Insight: Think preventive medicine will save money? Think again

[FUZO]

TweetSince about 75 percent of healthcare spending in the United States is for largely preventable chronic illnesses such as Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, providing more preventive care should cut costs.

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[bandaidwoman]

TweetInsurance company hymnal is that prevention will save money, we do it for ethical reasons. This is not new for us doctors: There was a great NEJM article on it.

Although some preventive services do save money, the vast majority reviewed in the health economics literature do not” (Joshua T. Cohen et al., “Does preventive care save money? Health economics and the presidential candidates,” New England Journal of Medicine 2008;358:661-663).

We can save 400 billion in administrative costs if we go to single payer like austrialia, taiwan etc. I could fire about 20 employees if I didn't need their help navigating all the administrative bullshit for the 300 plus private plans...

Tweet

Insurance company hymnal is that prevention will save money, we do it for ethical reasons. This is not new for us doctors: There was a great NEJM article on it.

Although some preventive services do save money, the vast majority reviewed in the health economics literature do not” (Joshua T. Cohen et al., “Does preventive care save money? Health economics and the presidential candidates,” New England Journal of Medicine 2008;358:661-663).

We can save 400 billion in administrative costs if we go to single payer like austrialia, taiwan etc. I could fire about 20 employees if I didn't need their help navigating all the administrative bullshit for the 300 plus private plans...

You always have such great insight on these topics.Its always so great to hear from an ethical doctor.

[bandaidwoman]

TweetThere are things in physicals that don't get counted into "cost savings". I did a physical for a 17 year old healthy male who had a family history of a dad with cirrosis and psychiatric hospitalizations. Now this doesn't mean anything except to a internist. The upshot is I did a simple ceruloplasmin test, found out he had Wilson's disease ( copper storage disease), which left unchecked , causes deposits in the brain that mimick psycosis and liver failure that requires liver transplant. He was started on cheap Zinc chelation and I just saved society the cost of future psychiatric hospitalizations and need for liver failure. All because of getting a good family history. Unfortunately, this doesn't end up in any database.....

[bandaidwoman]

TweetI meant future liver trnasplant, sorry.