Low back pain is the fifth most common reason for all physician visits, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. But within the first six weeks of pain, imaging is unnecessary - unless red flags such as serious underlying conditions or abnormal functioning involving the brain and nerves are present.
The first thing the lawyer will ask is "Did you perform test X on this patient" If not, you are screwed. Doesn't matter if it was relevant or not. Just something to show that the doctor didn't do every test possible and that's all the jury needs to hear and it's payday. Now some do it for the profit motive, that is for sure, but most are just covering their butts for potential lawsuits.
I totally disagree that an MRI shouldn't be used for back pain. If my daughter would not have begged and demanded that the doctor give her an MRI, she would be gone today. In October 2011, my daughter began complaining of back pain. In January 2012, the pain became intense. The doctor did an x-ray and sent her to a physical therapist, who said her inner muscles were very tense. She gave her deep tissue massage and some exercises. The pain became unbearable and we ended up in an orthopedic urgent care. Still the doctors didn't want to do an MRI.
While we know that republicans just hate reform of any kind with their rigid ideology and protection of the for-profit insurance mafia, there is a section in the PPACA which encourages states to develop new malpractice systems and suggests that Congress fund the most promising experiments.
One of the cries from the right-wing is "end junk lawsuits," but it's not entirely clear what this means, as most malpractice lawsuits actually aren't junk lawsuits. The evidence on this is pretty clear: The malpractice problem is on operating tables, not in court rooms. Which isn't to deny that our current system is broken for patients and doctors alike.
Section 6801 of the PPACA encourages states to develop new malpractice systems, which could possibly end these unnecessary medical tests by letting states create their own innovative reforms that lower health care costs. This is definitely giving back to the states more control of the malpractice problem, and is certainly not making it more "government-controlled" by the Feds!
"Doctors from nine U.S. medical societies are warning patients and fellow physicians that many common medical tests are actually unnecessary - and may do more harm than good. The tests are also driving up the country's already skyrocketing health care costs."
Obviously saving $700-800 Billion in a health care debacle costing us $2.6 Trillion per year is not a good thing for doctors gaming the system. I do understand that medical malpractice is a part of this too, but there's also bad doctors since some of them graduated at the bottom of their classes, and they are being protected by their buddies.
Our health care system is completely screwed up, and if the SCOTUS strikes down the PPACA, we just return to MORE OF THE SAME of the for-profit insurance mafia running the show, with higher costs and more denials.
But - - so many times people have sued doctors and/or hospitals in the past for not 'seeing' the 'possibility' of some complication following surgery, that it is now a malpractice suit preventative measure. Sad, but true.
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One of the cries from the right-wing is "end junk lawsuits," but it's not entirely clear what this means, as most malpractice lawsuits actually aren't junk lawsuits. The evidence on this is pretty clear: The malpractice problem is on operating tables, not in court rooms. Which isn't to deny that our current system is broken for patients and doctors alike.
Section 6801 of the PPACA encourages states to develop new malpractice systems, which could possibly end these unnecessary medical tests by letting states create their own innovative reforms that lower health care costs. This is definitely giving back to the states more control of the malpractice problem, and is certainly not making it more "government-controlled" by the Feds!
Obviously saving $700-800 Billion in a health care debacle costing us $2.6 Trillion per year is not a good thing for doctors gaming the system. I do understand that medical malpractice is a part of this too, but there's also bad doctors since some of them graduated at the bottom of their classes, and they are being protected by their buddies.
Our health care system is completely screwed up, and if the SCOTUS strikes down the PPACA, we just return to MORE OF THE SAME of the for-profit insurance mafia running the show, with higher costs and more denials.