Skepticism in Healthcare

     I have often repeated the World Health Organization statistic that Americans pay TWICE that which the industrialized world pays for an average healthcare system.  Unfortunately, the American solution to this problem has been to cut payments to doctors rather than to force a change in our medical systems.  That only makes the matters worse.  Doctors then resort to quantity and not on quality of care and the problem gets worse.

·         - What’s the 6’th leading cause of death in America?  PREVENTABLE medical errors. http://www.justice.org/cps/rde/justice/hs.xsl/8677.htm
 

·         - According to the National Quality Forum our medical system is focused on QUANTITY and not quality.  http://www.qualityforum.org/Publications/2008/12/Investing_in_Healthcare_Value.aspx Overused tests and treatments include antibiotics, X-rays, cardiac CT scans, heart by-pass surgeries, back surgeries, knee and hip replacements, prostatectomies, angioplasties, and hysterectomies.

     The way we pay for medical services seriously exacerbates the problem.  Americans worry little about the services they expect.  Few pay for these treatments.  American patients are convinced that MORE is always better and care little about expenses.  They are not competent to judge their own or family treatment.  Few get intellectually involved and totally surrender decisions to the medical system that is overrun with greed.

      Unfortunately, a segment of America strive to hold onto the “status quo” which has been projected by the CBO to increase heath care spending within a decade from around 18% to 24% bankrupting the country.  They choose to treat the symptoms (more cuts to entitlements) rather than cure the cause (fee for services paid by third parties).  Obamacare may be a clumsy start, BUT at least it is a start.  Change is not an option and the rest of the industrialized world proves that a better way does exist.