No wonder health care costs are so high!

[TedH5]

I do not vent too often and alwats try and keep posts positive as possible.

I just could not help posting this. In reading some of the "Do I" threads lately I can not help but be amazed at the latitude and liberty Dr's take in ordering tests. I am reminded of a comment my Neuro, Dr Glass said during my diagnosis. I had told him that my GP had done numerous blood tests including lyme and spotted mountain rocky fever and he said lyme I understand but why the other one? I shrugged my shoulders and said she told me she was being exhaustive. He shook his head and said that is why our health care costs are so high, unneccessary tests.

I am definitely not a Dr or any type of medical expert but when I read some of the threads I can not fathom the rationale behind multiple EMG's and MRI's etc etc when each one keeps coming back clean and according to the posts no clinical weakness is noted etc.

Anyone looking for health care waste can come here and uncover a lot of unneeded expenses. Of course hopefully they would defer the savings into the many unmet needs of ALS patients and like diseases.

OK I said my 2 cents I had to get that off of my chest!

 

[trfogey]

TedH5,

The same folks that demand the multiple EMGs and seek out the third, fourth, and fifth opinions will be hotfooting it to their lawyer's office if something turns up on a later exam that had any possibility of being caught earlier. All those tests are being ordered to cover the doctors' behinds from folks that are literally crazy from anxiety. They call it "practicing defensive medicine".

If these people's health insurance rates got jacked up or canceled every time that they made a questionable claim like their car insurance rates do when they get a ticket or have a wreck, they'd get the message loud and clear.

 

[EGBAR]

trfogey is dead on. My wife is a physician and it is a day to day struggle between the insurance companies, and Medicare Medicaid and the patients. physicians are reimbursed at a lower percentage than most people think for test and procedures. However, they must be done to cover your butt. A person with no insurance in the Emergency Room will receive treatment, even though they cannot pay, however they still have the same privilege to sue if something goes wrong. And here is the kicker, lawyers don't have to take a reduce percentage of reimbursement, they bill $1000.00 you better have $1,000.00.

Along with what trfogey said, I have always thought that if there were two organizations called Lawicad and Lawicare, and attorneys had to sign a contractual agreement as physicians do in order to get paid, things would straighten a little faster.

Tort reform is the only thing that is going to help get healthcare under control, in the USA.

 

[TedH5]

Good point trfogey. So I suppose that we must have tort reform before we can expect Dr's to start reformng how many tests etc they order. Like I said I just get amazed sometimes at the amount of what appears to be needless tests that are ordered.

Edgar I posted this before your comment popped up. None the less I agree with you both and think your Lawicare and Lawicaid is a great point.

 

[jb63]

It isn't always the patient seeking the tests. I had a very thorough EMG and the doc that my internist insisted I see did not even bother to look at it. He said "I do my own, that's all I trust." And so he did a very abrieviated emg.

My neruomuscular doc repeated several blood test because she did not realize she had them done a few months ago (could not find them in the computer). They were not tests that needed to be rechecked and "Dr. I Do My Own " did them 3 weeks prior.

I carry my own little folder with copies of everything, but then what do I know, I am only the patient. There is either alot of ego or confusion going on.

 

[brenda barton]

I thank God daily for my neuro. Between Baclofen and Botox he is a "prince".

He retested on somethings as he "wants to keep up with my progress. One of the gals doing a test called to advise him "this test was done 2 mths ago" and I could hear him holler "Do it again. I want to see if there is any change." As I was leaving I heard him advise a meeting will be held at the end of the day.

 

[TedH5]

It isn't always the patient seeking the tests. I had a very thorough EMG and the doc that my internist insisted I see did not even bother to look at it. He said "I do my own, that's all I trust." And so he did a very abrieviated emg.

My neruomuscular doc repeated several blood test because she did not realize she had them done a few months ago (could not find them in the computer). They were not tests that needed to be rechecked and "Dr. I Do My Own " did them 3 weeks prior.

