If You Live in These Areas, Your, Doctor Could Be Ripping
You Off
Where you live can nearly double how much you're spending on
medical care, as well as how much care your doctor orders.
A patient in Miami, Florida costs Medicare about $13,524 a
year... while one in Honolulu, Hawaii costs around $6,900, according to the
Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care.
A recent study by three economists at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology and Stanford University examined why this phenomenon is
so important to your health... and your wallet.
The central question of the study is why patients in parts
of Louisiana, for example, would get more treatment than a patient in Oregon...
Is it because the patients demand it? Or do the doctors
prescribe it?
Researchers tracked Medicare patients that moved from one
area to another and found that 40%-50% of the difference in health care
provided came from patient demands for more treatment or extra trips to the
doctor. This additional cost even followed them when they moved.
Most Active Hospital Referral Regions
Region Costs*
Miami, FL $13,524
Monroe, LA $12,614
McAllen, TX $12,525
Alexandria, LA $12,030
Dearborn, MI $11,869
Least Active Hospital Referral Regions
Region Costs*
Grand Junction, CO $6,763
Anchorage, AK $6,875
Honolulu, HI $6,900
Eugene, OR $7,067
Medford, OR $7,079
Source: Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care
2013 Medicare reimbursements. Adjusted for price, age, sex,
and race.
But the remaining 50%-60% of the extra costs came from
increased activity on the parts of doctors and other health professionals.
When you look at things like diagnostic and imaging tests –
where the decision to order comes from the doctor and not the patient – the
additional cost is even greater.
Many parts of our health system suffer from over-testing and
overtreatment.
In particular, we've warned that tests for prostate
cancer and pancreatic cancer are often unnecessary and inconclusive. These
tests increase costs and can be stressful for the patient.
Blind obedience to everything your doctor tells you is
dangerous... and potentially deadly.
Doctors should do what science and medicine dictate. But
this study shows there are other factors at work.
While the numbers can't tell us exactly why doctors in some
areas act differently than others, we have some ideas... It could be that
doctors do what their immediate peers do. And there can be differences in
regulations, or different practices put in place by the local health institutions.
One thing's for sure, you want your doctor treating you
based on your health, not what area you live in.
If you're in a major city, you may be in a high-treatment
area. You can download a spreadsheet from the Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care
that shows whether your area has high or low spending. (Look at the
"claims-based" HRR level data.)
We're all vulnerable to peer pressure and other influences
that change the decisions we make. Make sure your doctor isn't...
When your doctor orders a test, ask him why. Ask him about
the costs, the possibilities of a false positive, and how the test results will
change your treatment.
Source:
stansberryresearch.com
1 comment:
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www.ufgop.org
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