After reading an article by Forbes, many hospitals are not-profitable. This is quite disturbing especially when the average response from any recipient who receives their medical bill is, "Wow!" We often look at our EOB statements with disgust when we find that we received an EKG while in the E.R. and it cost us $90, or an I.V. that cost us close to $70. Why are these costs so high? What am I paying for? Well, in short, you're paying for the supply, labor, non-labor, capital, room & board, and probably other things that you didn't even think about. The article can be found here: http://www.forbes.com/2010/08/30/profitable-hospitals-hca-healthcare-business-mayo-clinic.html
One thing the article pointed out is that better quality = better patients, but as we all are often familiar, quality costs money. This doesn't mean we can't find quality at cheaper costs, but how much patience do we have when waiting for that quality? I equate this to the upcoming Playstation 4 making it's debut here in the next few days. I want a PS4, and I really don't want to wait for it to come down in price before I get it, though I know based on past experiences, when I've acquired a new technological system like this, I played the shit out of it for 1 week and let it sit on my shelf for about a year or so before giving it away to my brother. Even when knowing this, I will probably STILL rush out to buy this new console. Why? It's because I'm American, I want the biggest, baddest, best product on the market because it makes me feel good about myself. Do I need it? Hell no. I'm perfectly find with a PS3 or not even having it. I've lived my life this long without one, but it doesn't even matter to me. So what does this have to with the topic? There are obviously many of us that can live without these technological advances in the healthcare industry, but we still demand the biggest and the best, and we necessarily don't have a valid justification for it. In the end, people bitch and complain when they go to the hospital and their bill is through the roof, irregardless if they have medical insurance or not. You might be saying, well, the hospital doesn't have to purchase this high tech equipment, why don't they just purchase the bare minimum to provide the quality of care I need? This is because they must remain competitive in the market or else they will they face the fear is closing. Closing hospitals means less access for people like me and you that may need it one day.
Administrators of tomorrow's healthcare are faced with myriad struggles that affect the access, quality, and price of healthcare. Administrators need to take risks, analyze their markets, and provide accordingly. Additionally, they need to step up to the plate and put a firm foot down and implement policies that prevent the exploitation of healthcare technology. Do doctor's need to prescribe an MRI for a person that comes in complaining of a headache? No, but some still do. I find this to be outrageous. Additionally, people need to realize that the ER / hospital is not a place to get your 'check-up'. If you're sick, you need to see your PCP or go to the Urgent Care first. Contrary to popular belief, the ER is for emergencies, and a child with a fever of 102.0 degrees is not really emergent. Try giving your child an OTC treatment first, and if that doesn't work, schedule an appointment with your PCP, and see what he recommends. Stop wasting my healthcare dollars and everybody else's healthcare dollars at the expense of your stupidity / curiosity. I wish I could find the article, but I read earlier that something like 40% of ER admissions to in-patient wards do NOT increase a patient's quality of life. In other words, they can be treated as an outpatient basis and recover this way. To me, this is a little absurd. Doctor's are worried about being sued,, but guess what? Military medicine is the exception to this rule because active duty cannot sue active duty doctors. This means that doctor's treat in a conservative sense rather than aggressive, and it helps cut down on waste. The problem with healthcare is that hospitals are catered to try and please everybody, but this philosophy is equivalent to a person trying to obtain world peace. Sure, it's a great idea, but unrealistic. Administrators need to realize this, and start taking a stand against this type of abuse.
No comments:
Post a Comment