I carry my own little folder with copies of everything, but then what do I know, I am only the patient. There is either alot of ego or confusion going on.

Most Dr's want to do their own EMG, that is normal due to the nature of the test. Duplicating blood tests for lack of awareness while the Neuro should have asked you if recent blood tests were done it is definitely not the same as Dr's repeating unnneccesary tests in order to placate a patient.

You have been diagnosed with ALS so the numerous diagnostic tests are explainable. My point is more referring to some of the stories in the "Do I" section of this forum where it is apparent that anxiety suffers with no indication of ALS are placated by Dr's unable to talk sense into them so they placate them.

 

[momofsixkids60]

I would love to know how they were able to see as many as 4 drs in about a yrs time. My neuro is booked up months in advance. And the only way in sooner is through ER.


Kimberly

 

[LizT]

Not even sure if this is relevant, but this topic really pisses me off because, yes, so many folks get a twitch and go in and end up having 4 EMG's and MRI's and all that... which in turn increases the price of everything...
And here I sit, for almost 7 years now... with REAL problems... and NO INSURANCE to go get it taken care of. Yet all these folks get thousands of dollars worth of tests for a twitch. Doesnt seem right...

Not sure if this applies either, but when my PALS was given the dreaded words of ALS, he went to go get tested for lymes, and the doc wouldnt even do it. He said it would be a waste of time and money because it was clearly ALS. Im really not ok with this, and im not sure why my PALS was... but who am I to disagree?

 

[glupavomomiche]

This is a real sensitive subject with me. I don't like doctors. I don't like tests. Yet almost every single test I've had has been repeated and some re-repeated. It REALLY pisses me off that #1: I have to pay for them, or #2: My insurance has to give me and everyone else heck over paying for a repeated test, and #3: it's just not necessary. And this is exactly why I'm having trouble finding a neuro I'll stick with... they all want their own freakin' tests, especially the EMG, and they want them often. I'm sorry... I've had three of the suckers done by a doctor at Methodist in Houston who gives out this crappy diagnosis on a regular basis. Take it or leave it. I've put my foot down about not having any more repeats. You come up with something new, fine, we'll try that, but no more MRIs, no more EPs, no more LPs, and sure as hell no more EMGs. And some of you are absolutely right... it's all ego and butt covering. Every doc thinks they are the only expert in the world at EMG, and everyone is just covering 1st, 2nd, 3rd, home, right field, center field, left field, all through the bleachers, out in the concession stand, and even up in the freakin' Goodyear blimp! Ridiculous!

 

[rose]

There are some clinics who make a business at running tests. There is a walk-in clinic near to where I used to live, and, I am not exaggerating, you can not go there for something as simple as a UTI (for women that's simple) without the doctors there wanting to run urine sample, blood work AND also ultra sound (conveniently done in their offices). I don't know what their deal was, but it was well known in the community that they were testomaniacs. It was common to see entire families in the waiting room, who had appointments for tests that had been suggested to them by a doctor at an earlier visit.

 

[jb63]

Most Dr's want to do their own EMG, that is normal due to the nature of the test. Duplicating blood tests for lack of awareness while the Neuro should have asked you if recent blood tests were done it is definitely not the same as Dr's repeating unnneccesary tests in order to placate a patient.

You have been diagnosed with ALS so the numerous diagnostic tests are explainable. My point is more referring to some of the stories in the "Do I" section of this forum where it is apparent that anxiety suffers with no indication of ALS are placated by Dr's unable to talk sense into them so they placate them.

Ted,
I should have been clearer. I wholeheartedly agree with you about people seeking docs after doc to have tests that are not indicated. May be a type of Munchausens or just plain hypochondria.

I was adding my 2 cents in on the reasons costs are high. When I say I had this blood test 2 weeks ago, here are the results and they are ordred again, my insurance is going to bounce sooner or later.

And don't get me started on lawyers....