Under pressure to squeeze out costs, some of the U.S.’s biggest health insurers are quietly erecting more hurdles for patients seeking medical care. The companies are in many cases reaching back to the 1990s and boosting the use of techniques that antagonized patients and doctors alike.
Nine specialty groups have listed tests and treatments that are frequently overused, such as CT scans for low back pain and antibiotics for sinus attacks, as part of a project organized by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) and promoted by Consumer Reports.
Culture change? Medical groups identify 45 tests and treatments doctors should avoid ordering
Health Guideline Panels Struggle with Conflicts of Interest
Insurers’ Earnings Show Americans Still Using Less Medical Care
More than 40 percent of 627 primary care doctors who responded to the survey thought their own patients were over-treated
The unaddressed issue is whether public and private insurance should continue to pay the staggeringly high cost — reaching $88,000 and $93,000 in some cases — for drugs that offer modest help to the typical patient.
Performing two scans in succession is rarely necessary, radiologists say, yet some hospitals were doing that more than 80 percent of the time
A surprising study of nearly 46 million Medicare patients says older residents in rural areas are more likely to have any of nine common surgeries than people in cities.
Patient Safety Expert Says Law Could Lead To Overuse Of Medical Care
The AMA is urging health insurers to automate and streamline the current cumbersome preauthorization process so physicians can manage patient care more efficiently
Insured Americans are using fewer medical services, raising questions about whether patients are consuming less health care as they pick up a greater share of the costs
Vita Advisors, LLC is a research-based strategic advisory firm serving the health care industry.
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