Preventative Health Measures

While practicing preventative medicine, doctors make referrals to other doctors. Those doctors schedule tests. The hospitals do the testing. Results are read by at least one other doctor (medical expert). Back to the original doctor for a consultation. Medicine is prescribed and a follow-up lab test and office visit is scheduled. Now we are in the system! When there is more than one specialist involved, it gets even more complicated. On and on....ad infinitum. Is there a medical reason indicated or it is "preventive medicine"? Are all the tests really necessary or do they just make a living doing that?

I changed doctors about a year ago, my long-time doctor moved to another state. I knew the requested tests were coming, and they did. I was willing to have an open mind about those tests - with two exceptions. These two tests are expensive and I have one of those $550 a month policies with a $2,000 deductible. Yes, we started the tests and the results were negative except for the blood work numbers. My numbers were not where they were "supposed" to be, so I had to start taking a medication which costs $98 a month. No, my insurance policy does not cover medications and all of this was and still is "preventative medicine".

At this point I had doctor visit expenses, hospital bills and lab fees to pay for - on a monthly payment plan. I said "enough", at least until the current charges were paid. I am aware that I have a say in my medical care and the doctor reluctantly agreed.

Hospitals building and expanding

There are many hospitals in our area. Every one of them is either adding on to their facility or expanding to outlying communities much of which is due to "preventative medicine". Doctors and hospitals specialize today and tests are processed in rapid succession. I took my husband to the hospital the other day to have an ultra sound. We were taken back 3 at a time and as best I could tell they had scheduled 15 minutes each. For an 8 hour day, that would be about 96 people. With the start of preventive medicine, we have an entirely new breed of medical community. In 2005 there was 1 cent spent on preventative medicine and 99 cents on the cure. That number is rapidly changing.

Cashing in on the elderly

The older population is the largest patronage of these services, by far (I am one of them). There are multiple industries vying for the money from the health care of the elderly, including the National Government. With the baby boomers coming up there is money to be made. With most tests starting at the age of 50 that gives 20 to 30 years of doctor visits, testing and medications to be sold and the upcoming generation of the retiring populace is the largest ever! Is that good marketing? There are services needed, of course, but I question the motives.

Painting a picture of delusion ?

Everything I read and see on television tells me the retirees today are younger, healthier, wealthier and more active than ever before. Is that really true? Not from my vantage point! In a report by Fiona Godlee, Preventative medicine makes us miserable, it states "The more people are exposed to doctors and contemporary health care, including the rhetoric of preventative medicine, the sicker they seem to feel." Maybe our health care is broken.....it is what it is today and I do not see much hope for change. I do not believe I want to see a National Health Care system either. I just want to die a "natural death".....unhealthy..... and not at an old, old age either.