7 Responses to “Health Care: Does Preventative Care Raise Or Lower Medical Costs?”

1. 

   Snowman said on Saturday, November 14, 2009, 12:24

   Raises costs…supply and demand. Increase the demand while supply of doctors remains static (or decreases as people refuse to drop 250K on an education that yields a Government cap on reimbursement) will drive prices up. That my friend is common sense.
   Unnecessary Testing that leads no where. Most diseases are genetic…which means you’re at the hands of probability.
   Edit:
   “I difference in cost is not the only consideration to be made. Preventative care will allow people to have a higher quality of life, as they will be in the clear from many diseases and conditions.”
   Most diseases are genetic…preventative medicine won’t address those diseases — it’s all probability. The best you can get from PM is a warning and hope for early diagnosis.
   Edit 2: For those giving me thumbs down…
   Please enlighten me as to how we prevent the leading causes of death:
   * Heart disease: 631,636
   * Cancer: 559,888
   * Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 137,119
   * Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 124,583
   * Accidents (unintentional injuries): 121,599
   * Diabetes: 72,449
   * Alzheimer’s disease: 72,432
   * Influenza and Pneumonia: 56,326
   * Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 45,344
   * Septicemia: 34,234
   Heart Disease – Diet, behavioral triggers.
   Cancer – Behavioral triggers that increase risk but no effective treatment pre-term.
   Stroke – Blood Pressure testing (standard in any visit now), nothing much short of complaining of head pain and a MRI scan.
   Chron. Low. Respitory – chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma…can’t be prevented. If you have asthma, you know it early on and own an inhaler.
   Diabetes – You know it early on or you’re dead…there is no middle road.
   Flu/Pneumonia – Treat yourself right…can’t prevent them w/ a visit to the doctor shy of a flu shot.
   I think you get the point. It sounds juicy until you actually pit it against the diseases we LOSE to…they’re not those diseases that can be prevented just yet.http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/03/17/pre…
   Edit 3:
   “Sure, the majority of recorded diseases are genetic. But, they’re also spectacularly rare. You need to look at major killers such as heart disease, which is highly preventable.”
   Allow me to provide a public service then:
   “Eat healthy, exercise and get your annual check up if you’re at risk.”
   Just saved the U.S. billions of dollars in one short sentence. Now lets see how many people actually walk the walk and how many continue to sit on the couch w/ a bag of pork rinds and demand the Government do something to save them from themselves.
   Individuals acting responsibly define the whole society acting responsibly.
   Designing the collective from the top looking down is a failed approach if you can’t get the lemmings underneath to pull their own weight (literally).
   The best preventable medicine for anyone is to eat right, exercise on occasion and get annual checkups that included suggested “additions” based upon your age at reputable doctor. Seems reasonable to me.
   Edit:
   “* Heart disease: Blood pressure regulation, proper diet and excercise”
   -Already a virtue. Blood pressure already checked @ annual checkup…standard before checking height and weight.
   * Cancer: Early detection so treatments are more effective
   -That’s the idea…absent symptoms, where do you begin? Give people full body scans?
   * Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): Recognition of thrombosis and other clot-forming diseases. nearly all are treatable through meds.
   -Recognition first…symptoms. Also part of annual checkups once reached a certain age.
   * Chronic lower respiratory diseases: Don’t smoke, proper medication (albuterol)
   -Albuterol prescribed after you know you have it…standard checkup and overview of symptoms.
   * Accidents (unintentional injuries): Nothing I can do.
   -Got nothing.
   * Diabetes: Don’t let kids eat too much sugar for 2, and access to equipment and insulin for 1.
   -Diet…shots. Again, it’s not preventative…you already know. Preventative would be mandating blood work annually to check if you have diabetes…costly and pointless.
   * Alzheimer’s disease: I got nothing.
   -me neither.
   * Influenza and Pneumonia: Flu shot.
   -Already in practice.
   * Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: early detection and therapy before major kidney damage occurs
   -Standard scans based upon the probabilities of receiving these problems at a certain age already in play.
   * Septicemia: Antibiotics and proper cleanliness.
   -Certainly — symptoms first though, right?
   Preventative medicine doesn’t include treatment after diagnosis — it’s running tests to check for diseases undetected. Statistically, the window is too small to make any noticeable difference that’s cost effective long term. Costs too much — both monetarily and time.
   My two cents. Understand “Edit 2″ above came before I read your response. Wasn’t trying to be confrontational…take it in the spirit it was given.
2. 

