- Author: Health Informer
- Filed under: Health News
- Date: Dec 29,2011
One in three dollars spent on health care in Florida currently pays for unnecessary tests and treatments that physicians order to keep from being sued, according to a new Florida physician poll released by Patients for Fair Compensation. This spending equates to more than $40 billion dollars each year.
The poll, conducted by Oppenheim Research on behalf of Patients for Fair Compensation, showed that of physicians surveyed statewide, 88 percent said they practiced some form of “defensive medicine” in the past 12 months to protect themselves from frivolous lawsuits.
That means patients are paying more so doctors don’t get sued.
“Doctors order unnecessary medical care because they are in fear that one mistake could wipe out everything they’ve ever worked for,” said Richard L. Jackson, chairman of Patients for Fair Compensation, a new not-for-profit advocacy group.
Oppenheim Research, under the direction of Jay Rayburn, Ph.D., Florida State University School of Communications, conducted the statewide survey across a variety of physicians. Those doctors reported that 33 percent of overall healthcare costs can be attributed to the practice of defensive medicine. According to 2009 data released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, healthcare in Florida now costs $132 billion annually. Based on its poll, Patients for Fair Compensation officials, estimate that more than $40 billion of Florida’s annual health care dollars are spent on unnecessary tests and treatments. Read the rest of this entry »
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- Author: Health Informer
- Filed under: Health News
- Date: Dec 28,2011
With the economy slow to recover, Americans continue to cut costs and conserve money. The Pennsylvania Dental Association (PDA) reminds the public that good oral health is vital to overall health, and urges people of all ages to not neglect their oral health care.
It is understandable that families are trying to be frugal with their finances during these tough times. While dental care may seem like an easy expense to cut, postponing regular dental checkups could result in a serious oral health problem and a more expensive treatment plan in the long run.
“When a patient is not seen at a regular three-month, four-month or six-month intervals, problems are left to progress, which leads to more expensive treatments such as crowns, root canals or periodontal surgeries,” said Dr. Tamara S. Brady, a PDA member dentist in Exton. “Not only are these procedures more expensive, they also may not be covered by a patient’s dental insurance.”
PDA has no statistics on whether more Pennsylvanians are avoiding dental checkups because of the economy. However, there is anecdotal evidence. Gallup-Healthways surveyed 177,000 Americans from January through June 2011. The survey showed that 35 percent, or more than one-third, of Americans did not visit a dentist in the last 12 months during this time period. Pennsylvania was close to the national average, at 33 percent.
“It is important to not skip your routine dental checkup appointments because it is not always apparent to a person when there is a dental problem that should be addressed,” said Dr. Brady. “Many patients build up significant plaque and tartar in between dental hygiene exams and these materials need to be removed professionally at your routine recall appointment. Also, dental decay can begin to develop and will need to be detected by a dentist via a dental exam and X-rays.” Read the rest of this entry »
- Author: Health Informer
- Filed under: Health News
- Date: Dec 27,2011
A program for women at risk of substance abuse during pregnancy could save nearly $2 billion annually in health care costs if implemented nationwide, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published online in the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ journal, Obstetrics & Gynecology.
The cost-benefit analysis of the Kaiser Permanente Early Start program follows a 2008 Kaiser Permanente study that showed the program helps pregnant women at risk of substance abuse achieve similar health outcomes — for both mothers and their infants — as women who do not use cigarettes, alcohol or drugs.
Kaiser Permanente has proved the program decreases maternal and neonatal morbidity and stillbirths, according to study lead author Nancy C. Goler, MD, of the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology for The Permanente Medical Group in Vallejo, Calif. Read the rest of this entry »
This year, make sure your New Year’s fitness resolution includes your kids. Doing so could make working out and losing weight a lot more fun, according to fitness expert Michael Berry.
Berry, director of the Human Performance Laboratory at Wake Forest University, said fitness with the kids must include more than a predictable schedule. You must engage the kids and even make exercise a little unusual to get them excited about working out.
“If you say, we’re going to take the kids out for a walk this evening, most kids are going to say, ‘Wait, we have to leave the video games or television?’” Berry said. “Kids like to play games, they like to be engaged, so exercise needs to be something that is sports-oriented or game-oriented.” Read the rest of this entry »