It’s not what you think: while his support for healthcare reform legislation certainly plays a role, it’s Obama’s own medical care that may be doing more to affect the cost of health insurance.
Apparently, the President is like millions of Americans today: receiving too many expensive tests and treatments for little health benefit. During Obama’s checkup, he received a prostate cancer screening despite it not being recommended for any age group. He also received a virtual colonoscopy, which is more expensive than traditional colonoscopies and not yet recommended at his age. Obama probably listened to his doctor, who may have chosen to perform the latter test because African-Americans are at higher risk for colon cancer. As for using the less invasive method, it may have avoided the temporary transfer of power that sedation requires (in other words, Joe Biden would’ve been President for several hours).
Experts propose several explanations for the trend:
- Patients accustomed to fast-paced technology innovations and demanding nothing less, whether or not the new solutions are actually proven or more effective
- Defensive medicine: doctors protecting themselves against the possibility of medical malpractice lawsuits by ordering every test possible
- Health insurance companies pay doctors on a fee-for-service basis, encouraging them to perform more tasks to maximize their income
All of these procedures lead to more expensive health insurance rates. Certain tests also involve potentially harmful exposure to radiation, which should be minimized. If some of them could be eliminated or reduced without lowering the quality of care, the system would see a significant cost savings. Of course, there is controversy surrounding this issue. They recommend that doctors and patients discuss screening and treatment options individually, as opposed