   Anonymous said on Saturday, November 14, 2009, 13:19

   While it might seem logical that it would lower costs, the facts are quite stubborn in maintaining just the opposite. Preventative care doesn’t lower costs; overall it raises them.
   Because those people who received preventative care will likely live longer and suffer from other illnesses as they age, which costs just as much as their medical without preventative care.
   Just like the “common sense” belief that reducing smoking saves medical costs; it doesn’t. Smokers tend to die earlier and quicker than non-smokers, and so actually, in the long run, use less medical care.
   The thing here is not to stand on a premise and ignore the empirical evidence that refutes it, but to have a theory, ask the question and then evaluate the theory by checking the data. If the data proves it wrong, then you need to change the theory. Not attack the people who show the evidence.
3. 

   Tex A said on Saturday, November 14, 2009, 15:46

   Which is cheaper, changing your car’s oil or replacing the engine?
   “Obviously successful preventive care can make Americans healthier and save lives………”
   source: Your link
   Also Elmendorff’s claim is based entirely on the dubious assumption that Americans are going to line up for invasive “tests” they don’t need. That’s extremely unlikely considering the number of idiots who won’t even get a flu shot.
4. 

   cantcu said on Saturday, November 14, 2009, 16:47

   Preventive care always lowers but it is the one they hate to pay for. Many diseases can be picked up early, like Type 1 Diabetes in adults. The quicker found lessens the very costly effects that are usually seen in Type I as it can be treated. They don’t have to lose as leg if caught early.
   This is a no brainer which every scientific study ever done has the same outcome!
5. 

   Fred K said on Saturday, November 14, 2009, 22:44

   Having everyone Insured will cut cost Preventive care lowers the over all cost that’s where blood pressure med’s get prescribed and cloistrall drugs both lower the risk of heart attacks
6. 

   O Know! said on Sunday, November 15, 2009, 5:43

   lower
7. 

   Andreas said on Sunday, November 15, 2009, 7:35

   I difference in cost is not the only consideration to be made. Preventative care will allow people to have a higher quality of life, as they will be in the clear from many diseases and conditions.
   Obanable Faux Man:
   Sure, the majority of recorded diseases are genetic. But, they’re also spectacularly rare. You need to look at major killers such as heart disease, which is highly preventable.
   Doctor O: The men in my family have a genetic predisposition to high blood pressure. We take statins and have normal blood pressure. This is preventative medicine chief. Just because something is genetic in nature, it doesn’t mean that there’s not a suitable preventative treatment. Of course you can’t deal with everything. It’s just not possible. But heart disease is a no-brainer.
   Obanable:
   Please enlighten me as to how we prevent the leading causes of death:
   * Heart disease: Blood pressure regulation, proper diet and excercise
   * Cancer: Early detection so treatments are more effective
   * Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): Recognition of thrombosis and other clot-forming diseases. nearly all are treatable through meds.
   * Chronic lower respiratory diseases: Don’t smoke, proper medication (albuterol)
   * Accidents (unintentional injuries): Nothing I can do.
   * Diabetes: Don’t let kids eat too much sugar for 2, and access to equipment and insulin for 1.
   * Alzheimer’s disease: I got nothing.
   * Influenza and Pneumonia: Flu shot.
   * Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: early detection and therapy before major kidney damage occurs
   * Septicemia: Antibiotics and proper cleanliness.
   PREVENTATIVE MEDICINE.