June 19, 2009
Fixing soaring medical costs
Part of the problem we face as a nation is the soaring cost of medical care which will come as news to exactly no one. I recently posted this on single payer... while it's true that eliminating the bureaucratic overhead will go a long way to arresting cost increases and allow us to insure everyone, it's not the only thing we can do to bring down costs. We have to restrict the ability of doctors to earn excess profits from excess and unnecessary care.
Oh, but McBlogger! Doctor's know what tests are needed. If they say we need something, we need something. That's the benefit of single payer, the doctor makes the decision on what care is received!
Sure, you have a point. But let me ask you this... if the doctor gets paid more every time you visit, if they have a financial stake in a testing facility and an imaging facility, how often do you think they'll want you to come in, give blood and urine samples and have an x-ray done?
And therein lies a part of the problem that no one is really focused on... self dealing. This article in the New Yorker is pretty spot on with analyzing the problem but very weak in suggesting remedies. For me, it's simple. As the representative of a lender, I am prohibited by law from requiring that customers use certain providers for necessary services. I can't steer business, I can't own a part of the company I'm steering business to (without disclosure) and I can't receive kickbacks. As far as the disclosure, it has to very clearly say that I own a stake in the company and that I will benefit financially from the service I'm requiring you to buy in order to obtain financing from me and that there may be cheaper providers of the same service.
If I can't make money off the downstream, why the fuck should a doctor get to?
What we need, dear friends, isn't a bunch of gooders doing their best to lead us by example back to integrity as a country. We need laws and we need for them to be enforced. And Congress should start with this garbage.
Posted by mcblogger at June 19, 2009 09:33 AM
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