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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2009
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 OPINION 
4

Health Reform Must Pass the Test of Prostate Cancer

Efficacy should trump novelty in care choices

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(Newser) – Forget public options and universal mandates. The real litmus test for health care reform is prostate cancer testing, writes David Leonhardt of the New York Times. Treatments for the disease range in cost from a few thousand dollars to more than $100,000. "You can probably guess which treatments are becoming more popular," Leonhardt writes: "the ones that cost a lot of money."

The reason is simple: Doctors are paid based on how much treatment they provide, not how effective it is. Drug companies have no reason to do research, since doctors will recommend expensive treatments even if they’re not proven to be more effective. “The current health care system is hard-wired to be bloated and inefficient,” Leonhardt writes. To fix it, “we’ll have to start paying for quality, not volume.”

The broken cost system is our No. 1 health care problem.
The broken cost system is our No. 1 health care problem.   (Shutterstock)
The broken cost system is our No. 1 health care problem.
The broken cost system is our No. 1 health care problem.   (Shutterstock)
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The country is paying at least several billion more dollars for prostate treatment than is medically justified. You may never see this bill, but you’re paying it. - David Leonhardt

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4 comments
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Fondue
Jul 8, 09 9:41 AM CDT
"Doctors are paid based on how much treatment they provide, not how effective it is." Why can't we fix that? The current system essentially turns care givers into salesmen/women. Reply
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IN RESPONSE:
kokuaguy
Jul 8, 09 4:37 PM CDT
Mea culpa, Fondude. I accidently thumbed you down earlier today when yours was the only comment. I intended to give you a thumbs up. A doctor friend of mine in Honolulu is very active in the movement for single-payer "Medicare For All." Even the AMA is now supporting the Obama plan, I think.
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freethemall
Jul 8, 09 2:03 PM CDT
There's so much room for improvement over the way things are now. I sure hope something gets done about it. Reply
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+1
northeast
Jul 8, 09 2:08 PM CDT
Leonhardt does a pretty remarkable job with the generalizations..... Reply
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