Wojtek Sokolowski wrote:
>
> Thank your local HMO or insurance company for that. It is them who say
> what doctors can or cannot do. medication is often seen as a more
> economically 'viable' alternative to inpatient treatment (esp. in case of
> mental disorders).
Yes HMOs have had an adverse affect but many cases I personally know
of were not HMO cases. In these instances the person had very good
insurance and picked their own doctor and still got incompetent
results.
>
> If the organization of the health case system allowed having a primary
> health care providers who keeps all your and your family records and, the
> problem of not checking patient history would be pretty much reduced, if
> not practically eliminated.
This was a goal of the HMOs wasn't it - the gatekeeper physician idea?
However, that is practically impossible in the
> US, unless you are rich and can afford to pay for a doctors of your choice.
Even when you can get doctors of your choice through the more expensive insurance plans, it doesn't mean that you get better care. I've seen it with friends who have Writer's Guild, SAG insurance, which is top notch coverage.
> Most people have insurance through their work, and insurance companies
> force you to use their 'network' practitioners. Each time you change a
> job, your employer changes insurance company, or your current insurer jacks
> up the premium so you have to look for another insurer to be able to pay
> your rent -- you are forced to use a different 'network' doctor. So much
> for 'choosing your own doctor' the health business hacks are drooling so
> much.
I'm not saying this is a great way of doing things but when you get
another doctor, is it not the responsibility of that doctor to ask for
the past records and to review them?
>
> In short it is the totally fucked up organization of health 'care' - or
> rather racket - in the US rather than doctor incompetence that is most
> dangerous threat to our health.
Yes capitalist medicine, as business, sucks but the "professionals" within it are to be held equally to task for practicing sloppy medicine. Actually because doctors get paid whether they help or harm a patient is IMHO a large part of the problem. Insurance companies pay them no matter. They get rich no matter if they are effective and get repeat business or happen to survive off getting many patients who don't continue to go to them more than once or twice. Like I have said before, it is my experience that persons may have go to many doctors before they find one who can deal with their issue and treat it properly.
Marta