How Stupid Do American's Look to Politicians and the PRess

So today as I read my e-copy of AHIP' Hi-Wire Connection, a clipping service of America's Health Insurance Plans, I had to ask myself, "How stupid do the press and politicians really think we are?"

The first article listed was an AP story on how Americans receive too many tests and are over treated, especially at the end of life entitled, "Overtreated: More Medical Care Isn't Always Better." This by-lined piece was full of anecdotal information about families who complain about the treatment their family members received, including a radiologist who complained that his daughter had too many abdominal scans after her car accident. How many of you see this as a legal problem not a medical problem? If he weren't a radiologist, do we really believe that the ER would have been as interested in practicing defensive medicine? Or the family that complained that their dying family member received an unnecessary test. So talk to your physician.

This article was so devoid of statistics. The most significant attempt at citing statistics was a mention that 1/3 of all test are proved to be unnecessary. Doesn't that mean that 2/3 of the tests were needed. What portion of the 1/3 are found to be unnecessary though hindsight, but could not be predicted as such prior to a negative result.

At the same time that we are being told by the government that we should work later into life and be healthier, a blanket statement is made about PSAs for men over 75 and the idea that treating someone at that age for prostate cancer is unnecessary. Should not that be determine by the vitality of each individual 75 year old?

The second story was about how scientist are debating whether or not recessions are good for health. Oh, please! I am supposed to believe that reduced air pollution due to idled factories and fewer commuters means we as a society are healthier. What about the increased stress and pollution from having to fly or drive to jobs outside of ones community just to keep enough money coming in to protect ones home and health insurance premiums. Or the stress of constant job hunting? Or are suicide rates also looked at? Or what about mental health versus physical health?

Interestingly enough, these fine observations in the two articles are coming from the National Quality Forum and the American Medical Association. The National Quality Forum which is listed as a non-profit has received $10m in 2009, and will receive that amount per year until 2012 from the federal government to "help establish a portfolio of quality and efficiency measures that will allow the federal government to more clearly see how and whether healthcare spending is achieving the best results for patients and taxpayers. The contract is part of a provision in the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 that directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services 'to contract with a consensus-based entity, such as the National Quality Forum.'" In English, to figure out how to ration health care as the federal government becomes increasing involved in paying for it.

The American Medical Association should be recognized as a decidedly left wing group that represents only 19% of all practicing physicians. Nineteen percent is a generous estimate, since many of its members are students, residents and research fellows whose lack of real world experience has not yet allowed them to see how irrelevant this group may be to a practicing physician.

Personally, I would rather have a group of practicing physicians, who deal with real people and real families daily making the rules, than researchers and a fringe group of physicians and medical students. And forgive my consumerism, but I think that patients should be a part of any committee deciding policy.

Name one other industry that so devalues the customer's opinion? We are not stupid! We are consumers! Consumer of a good that could cost us our lives.