In Need of a New Hip, but Priced Out of the U.S.
Desperate to find an affordable solution, he reached out to a sailing buddy with friends at a medical device manufacturer, which arranged to provide his local hospital with an implant at what was described as the list price of $13,000, with no markup. But when the hospitals finance office estimated that the hospital charges would run another $65,000, not including the surgeons fee, he knew he had to think outside the box, and outside the country.

In addition, device makers typically require doctors groups and hospitals to sign nondisclosure agreements about prices, which means institutions do not know what their competitors are paying. This secrecy erodes bargaining power and has allowed a small industry of profit-taking middlemen to flourish: joint implant purchasing consultants, implant billing companies, joint brokers. There are as many as 13 layers of vendors between the physician and the patient for a hip replacement, according to Kate Willhite, a former executive director of the Manitowoc Surgery Center in Wisconsin.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/04/health/for-medical-tourists-simple-math.html?_r=1&

'Paying Till It Hurts': Why American Health Care Is So Pricey

It's to make Americans aware of the costs we pay for our health care. Because so many of us have insurance, and we don't see the bills, we tend to think of health care as free. Oh, why not get that colonoscopy, it doesn't cost anything. What's the difference if my hip replacement costs $100,000? I'm not paying. But in fact we're all paying.

And as we all know, medical care is a huge cost of individual bankruptcies now, co-pays and deductibles are going up, and the nation, because it pays for a lot of medical care and subsidizes a lot of medical care, just can't afford the way we're doing this anymore

http://kdlg.org/post/paying-till-it-hurts-why-american-health-care-so-pricey

Mr. OSO, while a lot of it has to do with the money to be made, I also feel that as long as a condition can be treated to extend life, most doctors are going to offer it to you and some will encourage it. That's their job. But we have choices and can say 'no more'.

I just read ur post Bob and not the link or responses but many doctors also don't want to get sued. It's a litigious society and there are standard tests n shit. Many docs err on the side of caution to not get sued but I've seen care delivered all over the place so to say. Rationing and overdoing it. Medicine is not always a science so to say and sometimes an art. Especially when dealing with people of diverse backgrounds. You guys are tough!!

I've turned down a test or recommendation or Rxs before but only because I felt I was very informed. Many are not but then I've also worked in health care for 18 years and ice seen a bunch of stuff n shit.

I agree with ECC. Not only is it a litigious society, but a society who wants a pill for everything.

Once being cut open for an unnecessary procedure, I now do thorough research. It's my job to become informed and do my research.

My mother refuses to do any more mammograms or have an MRI for her PD. For one, an MRI will cost her about one grand OOP. Secondly, she's fine with aging. By not having those procedures, she is ineligible for certain rx's.

Oh yes, I agree with oOo toOo that many people want a friggin' pill for everything, especially chronic, lower back or diffuse pain ;-) Yes a happy pill for everything while others don't want to take anything at all, my mother bring that extreme. I have patients that refuse stuff constantly either verbally or just by missing appointments time after time. Ultimately, we all get to accept or refuse txs but it can have consequences. I educate on that and the importance of making informed decisions with help from their support system as needed.

But Bob, if this is about your damn colonoscopy, Just Do It like the shoe says.

All good points. To clarify, I understand the need to protect the practitioners from malpractice, but I don't understand the tendency to treat unnecessarily.

Antidepressants are another good example. Many studies show that for they work best for moderate to severe depression. Yet most are prescribed for mild cases, where other treatment plans that have less of an impact (such as counseling, exercise, meditation) can be just as effective. And some of these drugs have a long list of side effects and are very difficult to detox from once a dependency has developed.

And that is my point. Not so much about costs, but the risk of doing more harm than good.

I don't have all the answers, but one of the things I've learned from this board is the importance of being informed. It is my body, and my wallet, and I have the responsibility to ask the right questions and seek a second opinion.

With anti-depressants, they're most often prescribed not by psychiatrists but other physicians who just literally play around with them seriously.

Here on the board, it was sad to see some uninformed doctors throwing all of these tests and drugs at patients that were not very far along in disease progression. Bad medicine as the drugs are harsh currently yet thankfully about to change. Some of these doctors seem concerned yet have not a clue while others seem to be in it to make some money, which is harmful if they've paid any attention to how people do on these drugs. For some, the hopeful cure is worse than the disease.

Complex at best. Bob get that colonoscopy!!

Re: refusing tests. I first refused some tests when I was pregnant. I refused the amniocenteses to see if baby had down's syndrome. I was 35 for 1st child, 38 for 2nd one. It was a battle between me & dr about this. I said I don't care if he/she has downs. He kept insisting, I still refused. There was another test for allergies or something re: cat poop (we had 2 cats). I did the test 1st preg, refused 2nd one, and got an argument about it.

