Stark wrote:I wonder how this compares to AU, where I can get a doctor to send me for all kinds of diagnostics or bloodwork 'just because' for free whenever I want. Surely this would generate heaps of basically wasted 'overtesting' in the system too?
Of course that is over testing, it is socialized medicine and nobody profits from it but you.
fixed typo
They say, "the tree of liberty must be watered with the blood of tyrants and patriots." I suppose it never occurred to them that they are the tyrants, not the patriots. Those weapons are not being used to fight some kind of tyranny; they are bringing them to an event where people are getting together to talk. -Mike Wong
But as far as board culture in general, I do think that young male overaggression is a contributing factor to the general atmosphere of hostility. It's not SOS and the Mess throwing hand grenades all over the forum- Red
Stark wrote:I wonder how this compares to AU, where I can get a doctor to send me for all kinds of diagnostics or bloodwork 'just because' for free whenever I want. Surely this would generate heaps of basically wasted 'overtesting' in the system too?
I can do that over here too. In fact, i do a general checkup at least annualy. in fact, it is required by a lot of insurances to do something like this.
You don't understand; we're not talking about a "general checkup". There are all kinds of tests they can run on you which would go above and beyond what is done in a general checkup.
"It's not evil for God to do it. Or for someone to do it at God's command."- Jonathan Boyd on baby-killing
"you guys are fascinated with the use of those "rules of logic" to the extent that you don't really want to discussus anything."- GC
"I do not believe Russian Roulette is a stupid act" - Embracer of Darkness
"Viagra commercials appear to save lives" - tharkûn on US health care.
I mentally added up the US value of all the diagnostic imagery and bloodwork I've had performed in the last few years for all kinds of not-seriuos comlpaints, and I'd be flat broke if I'd had to pay and probably wouldn't have had them performed.
Thus, insurance requiring excessive testing to ward off litigation might be a problem, but it's a problem socialised systems may share due to this factor (user-driven over-testing), thus all the per-captia costs of socialised systems include an element of over-testing.
This is why Im' curious how it compares - without numbers, it's possible that the costs of 'unnecessary' testing in socialised countries is similar, so reducing it to lower costs INSTEAD of having proper healthcare in the US is a roundabout solution.
There's overtesting and there's overtesting. My grandfather, for example, is a pretty bad hypocondriac. About 10 years ago he discovered that he had an aneurism in his leg. Since then, he's insisted on getting it checked every 6 months or so even though it has not grown at all since they first detected it.
That said, I consider the costs immediately following overtesting (processing, ignoring doctor's orders, and ineffective use of technology) to be more egregious than overtesting.
Stark wrote:I mentally added up the US value of all the diagnostic imagery and bloodwork I've had performed in the last few years for all kinds of not-seriuos comlpaints, and I'd be flat broke if I'd had to pay and probably wouldn't have had them performed.
Thus, insurance requiring excessive testing to ward off litigation might be a problem, but it's a problem socialised systems may share due to this factor (user-driven over-testing), thus all the per-captia costs of socialised systems include an element of over-testing.
This is why Im' curious how it compares - without numbers, it's possible that the costs of 'unnecessary' testing in socialised countries is similar, so reducing it to lower costs INSTEAD of having proper healthcare in the US is a roundabout solution.
Keep in mind that user-requested tests are generally only conducted if the doctor approves them, and if they're unusually expensive, the tests will be more difficult to get. One of the reasons you can easily get these tests done is that the health-care system does not appear to be strained by them.
"It's not evil for God to do it. Or for someone to do it at God's command."- Jonathan Boyd on baby-killing
"you guys are fascinated with the use of those "rules of logic" to the extent that you don't really want to discussus anything."- GC
"I do not believe Russian Roulette is a stupid act" - Embracer of Darkness
"Viagra commercials appear to save lives" - tharkûn on US health care.
Well that's what puts it in mind - in AU at least, people complain about it. I'm not sure if it's from a budget or machine-time perspective, but there are those who feel that it's excessive and that doctors should be firmer in saying no. Without numbers on 'discretionary' diagnostics in socialised countries it's difficult to know, however.
