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Health Care Costs

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Editorial: Physicians Provide Insight Into Curbing Costs

"Major restructuring of medical care is what's needed to curb" U.S. health care costs, and physicians "around the country are beginning to offer insights into how to do that," according to a San Jose Mercury News editorial that examines a recent American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation report on unnecessary or overused procedures. The editorial states that the report "is intended to start a serious debate on what procedures should be routinely done whether doctors think they're needed or not -- a first step in curbing costs to save money for life-saving procedures people do need."

Reader Comments:
  • 1
  • 04/12/2012
  • Clark Norwood

Yes refining the list of procedures for a specific set of symptoms is a good idea. But...it seems to me a large if not the largest monetary factor in a medical practice is malpractice insurance premiums. If the number and size of malpractice law suites could be decreased and premiums reduced this would lower the baseline of monthly overhead expenses that must be met in order to make a profit and stay in business. Yes that's right I used the "P" word. It is a business and needs to be run like one including lowering overhead expenses. Torte reform is long overdue. Frivolous law suites need to be cut way back. Perhaps a review board to determine wether a suite should be heard, kind of like the SCOTUS can accept or decline to hear a case. Yes it would be a touchy issue and of course there would need to be an appeals process if someone thought their case had true merit. It's not the final solution but it is a place to start.



Readers are invited to send feedback to: chl@chcf.org

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