Last night I received some “Explanation of Benefits” forms in the mail from my primary health insurer (Regence). And what I found surprised me. Of the last five doctor’s appointments my daughter has been to, only one has yielded any diagnosis worth following up on.
Each office visit was at least $200 plus, and two appointments called for tests that ranged in price from $500 to $7,000. The result of each? Normal diagnosis.
I work for Regence and I’m constantly researching and writing about the increasing cost of health care, so you would think I would be a bit more sensitive to “unnecessary care” or “overuse.”
Instead, I have not once questioned my daughter’s doctors or their orders for tests. When it comes to her, in all honesty, I don’t really care what it costs the health care pool that I (and my co-workers) pay into. But isn’t that the attitude of most Americans? When it comes to our health, or the health of our family, we just use it –necessary or not.
Just the other day I read an article about “The Power of No” – how much economic sense does that make in medicine? I encourage you to read it. Like his opinion or not, the writer has an interesting take on how to reduce costs, something that I have long said has been missing from the health care debate.
Coming from a fellow health care “useaholic,” I admit that we must find ways to save money in our health care system – whether it’s “The Power of No” – or some other way that we feel comfortable with.
Our culture of use needs to change. We need to question more, research more, and treat the health care system “bank” as our own. Otherwise, rising costs will never get better. In the long run, I want my daughter to have a functional health care system in her future. And if we don’t really address costs, and fix it now, I’m afraid that won’t be possible.
