The trouble with rationing
Article Abstract:
Many authorities have come to believe that health care rationing will become a necessary part of medical care cost containment in the future. They argue that the ever-increasing level of public expectations will combine with new, and expensive, technological advances, to create possibilities of health care that are not within the possibilities of economics. According to the editor in chief of the New England Journal of Medicine, rationing is not necessary. The real culprit is a system of health care which provides no checks and balances for runaway costs due to excessive overhead, inefficiency, and duplication of efforts. These problems will continue, even under a system of rationing, unless some provision is made for their reduction or elimination. The present health care system is inherently inflationary and wasteful. In an age where health care resources are being stretched to the limit, it is imperative that these resources be used as wisely as possible. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: The New England Journal of Medicine
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0028-4793
Year: 1990
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"Self-referral" - what's at stake?
Article Abstract:
The process of self-referral has been controversial for many years. Self-referral is the practice of physicians referring patients to clinics they have financial interest in. The American Medical Association (AMA) approved a report in Dec 1991 that advised physicians against self-referral, but reversed itself in Jun 1992 by stating that physicians could self-refer if they disclosed their financial investment to their patients. Several research studies have found that self-referral increases the cost of health care by encouraging procedures that may not be necessary. The federal government passed legislation in 1991 to limit self-referrals, and several states have passed legislation forbidding self-referrals. If physicians are perceived as acting out of their own financial interest, their credibility could be damaged. They may lose the chance to contribute to the current debate over health care reform.
Publication Name: The New England Journal of Medicine
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0028-4793
Year: 1992
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