10 Ways to Cut Medical Costs

New software allows them to run "micropractices"

(NEWSER) - A growing number of primary care doctors are opting out of hospitals and big medical groups to open up mom 'n' pop doc shops. Key to these "micropractices," reports the Wall Street Journal, is technology that allows doctors to schedule their own appointments, order prescriptions, and process billing and insurance claims, slashing overhead costs. More»

(NEWSER) - For a clear example of our warped health care system, look no further than McAllen, Texas. The border town is second only to Miami in how much it spends on health care per person—$15,000 per Medicare enrollee, twice the national average. The problem? Atul Gawande of the New Yorker finds a town entrenched in the culture of too much medicine—patients get more tests, more hospital care, more surgery, more everything. And while those patients don't necessarily get healthier, hospitals and doctors certainly get richer. More»

Health costs, medical errors scare more than in other rich nations

(NEWSER) - Chronically ill Americans are more likely to forgo medical care because of high costs or bad experiences than counterparts in a number of other rich nations, a study finds. Researchers interviewed 7,500 adults with conditions like cancer, arthritis, depression, and diabetes, and the Americans led the complaints. Dutch patients had the fewest qualms, Reuters reports. More»

Growing trend of traveling for health care doesn't have to hurt anyone

(NEWSER) - The spread of “medical tourism”—uninsured and underinsured patients seeking cheap health care in Southeast Asia or Latin America—has fueled fears that developing nations will divert resources from state health systems caring for their own citizens. But, the Economist argues, “if governments make the best of the boom, then medical tourism should improve the health of rich and poor alike.” More»

If you leave feeling worse than you did when you arrived, find a new physician

(NEWSER) - Is it time to break up with your doctor? View your next physical the same way you would a date, then decide. Forbes outlines 10 red flags that might indicate "It's over."

1. Your personalities just plain clash.
2. Your doctor doesn't give you enough information about your health and doesn't take the time to explain his or her decisions.
3. You spend way too much time in the waiting room each time you visit, and your doctor doesn't seem concerned when you mention it.