The Modern Healthcare article noted “overuse for more than two dozen cancer screening, imaging, diagnostic, preventive or preoperative testing services and found it totaled 0.6% of Medicare spending.”
“The results underscore the potential for savings from efforts to eliminate medical care that has been identified by previous research as unnecessary, and wasteful, such as colorectal screening among those age 85 and older with no history of colon cancer.”
“Such savings have been the target of quality campaigns, such as the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation’s Choosing Wisely push, which highlights potentially unnecessary services identified by multiple medical groups. But that effort also has drawn criticism for failure to include more costly services that may diminish physician revenue.”
“The latest findings account for a fraction of potential overuse, and the study’s 26 measures are an initial step toward more direct metrics that can be widely used by policymakers, health insurers and others…”
It is a good idea to ask your primary care physician why a test or procedure is being considered. Is it evidenced-based?
Click here to read the full Modern Healthcare article “Wasteful services cost Medicare up to $8.5 billion, study estimates” by Melanie Evans.
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Doctor, Did You Wash Your Hands? ™ provides information to consumers on understanding, managing and navigating health care options.
Jonathan M. Metsch, Dr.P.H., is Clinical Professor, Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; and Adjunct Professor, Baruch College ( C.U.N.Y.), Rutgers School of Public Health, and Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration.
This blog shares general information about understanding and navigating the health care system. For specific medical advice about your own problems, issues and options talk to your personal physician.