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Posted by Michael Lewis (152.163.253.99) on 08:46:09 12/05/04

To re-language the issue, let's call our system a disease care system, in which we have disease
maintainance organizatons, disease care insurance and piecework care (treatment services, not care).

Unlike auto insurance where fees are set by your driving record, where you live and the amount of deductible you are willing to pay, there is no reward for safe living in our disease care system.

Perhaps M.D.s shold be educated about how much some tests and treatments cost. Perhaps we should ration care; there is no need or right to a 30,000 dollar injecton for an 85 year old patient with terminal cancer. There is no "right" to an MRI for a sprained ankle. If you choose to have elective surgery to maintain a lifesyle e.g. knee surgery in order to keep running, then you should pay a greater portion of the cost, and not take it out of my premium costs.

Unlike Wal-Mart, I do pay for employee health insurance. I and my wife have elective routine physicals, no medicine in our medicine cabinet and try to live preventively. My team members, like wise are healthy, yet my annual premium would support another employee which I do not have.

We need to stop saving everyone born with problems that will cost society for the rest of their lives. It is not encouraging to read of a heroic operation that leaves a brain damaged or life support dependent person. Why not just love them and let them go as I have done with my parents?

One simple change would be to address the trial lawyer parasites that get judgments not only for real problems, but also for people's stupidity, or their unmet expectations and "deserve" attitudes. There is no reason that my ob/gyn friends need to find an extra 2000-3000 dollars per week in billings simply to pay for malpractice insurance.

Medicine when it is/was relationship based is/was magical. Maybe there was not a lot of curing done, but a lot of healing occured.

Those of us in dentistry, still have the opportunity to live in relationship with those who come to us for care. Much of medicine lost that when they sold out to the disease insurance companies and the quick guaranteed payment.

Now we all are suffering the cosequences.

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Comments:	: To re-language the issue, let's call our system a disease care system, in which we have disease : maintainance organizatons, disease care insurance and piecework care (treatment services, not care). : : Unlike auto insurance where fees are set by your driving record, where you live and the amount of deductible you are willing to pay, there is no reward for safe living in our disease care system. : : Perhaps M.D.s shold be educated about how much some tests and treatments cost. Perhaps we should ration care; there is no need or right to a 30,000 dollar injecton for an 85 year old patient with terminal cancer. There is no "right" to an MRI for a sprained ankle. If you choose to have elective surgery to maintain a lifesyle e.g. knee surgery in order to keep running, then you should pay a greater portion of the cost, and not take it out of my premium costs. : : Unlike Wal-Mart, I do pay for employee health insurance. I and my wife have elective routine physicals, no medicine in our medicine cabinet and try to live preventively. My team members, like wise are healthy, yet my annual premium would support another employee which I do not have. : : We need to stop saving everyone born with problems that will cost society for the rest of their lives. It is not encouraging to read of a heroic operation that leaves a brain damaged or life support dependent person. Why not just love them and let them go as I have done with my parents? : : One simple change would be to address the trial lawyer parasites that get judgments not only for real problems, but also for people's stupidity, or their unmet expectations and "deserve" attitudes. There is no reason that my ob/gyn friends need to find an extra 2000-3000 dollars per week in billings simply to pay for malpractice insurance. : : Medicine when it is/was relationship based is/was magical. Maybe there was not a lot of curing done, but a lot of healing occured. : : Those of us in dentistry, still have the opportunity to live in relationship with those who come to us for care. Much of medicine lost that when they sold out to the disease insurance companies and the quick guaranteed payment. : : Now we all are suffering the cosequences. : : :
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Dr. Carl A. Hammerschlag, M.D., CPAE, psychiatrist and author, is a professional keynote and motivational speaker. He speaks on a variety of topics including healthcare, mind body and spirit, health and wellness, mental healing and leadership. He has delivered motivational and keynote speaches to corporate and business clients around the world.