Several reasons health care costs are so high include the following: the high cost of manufacturing which includes product liability, the high cost of drug development, and the high cost of malpractice insurance. Because Americans love to blame someone for their problems, we have high liability costs.  You can get a tank of oxygen to run your welder for about $50-$100 (my estimate) but to get the same tank of oxygen for home consumption for your lungs is over $400 per month based on local rates.  The reason is liability.  It costs a lot to ensure that nothing goes wrong with that oxygen, and in the event you sue the oxygen company, they have to cover their liability insurance costs.  For pharmaceuticals it typically takes 10 years and $500 million dollars to bring a new drug to market.  The drug companies need to regain their investment and then make money, hence the high cost of drugs.  At least until they go off patent which is in 17 years including development time, and then comes the generic form.  However, you can get the same brand name drug in Mexico for a fraction of the cost.  You, the American taxpayer and health consumer, are subsidizing the rest of the world. Congratulations on your outstanding philanthropy.  Once again the American people lead the world in generosity.

Malpractice insurance reform is a hot topic and has been for years.  Doctors complain it’s too high, and trial lawyers say it’s needed to make bad doctors pay.  It’s possible to reform malpractice and protect patient’s rights, Texas has proven that quite nicely.[xiv]  When doctors can quit worrying whether or not their patient is going to sue them, they will quit ordering unnecessary tests thereby running up the national bill.  Most lawsuits come from patients who somehow felt disrespected or slighted, not because something went wrong, believe it or not.  Because all my patients hold me in the highest regard I never order unnecessary tests.  Note the tongue in cheek.  On a serious note however, all doctors including me, will take the necessary steps to ensure the best outcome for their patients.  Interestingly, most people make different decisions depending on who’s paying for their healthcare.  Not surprisingly, self-pay patients usually do not make the same choices as people with insurance. 

I have rambled on long enough.  Suffice it to say that healthcare reform is needed and extremely complicated by so many special interest groups, including doctors.  At this juncture, how to do it is a moot point given the fact that a bill has been passed.  Now we await the onslaught of changes and will try to adapt as best as possible.  One of the great unknowns of this bill is whether parts of it will be overturned by the SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the US).  Already states are suing because of unfunded mandates and the SCOTUS has indicated that this is an issue that it will likely be reviewing.

I hope you come away from this with the realization that things are changing and are changing fast.  The sooner you take control of your own life and healthcare the better off you are going to be.  I hope to be a part of that solution for a long time to come.

To your good Health,

Kevin W. McCurry, MD

Riffe Medical Center, Inc.

Mossyrock, WA 98564

www.riffemedicalcenter.com

360-983-8990