Dr Alan Garber, MD PhD', in the latest issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, wrote an article "A Menu Without Prices", highlighting/exposing the benefits of applying more cost effectiveness analysis to medical reimbursement ... "For the well-insured, obtaining health care in the United States is like dining in a sumptuous restaurant that has menus without prices. A price-free menu encourages diners to ignore cost when making their selections. Similarly, well-insured patients usually don't know the prices of medical services at the time they receive them. Even for common procedures, few hospitals list their charges, much less the accompanying professional fees and the out-of-pocket costs; these are only revealed weeks or months later, when the explanation of benefits statement arrives."
...and... just to show he knows what he's talking about,
"By 2005, per capita expenditures were 92% greater than in Canada, 90% greater than in France, 95% greater than in Germany, and 135% greater than in the United Kingdom. Measures of population health have improved no more in the United States than in these countries, offering little comfort to those who presume that uniquely high expenditure is purchasing better health."
NOW do you think spending on preventative health is a waste of money?
No comments:
Post a Comment