't lose money, a hospital can figure out how to price its services such that it doesn't go bankrupt. Those wailing about too many uncontrolled variables are just trying to suck the last available penny out of the patients. How can they possibly nickel-and-dime people to death on their itemized bills if they don't know exactly how many cm of plastic tubing will be needed for the surgery?! How can they charge $25 per 500mg analgesic pill if that is already included in the published price of the procedure?! It's really only a problem if your mission is to suck out all the consumer benefit of trade via price discrimination.

If my auto mechanic blows past their original quote, they don't stop work and ask for more money. They fix the danged problem, charge what they said they would, and try to estimate better on the next job. And they certainly don't plow ahead, replace the engine and transmission and exhaust system, laser-scour the rusted body panels, put on new tires, repaint the exterior, reupholster the interior, clean all the crap out of the trunk, fill up the gas tank, and then try to charge me $120k to get my 2001 Civic back. The doctor can't stop working, but they can stop charging extra for it. If I knew ahead of time that it would have cost that much, I probably would not have consented to the procedure in the first place.