[geeks] just to stir things up, a few predictions

[Charles Shannon Hendrix]

Tue, 19 Oct 2004 @ 15:18 -0400, Patrick Giagnocavo said:

> These other countries do not have HIPAA laws on the books; do not
> allow you to sue the govt in most cases even when there is clear
> medical malpractice; and further do not have the medical technology
> the USA does.
> 
> England's health care in particular is NOT comparable to USA; at least
> according to the NHS horror stories written about in the Guardian and
> Telegraph.

Exactly.  That's why comparing stats makes little sense without a lot of
qualification and difficult/impossible equalizations.

> The main problem with socialized medicine in the USA is that folks
> will not give up their right to sue if things go wrong.  Thus costs
> will continue to shoot through the roof and taxes will have to serve
> both for the original health care cost, plus the inevitable lawsuits.

The thing is, if we wanted to, we could eliminate the majority of the
lawsuits.

Lawyers are totally out of control in this country.

> It is safe to say that Edwards alone is responsible for upwards of $15
> Billion USD in extra medical expenses over the last 20 years.  Why?
> Because early in his career he won a frivolous lawsuit against a
> doctor that did not perform a C-section.  Now, whenever there is any
> doubt whatsoever, doctors practice preventive legal advice and order
> C-sections.  
> 
> Current difference between routine birth and C-section is $600-$1000;
> multiply by 20 years X number of unnecessary C-sections per year. 

I know that the number of them performed is amazingly high now.

In fact, a lot of medical procedures are done which are totally
unnecessary, and it drives costs up.

Then you have people going to the emergency room all the time for common
cold, cuts and scrapes, and other stuff they could take care of at home,
or out of pocket.


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