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Saturday, August 19, 2006 , economist Arnold Kling argues that the problem with our healthcare system isn't that we don't provide enough healthcare to everyone, but that we use what we have unwisely. He makes a persuasive argument. And he'll be debating the idea with those of contrarian views here, at the Cato Institute website on Tuesday August 29.His point that we spend our healthcare dollars unwisely is a truth that policymakers rarely address. We can get the same outcomes with generic medications as we can with expensive brand names. Sometimes, we can get the same outcomes by refraining from treating or testing. And our ability to test for disease is outstripping our ability to use the tests wisely. Take, for example, the field of cardiology. Cardiologists are investing in office equipment to test for carotid artery blockage, peripheral artery blockage, and coronary artery blockage. They can make good money doing the tests in their offices. That's why so many are doing them: According to MedPAC, between 1999 and 2004, the growth in the volume of imaging services per Medicare beneficiary outstripped the growth of other services provided by physicians ..... According to the commission, by 2003, the share of Medicare payments to radiologists for imaging services had declined to 45 percent while the share received by cardiologists had surged to 25 percent. In 2004, the cost of imaging services reimbursed by all health insurers and paid for out of pocket by patients amounted to close to $100 billion, or an average of approximately $350 per person in the United States. The problem is, the tests aren't necessarily accurate, and they aren't always needed. But it's easier to convince someone they need a test when they don't have to pay for it. And it's easier for a doctor to convince himself of the same when he doesn't have to answer to the patient for the cost. posted by Sydney on 8/19/2006 06:49:00 PM 2 comments 2 Comments:
Amen!
By Second that! :-)
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