Doctors’ Advice: Fewer Tests, Cheaper Health Care
Everyone wants to save money, cut costs wherever possible while maintaining the best life. When it comes to doctors’ visits and tests, a primary care group is working to keep more money in your pocket. Recently, the National Physicians Alliance met with doctors in family medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics and asked them to list five ways they could save patients money—all while enhancing care. Say what? This idea may call for a magic wand or Superman, but with some thought, more than 250 doctors provided their top “less is more” recommendations. Most of the recommendations focused on eliminating certain expensive tests (unless you’re near death) or forgoing routine antibiotic prescriptions for mild or moderate sinusitis (you’ll just have to deal with the itchy eyes and sneezing). But what if you believe you need the tests or that antibiotic? Check out their recommendations and see if you agree!
Highlighted Clip for Tuesday, May 24, 2011:
If anyone knows where health-care dollars are being wasted, it's primary-care physicians. So, the National Physicians Alliance recently assembled working groups of doctors within three fields of primary care — family medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics — and asked each to come up with five ways to reduce costs in their areas while enhancing patient care.
