Comments on: Do US Primary Care Physicians Prescribe More Tests Because of Financial Incentives? Apparently Not. http://healthblog.ncpa.org/do-us-primary-care-physicians-prescribe-more-tests-because-of-financial-incentives-apparently-not/ Health Care Policy and Reform Insights | NCPA Tue, 22 May 2012 22:14:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Linda Gorman http://healthblog.ncpa.org/do-us-primary-care-physicians-prescribe-more-tests-because-of-financial-incentives-apparently-not/comment-page-1/#comment-56217 Linda Gorman Wed, 24 Mar 2010 22:49:37 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/?p=9612#comment-56217 artK, Your evidence that it is clear that "many" physicians order more tests than is necessary? artK,

Your evidence that it is clear that “many” physicians order more tests than is necessary?

]]> By: John Goodman http://healthblog.ncpa.org/do-us-primary-care-physicians-prescribe-more-tests-because-of-financial-incentives-apparently-not/comment-page-1/#comment-56200 John Goodman Wed, 24 Mar 2010 20:17:44 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/?p=9612#comment-56200 artk: check out this post: http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/taking-another-look-at-mcallen/#more-4250 Gawande was wrong. McAllen, Texas does not have extraordinary medical costs. It has extraordinarily high Medicare billings. It's easy to guess why that is. It is a poor, border city in which the only people with insurance are on Medicare or Medicaid and Medicaid rates are dirt cheap. So it looks like the doctors there find ways of getting Medicare to pay for a lot of the fixed costs. The MRI scanner and other expensive pieces of equipment have to get paid for somehow. McAllen providers discovered how to get we taxpayers to foot the bill. artk: check out this post: http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/taking-another-look-at-mcallen/#more-4250

Gawande was wrong. McAllen, Texas does not have extraordinary medical costs. It has extraordinarily high Medicare billings. It’s easy to guess why that is. It is a poor, border city in which the only people with insurance are on Medicare or Medicaid and Medicaid rates are dirt cheap.

So it looks like the doctors there find ways of getting Medicare to pay for a lot of the fixed costs. The MRI scanner and other expensive pieces of equipment have to get paid for somehow. McAllen providers discovered how to get we taxpayers to foot the bill.

]]> By: Tom H. http://healthblog.ncpa.org/do-us-primary-care-physicians-prescribe-more-tests-because-of-financial-incentives-apparently-not/comment-page-1/#comment-56188 Tom H. Wed, 24 Mar 2010 18:06:22 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/?p=9612#comment-56188 The answer -- proposed more than once at this site --is to liberate the doctor and the patient from the current payment system. I don't know if doctors order too many tests, and if they do, I don't know if the reason is income related, fear of malpractice lawsuits or simply an attitude that reasouces are free. I do know that the current system does not encourage either doctor or patient to do a cost-benefit calculation before making decisions. The answer — proposed more than once at this site –is to liberate the doctor and the patient from the current payment system. I don’t know if doctors order too many tests, and if they do, I don’t know if the reason is income related, fear of malpractice lawsuits or simply an attitude that reasouces are free. I do know that the current system does not encourage either doctor or patient to do a cost-benefit calculation before making decisions.

]]> By: artk http://healthblog.ncpa.org/do-us-primary-care-physicians-prescribe-more-tests-because-of-financial-incentives-apparently-not/comment-page-1/#comment-56183 artk Wed, 24 Mar 2010 17:38:14 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/?p=9612#comment-56183 "figuring out whether the US health care system conducts “too many” tests" It's often said that the most expensive piece of medical equipment is a doctor's pen. There are many doctors that don't order more tests then necessary, but it's clear that many order many more then is necessary. I would recommend you all reread Atul Gawande's article about how one Texas town costs Medicare twice the national average per patient yet it's outcomes are no better then average. http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/06/01/090601fa_fact_gawande?currentPage=all “figuring out whether the US health care system conducts “too many” tests”

It’s often said that the most expensive piece of medical equipment is a doctor’s pen. There are many doctors that don’t order more tests then necessary, but it’s clear that many order many more then is necessary. I would recommend you all reread Atul Gawande’s article about how one Texas town costs Medicare twice the national average per patient yet it’s outcomes are no better then average.

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/06/01/090601fa_fact_gawande?currentPage=all

]]> By: Bruce http://healthblog.ncpa.org/do-us-primary-care-physicians-prescribe-more-tests-because-of-financial-incentives-apparently-not/comment-page-1/#comment-56166 Bruce Wed, 24 Mar 2010 15:23:59 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/?p=9612#comment-56166 I'm trying to figure this out. I suppose the answer is "no." I’m trying to figure this out. I suppose the answer is “no.”

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