Healthcare and how individuals can help

Something you may already know about healthcare, but is good to read, here.  And another article about how to cut your own costs here.

If you don't want to read it (lazybones), at least read this:

Doctors are afraid of being sued. Does that contribute to excessive treatment?

Fear of malpractice suits is universal among physicians. It's sometimes a legitimate reason to order tests, and it's sometimes an excuse.

How can a patient keep from being subjected to all these needless tests and procedures?

You should go to your doctor with an attitude of healthy skepticism. And don't be afraid to ask questions. Do I really need this CAT scan? Do I really need to go to a specialist? If you don't feel as if you've gotten adequate answers from your doctor, go to another doctor.

Medicare is soon going to bust the U.S. budget. Could the changes you are talking about prevent that?

If you reduced expected spending growth in Medicare by one percentage point per year below where it is now, you would save over $1 trillion over the next 15 years. Medicare goes from the red to being in the black.

Could the cost savings be enough to enable us to insure everyone?

If we fixed the way we deliver care so that doctors are rewarded for providing good care at low cost, we could afford it. We have an incredible opportunity to make American medicine the envy of the world, and cover everybody.