Blog 4

Blog 4

            The Dartmouth Atlas Project was made to “spot the places that weren’t getting enough medical care” (CITE). They found that there was a huge variety of care given for similar illnesses and therefore costs increase.  An example they gave was the percentages of children who had their tonsils removed.  The percentages ranged from 75% to 25%.   

            I believe access to healthcare is a human right.  We are all put on this earth to live a life.  Why should some people live longer than others just because of the amount of money in their bank account?  Governments ensure the safety of their citizens through funding military, why shouldn’t they protect their citizens from preventable diseases? 

            Grand Junction, Colorado has taken up a system where doctors provide medical to nearly everybody for the lowest average cost in the US.  They made sure that every person paid the same amount of money for the same procedures as others did before.  These prices were a third of the prices of different places, yet the people were healthier in Grand Junction.  Doctors in Grand Junction made this work by putting a certain percentage of their bills in a pool to cover the uninsured.  They also set up a charity clinic that receives money from local businesses and other area hospitals.  The main reason for their medical systems success is the fact that “Healthy people cost less than sick people.” 

            Seattle, Washington is another city where medical systems vary from most health systems in America.  They have accepted the idea of a Co-op, where customers own a certain business.  Patient-centered medical home is a new way to increase the quality of healthcare.  The Doctors are paid a salary, so it doesn’t matter how fast or how many patients they see. 

            Everett, Washington is another example of a different approach to healthcare.  One way this example works is the cutting of expensive non-needed procedures such as a MRI scan.  They also started prescribing generic drugs to lower the healthcare prices.  This approach

            Providence, Rhode Island is yet another example of a different approach to saving money on healthcare.  They only resort to blood transfusions only as a last resort.  A pint of blood is about $1,000.  They have save an estimated 12 million dollars within the last 3-4 years.  I never knew that blood was this expensive.  Also I assumed that open heart surgery had to be performed with a blood transfusion.   

            In Lebanon, New Hampshire, bills are paid by insurance, but they differ by allowing the patient to decide on which course of action they would like to take in their own health.  Doctors should find out what their patients want, it is call shared decision making.    

            Unfortunately, personal greed will always prevent such practices from spreading throughout the United States without the help of the government.  I believe these medical systems haven’t been adopted in the area that I live because so many doctors are scared of losing some of their profit.  Some doctors aren’t in the business of providing quality care for a low cost.  Medical practices don’t want to spend more time with each patient because many are paid by the number of patients they see.