Reining in high medical costs

Froma Harrop (12/1, Opinion, “Time to seize the day on health-care reform”) wrote that among other things the cost of “defensive medicine” — X-rays, lab tests and consultations that are medically unnecessary but legally necessary for protection in malpractice litigation — is high.

Truly, no one really knows these costs. But until the need for such extra work is dealt with, comprehensive health care is fiscally unobtainable.

Stanley Goldman
Fairway

Comments

[NoMoreMrNiceGuy]

You mean the Pediatrician that averages $114,00 a year while the average John Edwards makes millions from hedge funds?
You may be a fan of scumbag lawyers, that is your choice. So who should determine the costs associated with medical procedures, the government? Why is a lawyer worth $200/hr but a physician not?
The last thing I am is trusting, sure hospitals, physicians may overcharge, so do lawyers, so does govenrment. So who should determine who is worth what?

[Pub 17]

Scumbags like John Edwards raise medical costs less than 2% nationwide. I know, you'd rather have all those noble, underpaid doctors police themselves, since you believe that people will do the right thing if left to themselves. Ghod, Nice Guy, you're such a warm, trusting human being.

[NoMoreMrNiceGuy]

Preventive is one of many channels we need to travel, however, with scumbags like John Edwards making laws to get themselves rich, it is no wonder medical costs are high. Not to mention much of the equipment involved in modern medicince is not free either.
It's more intricate than Obama makes it out to be. There are many components associated with "costs". Consumers are the ones that can fix it not government. Just ask Denmark, Brits or Canuks, they will tell you government run health care is not all they make it out to be.

[jack]

We need to move from a treatment of disease model to a preventive medicine model. That would save a huge amount of money. Not a complete solution by any means. But a serious factor.