Lowering Medical Costs

Preventive

Patients are actually responsible for their own preventive treatment. Type 2 diabetes is curable without medical treatment or drugs.  Any patients whose weight is high enough to approach this threshold can simply lose 10 pounds and prevent the condition from occurring. 

All patients need to first take all the daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. These supplements should ensure that they are receiving 100% of these daily requirements.

Return to Medical Necessity

Medical doctors will need to return to their original repair and restore mission. Insurance companies will need to reestablish their major medical standards that require “medical necessity”. This would mean that treatments that are not medically necessary will no longer be covered. That would include “elective surgery” including cosmetic surgery, breast implants, breast reductions except for post breast cancer restorative procedures.  Transgender treatments will not be covered. Abortions will not be covered except to save the life of the mother, a rare occurrence.  Treatment for drug addiction could be excluded from coverage, because Alcoholics Anonymous is free. 

Medical Injuries

Medical doctors need to reduce post-op infections that are very common and costly. Hospitals need to reduce hospital bourn infections that are also very common and costly.

Lethal Cancer Treatments

Radiation and chemotherapy only helps in limited cases. Less lethal treatments that don’t destroy you immune system are needed. 

Misdiagnoses

ALS might look like MS or Parkinson’s in early diagnoses. Lots of different diseases look like other diseases. 

Medical Malpractice

This free ride for lawyers has got to stop. I would ban medical malpractice suits.

Defensive Medicine

This is related to Medical malpractice and regulations. Protocols need to be trimmed down to reduce cost.

Unnecessary Tests

There are lots of tests that insurance and Medicare will cover.  That doesn’t mean you should agree to be sent on a fishing trip to see if they can find anything wrong with you. You are the best judge of how you feel and you know what preventive regimens you employ.

Resulting Overcharges

Doctors who are tied to Hospitals may be too expensive. I had a hernia that I thought could be repaired in a surgical center with mesh and a local anesthetic. What I got was a series of tests to gain admission to the hospital.  First were the X-rays, then the Stress Test on the treadmill. I told the Anesthesiologist that his Lawyer ordered the Stress Test. He laughed and said: “He probably did.”  The bill was $20,000. It could have been $4000.

Unnecessary Referrals

An infected salivary gland makes you look like you’re becoming a chipmunk. Dentists and Oral Surgeons don’t treat this.  A specialist in Otolaryngology will fix it All you may need is anti-biotics 

Unnecessary Drugs

Most drugs are unnecessary. Taking a lot of them is usually not a good idea. A massage or chiropractic visit is a better idea than taking pain pills.

Medical Fraud

Patients need to be attentive to their medical charges and should flag any charges that don’t pass the smell test.

Tax Deductions

We need to return to allowing tax deductions for medical expenses and restore IRS 502 to allow for “medically necessary” direct medical and dental expense deductions without any percent of earnings subtractions.

Determining Insurance Needs

Replacing expensive insurance coverage with cheaper major medical insurance and Medical Savings accounts is the way to go. I would be helpful if your insurance company catches any of the problems listed above. You need conservative doctors and need to watch your medical bills. 

Remember: The insurance industry is a single cell animal with no brain and 3 working parts; it charges premiums, pays claims and increases premiums.

Final Thoughts

Many of my high school classmates passed away prematurely while jogging. They did it for their health.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader