In this huge drama about health care costs, emotions have led us away from two facts: We in the USA have the most expensive health care system and the worst outcomes of any non third world country. Remember that.
We, the end user, have the power to take control but we too often make our decisions based on fear.
Richard J. Ablin’s article in the New York Times today points out yet another instance of using our health care dollars unwisely, much like the overuse of mammograms. “The Great Prostate Mistake“. It’s long been known that prostate cancer is often very slow growing. Many men will die with prostate cancer, not of it.
Let me quote Richard. “I never dreamed that my discovery four decades ago would lead to such a profit driven public health disaster. The medical community must confront reality and stop the inappropriate use of P. S. A. screening. Doing so would save billions of dollars and rescue millions of men from unnecessary, debilitating treatments”
