Myth #1

[Guest guest]

/Cost controls stifle innovation./

 

False. The United States is home to groundbreaking medical research, but

so are other countries with much lower cost structures. Any American

who's had a hip or knee replacement is standing on French innovation.

Deep-brain stimulation to treat depression is a Canadian breakthrough.

Many of the wonder drugs promoted endlessly on American television,

including Viagra, come from British, Swiss or Japanese labs.

 

Overseas, strict cost controls actually drive innovation. In the United

States, an MRI scan of the neck region costs about $1,500. In Japan, the

identical scan costs $98. Under the pressure of cost controls, Japanese

researchers found ways to perform the same diagnostic technique for

one-fifteenth the American price. (And Japanese labs still make a profit.)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/21/AR2009082101778_\

2.html

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

I agree that medical care has evolved more and more for business

interests. The health reform won't really change that. It's only one

step, but at least it's one. I'm not optimistic, so I don't believe we

will succeed in balancing patient health care with profit, in my

lifetime. The profit tentacles of medicine are powerfully embedded. As

you say, we need to take an active interest and participation in our

health care, where possible.

 

Amy

 

Don wrote:

Truth is, the third party payer system has no incentive to be

competitive cost-wise.

 

Also a lot of that expense is defensive medicine...a very expensive

thing which benefits the doc more than the pt. How many tests can I

'justify' to the health ins program the pt is on?...and then how many

scripts will i be able to write...some get quite creative about this...I

once had a sinus infection ( determined after blood an urine tests plus

x-rays of 3 views of my head ) was given 6 scripts to have filled at the

pharmicist - I went to the drug store and got a saline irrigation device

and used only that and the problem was gone.

 

To me all that he did was over-kill...

and where is the check and balance on that?...

 

I had to provide my own...if however the irrigation by saline would not

have worked, then I had some options... We all need to be empowered to

be in charge of our own health care...we know ourselves and our body

best...we need to be aware and paying close attention.

 

Also when one person ( a doc ) has the authority and sense that 'I am

the doc'...'I know best'...

Then he becomes entitled to 'pad the bill' as much as he can...because

let us not forget: medicine is a business. This is all very different

from what I experienced as I grew up w/ a family doc who really had my

best interests at heart - including keeping unnecessary costs down.

It is something that has an inherent conflict of interests built into

it...sad, but true...

When I worked as a tech in an emergency room...the docs had to write

'acute' to get the ins co to allow the admission to the hospital...and

if the patient census in the hospital was down...the 'facts' could be

spun / 'enhanced' to 'justify' the admission - needed or not...

Don