This is a huge problem in US health care financing: we have a fee-for-service model, no price transparency, and a consumer base (insulated from a lot of the costs of procedures by indirect payment through employer-provided insurance) conditioned to think procedures are inherently good. We waste billions annually on procedures that shouldn't be delivered at all.
I'm fond of pointing out the stat (true as of a year ago) that Massachusetts (I think it's MA?) has more MRI machines than the entire country of Canada.
It's not strictly a US health care problem either - I've been dumbfounded by foreign coworkers pressing for totally unnecessary medical interventions as if there's no risk associated with doing such things. It's most apparent from the socialized states where the healthcare is ~free.
My impression is this is a modern civilization stupidity in general.
apropos Dead Kennedys track: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVULKYbAeEo" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVULKYbAeEo
tptacek · · focus · HN ↗
I'm fond of pointing out the stat (true as of a year ago) that Massachusetts (I think it's MA?) has more MRI machines than the entire country of Canada.
pengaru · · focus · HN ↗
My impression is this is a modern civilization stupidity in general.
apropos Dead Kennedys track: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVULKYbAeEo" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVULKYbAeEo