4/27: Practicing ‘defensive medicine’?
Moderated by Tom Sabulis
Ever felt as if your doctor was sending you for yet another test merely to inflate your bill or minimize his or her liability?
The practice of “defensive medicine” — ordering “unnecessary” procedures for patients — has come under scrutiny due to the rising cost of health care. Today, two local doctors tackle the issue.
Read what Dr. Sam Kini and Dr. Kelly B. Thrasher have to say. Then tell us what you think.
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11 comments Add your comment
SAWB
April 27th, 2012
12:20 am
Doctors are in a difficult position these days when you consider our litigious society. In many ways they are danged if they do and danged if they don’t when it comes to excessive diagnostic test. However, I see the bigger problem being the lack of responsibility patients take for their own care. Most patients have little concern for the cost since an insurer, employer or the government is paying. We really need to move to a model where each person shares more responsibility for their own care including cost management.
The end of the employer funded health plan and a shift to individual health savings accounts would be a great place to start. Then each individual can save for their own healthcare with their employer also contributing to their plan. Then individuals can purchase their own portable insurance plans that would not end if their job does.
OBIWAN
April 27th, 2012
8:39 am
We need insurance to be available over state lines, period. Our wonderful government has made a problem of high cost and wants to fix it by making it higher for everybody…… Ever ask yourself how many healthcare plans your congress or senate has to choose from, try over 300, why do I only get 3? Let insurance be sold across state lines, just like in Washington DC….
ByteMe
April 27th, 2012
8:57 am
So under the “defensive medicine” theory, doctors perform tests that they know will yield negative results just to say they did them, right? That assumes an economic-based morality instead of actually caring about your patients and their health. It’s sad that people think their doctors are as screwed up about morality as they are.
eddy
April 27th, 2012
9:35 am
Lots of ills, no pun intended, could be cured if a strict, no loopholes, tort reform law was passed. Do you not see the “one call that’s all” from ken on TV. Just call him, it is all free money that magically appears in your checking account as well as his. Look at the number of class action lawsuits that are advertised on TV just because you may have taken a drug…the caveat is that you just took the drug…not that anything bad happened to you or even if it did, was it caused by the drug? So far as the lawyers are concerned, it doesn’t matter….if you just took the drug. With tort reform, the ambulance chasers like John Edwards would think twice especially if a verdict went against them and they had to cough up huge sums. But leave it up to ‘ol Ken…he’ll solve all of your financial problems with just one call….’ol Ken got me 1 trillion dollars and now I be broke. Anyone else I can sue to get me mo’ money?
Halftrack
April 27th, 2012
2:40 pm
Lawyers and Insurance Companies have controlled “Medicine” for too long. I agree with “Eddy” above. Tort reform, etc. would cure a lot of ills as in costs. Obummercare is not the answer either. It basically is a tax increase project. No cost savings there.
middleground
April 27th, 2012
9:23 pm
There is nothing healing about our current medical system.
David
April 28th, 2012
4:54 pm
Both Drs. Kini and Thrasher are right in their own areas. Dr. Kini sees patients with whom he has no relationship in an emotional, dangerous situation. He and most others in his situation practice a lot of defensive medicine. Dr. Thrasher sees patients she knows hopefully in a less acute situation and can talk with them in that context about the pros and cons of testing. The difference is the doctor patient relationship. Contrary to what middleground thinks, lots of healing happens in our system, most of it based on a good, trusing relationship between the healthcare providers and their patients.
Eric
April 29th, 2012
8:52 am
Yes, there are way to many doctors visits, tests, and follow up. I know people who see through this and are refusing to play the “over charging” game.
Eric
April 29th, 2012
8:57 am
@ByteMe: Have you considered that some people have become trustful of doctors and insurance companies because of the over-charging (exorbitant cost) of patients for basic procedures and supplies. You can’t even “call” a doctor to ask a question. You have to come in to the office where they can charge you. With the money doctors and hospitals can potentially make (so much greater than the average citizen), you bet people have become skeptical and outraged.
Eric
April 29th, 2012
8:57 am
Correction: “distrustful.”
Eric
April 29th, 2012
9:00 am
Oh, and how could I forget to mention big PHARM and all the medication being prescribed nowadays! I’m sure it’s all scientifically valid with no profit in mind whatsoever. Yeah, right.