When my dtr was in ER w/severe abdominal pain & diarreah they were about to remove her appendix - WHICH WAS NOT THE ISSUE -. I can't remember why it didn't happen, but it had something to do with a different dr showing up. She was about 10 & I was freaking out not knowing what to do, tho I was 95% sure it wasn't her appendix, which it wasn't. It turned out to be a severe virus.

Recently when I had/have major ear infection & coughing, etc, and one morning the vertigo was so bad I started throwing up & my friend took me to ER, at one point the PA ordered an EEG.(is that it? electrocardiogram ) When the nurse came to hook me up I said No, I'm positive this has nothing to do with my heart. COVERING ASSES, MAKING MONEY FOR THE HOSPITAL, or maybe just not knowing .....
Besides doing your own research, common sense and knowing your body is very important in healthcare also.

ECC, I do agree, IMO gen pracs should refer depressed patients to a specialist (psych) who is expert in psych meds!

Overall, considering my age health status, I'm satisfied with the tests ordered by my GI. The results alert me to invisible or potential problems
Happily, I am on no prescriptions. Some have been ordered but a change in diet & practices has eliminated the need. My sinuses are good because of daily saline, the gerd is good because I eat small meals & mindful choices. Pain for joints, I take 80mg aspirin (I have hemachromatosis)
Depression - do the best I can with exercise & meditation, & maybe the brazil nuts help LOL.
We can make changes in our routines that may successfully alleviate problems.

Insurance rules!
You can't get tests,procedures, treatments or meds until a protocol has been followed & documented to justify. A dr can't use his common sense or intuition. Everything must have a verifiable justification.

Most hospitals have a quota for doctors this days.They are pressuring them to bring in X amount of money per month.Bottom line is that is leads to corruption and many unnecessary test.. This is not unique, pretty much part of all hospitals, and patient care.It is all over on the net.Read about it.

Dr. fails to admit patient QUOTA
http://php.ratemds.com/social/?q=node/43691
"Cleveland Doctor Terminated from Hospital for Failing to Meet Revenue Targets"

Now how can you trust your doctor ? Yes they are all nice , and i know Dr x is the best. But they all got smile on their faces when they rip you off. Trust me! And most people do. And this is conflict of interest in many ways.

The other issue about the pills. EEC and Becky writes about it. How the people needs pills for everything. FALSE.
Just look at Kramer's post about Marijuana. Sanjay Gupta apologizing!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Tqg2y3yYR0&feature=youtu.be

For how many years this fight goes on. And the Industry created synthetic Mj...No one wanted . No one liked it. And the Pharma paid off all the reps, year , by year to vote against it. Today synthetic MJ is BANNED everywhere in the US because of the chemicals in it .

In the old days bread was the standard against diarrhea. Chocolate was to expensive. Today powders, liquids, and other magic stuff what your doctor will prescribe.Old folk remedy is not a money maker. Most doctor will not mentioned to you. They get paid from companies for writing out pills.Yes pills for everything and it is a great way to supplement the income.

Milk..helps you to fall a sleep. Why would you drink a glass when you take the sleep aid off the shelf? Do they really warn people this is really bad for your liver? Or yes they do with microscopic sized letters.And on the end it is your responsibility to read it.And if you read it how do you interpreted? How bad is this stuff? You just really don't know.

The pharmaceutical industry is a monster.They are the one who created all the pills, and the source of all evil is money, as many ,and more people holds stock in companies, when everyone knows the product do lots of harm to the body. We are the one who enable them , so some of us , yes the better educated ones who can afford to invest,the one who should know it better the one who enable the racket.The one who invest on Coke, and Marlboro's may never drink or smoke but don't give a shit if others because its makes them money.

They don't care how the nicotine content doubled in 1994.You cant possibly quit this days. The tobacco companies claims it if they lowered back you would smoke more, and the FDA accepted the explanation! All independent clinical test claims it is FALSE . And the government don't want you to quit. Bring in LOTS of tax.This is what the world come to. And we can ask who is right who is wrong.

Reminder one clarification. We did say want not need. Huge difference.

Carry on all.

Here's a good article about prescription drugs.

http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/?p=2587976

Adderall, a medication used to treat ADHD symptoms, is commonly referred to as prescription speed, according to Natural News. It is highly addictive and leads to complications like high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke and sudden death.

Psych Central reports 48percent of patients taking ADHD medications experience at least one side effect, and 21percent of those side effects were rated very to extremely bothersome.

Xanax, an anti-anxiety medication, can make anxiety symptoms worse over time. Zoloft, a depression medication, can increase the risk of suicide.

I don't think medical ethics factor into health care in the U.S. at all; it is solely profit driven. Private equity firms are buying up medical practices.

Wake up America!!! Do you really want your healthcare controlled by hedge fund managers?

I dream of a single payer national healthcare system...quite certain it will never happen in this country in my life time...

Thanks for posting Bob...I appreciate it.