Christopher Moriates, author for the Daily Texan discusses the problems with health care in his editorial called "Doctors, Patients Need to Talk About Care Costs" It is fascinating to me that Christopher Moriates is, in fact, a Doctor at UT’s Dell Medical Center, to me, this says he is the right man to write and talk about this issue. He is very credible in making his arguments because he is in the industry. His intended audience is for doctors and patients alike.
Moriates claims that the health care system needs to change not just how insurance is done but also how doctors are informed. He believes that because of the noble choice to not inform doctors of how much procedures cost, in hopes that the cost will not cloud the medical judgment needed to get a patient the right kind of help, doctors often end up adding more unnecessary costs to their patient’s medical expensesDoctors, Patients Need to Talk About Care Costs. “Medical schools and residency training programs have traditionally shied away from teaching costs. For the most part, costs remain hidden even from many practicing physicians. Some would argue this is for good reason, since doctors should be making decisions based on medical need without clouding that judgment with considerations of potential costs. That intention is noble, but in practice, it often leads to doctors inadvertently saddling patients with expensive medical bills. Doctors and patients both need to better communicate about this problem and work together to find solutions if the financial burden would be too much.” Moriates believes better-informed doctors and better communication with patients will decrease the national medical debt.
Paying for health care is one of the top concerns of American families today. “One reason for this concern is more Americans than ever are on high-deductible health plans. This means even seemingly simple medical decisions could result in substantial out-of-pocket costs for patients.” Moriates states that with a system like this more and more Americans end up in debt from medical bills and costs and as a result of this do not seek further needed care. He introduces the term “Financial Toxicity” which is when an American may have the life saved but the life-saving procedure cleans out their life-saving the account. “Oncologists have begun to understand this problem, coining it “financial toxicity” and considering it an unintended consequence of their treatments. Just like other side effects of chemotherapy, such as losing one’s hair, this does not mean it is always avoidable, but at least by recognizing the issue, these doctors and patients can be more aware of the situation and can work on trying to navigate the problem together.”
I liked this article because Moriates didn’t just talk about the problem with the medical costs and how doctors are and should be held responsible for knowing the cost of a procedure and working with a patient to ensure tackling the medical procedure will not put anyone in debt but he also offers some solutions. “A number of new tools are also emerging to make this easier for patients and physicians. One free website and application provides local searches to find the lowest-cost pharmacy for your specific prescriptions. When considering medical tests or procedures such as an MRI or knee surgery, there are a handful of options currently available for the public to research prices. Healthcare Bluebook and Guroo are two websites that claim to provide a search of prices within your area and to help you determine a ‘fair price.’”
This was a fascinating read, which I was able to relate to having to pay my own insurance and medical bills. It makes me want to sit my doctor down make him read this article and then say: “so give it to me straight, doc, where can I save?”
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