Re:Seattle doctors try flat-rate no-limit primary care
by furyg3 on Tuesday October 13, 2009 @10:20AM
(#879102)
The solution to such a problem is pretty simple (and what they've done in Holland): Force everything to go through a single General Practitioner (of their choosing).
This makes it a lot more difficult for hypochondriacs to needlessly exhaust resources (like specialists), since the GP is aware of the patient's history of complaints.
It has lot of other nice side effects as well, as I'm sure you can imagine.
Re:Seattle doctors try flat-rate no-limit primary care
by scotty79 on Tuesday October 13, 2009 @07:03PM
(#880292)
That's the way it's organized in my country as well. You have to go through GP to see any specialist (with exception of dermatologist, urologist and perhaps few others). It sure helps to save specialist time but there are public complaints about wasted GP time. Maybe the trouble in my country is just lack of money for medical care.
Re:Seattle doctors try flat-rate no-limit primary care
by selven on Tuesday October 13, 2009 @07:10AM
(#878811)
But restricted access causes underuse - people seeing a bump would hold off on paying $300 until they eventually start feeling pain and bam, they have a systemic tumor.
Re:Seattle doctors try flat-rate no-limit primary care
by lupin_sansei on Monday October 12, 2009 @11:13PM
(#878229)
completely free = high taxes doesn't it? That's what it is in my country
Re:Seattle doctors try flat-rate no-limit primary care
by scotty79 on Tuesday October 13, 2009 @07:10PM
(#880307)
Not really. It takes less than 10% of your income and it's almost completely deductible from income tax. Main trouble is that you have to wait long for some procedures (but not for general care), and that doctors and nurses as government employees periodically go on strike.
In my country where medical care is completely free (only medicines cost but they are often partially subsidized) there is problem with overusing doctors time by old, lonely people that just want to talk a bit and meet person that is concerned about them. Of course 100$/month price tag would drove most of them off.
Funny thing is that there are ideas in my country to introduce personal health insurances to get rid of ... long waits for some procedures and wasting money. That must be interesting problem if two antagonistic solutions fail similar way.