A review of private payer insurance shows an inefficient system.
Compare that to the U.S., where an estimated 137,000 people died over seven years because they were uninsured. Of course, the Brits do pay for their health care in another way – with taxes. their sales tax is a whopping 20% and income taxes are as high as 50%.
All of that money feeds a health care behemoth. The NHS is Europe’s largest employer, with well over 1 million people on the payroll. So you’d think it would be inefficient.
The birth control debate wages on and the issues are just starting to come to the surface.
One of the concerns at the center of this discussion is the overall cost of birth control and who should pay?
According to the Guttmacher Institute, the average woman who has two children will spend three decades trying to avoid an unintended pregnancy. The Institute of Medicine says that’s one reason that women tend to incur higher out-of-pocket costs for preventive care than men.
Yes, there already are some options for more affordable contraception, such as public clinics or Planned Parenthood.
About 55 percent of local health departments offer some family planning services, according to the National Association of County & City Health Officials. Many of those receive federal Title X funding, which means they can offer contraception on a sliding fee scale. The poorest women may get it free, while others may pay full price or somewhere in between.
Availability, cost and education need to be considered in this debate, also, identifying where the real need lies.
Seeking primary dental care in the ER is a new phenomenon facing medicine today.
Lack of access in rural areas, and little or no emphasis on preventive care have contributed to a gross misuse of medical resources.
Too few dentist participating in Medicaid has also contributed to the problem.
Using emergency rooms for dental treatment “is incredibly expensive and incredibly inefficient,” said Dr. Frank Catalanotto, a professor at the University of Florida’s College of Dentistry who reviewed the report.
Preventive dental care such as routine teeth cleaning can cost $50 to $100, versus $1,000 for emergency room treatment that may include painkillers for aching cavities and antibiotics from resulting infections, Catalanotto said.
The gauntlet has been thrown down as House Speaker, John Boehner R-Ohio, lets the president know that he is in for a fight over a bill that would allow for mandatory coverage of birth control by private insurance.
“If the president does not reverse the (Health and Human Services) department’s attack on religious freedom, then the Congress, acting on behalf of the American people, and the Constitution that we’re sworn to uphold and defend, must,” House Speaker John Boehner, R- Ohio, said in a speech on the House floor Wednesday.
In a society where Viagra is covered but not birth control one has to wonder about the priorities and the logic.
We all expect doctors to make us well but can they do harm?
Dr. Otis Webb Brawley, the chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society wrote, “How We Do Harm: A Doctor Beaks Ranks About Being Sick In America”.
He describes the ways in which the whole medical system is broken and who is responsible.
Spoiler: We all are.
It is amazing the number of health care professionals who seemingly reject the scientific method. They prescribe treatments they believe to be appropriate as opposed to therapies that are known to be appropriate based on objective scientific evidence. This form of ignorance is a root cause of much of the overuse of medical therapy.
Too often, doctors fail to distinguish what is scientifically known from what is unknown, from what is believed. This is beyond mere disagreement about interpretation of the science. There is often selective reading of the science, especially by those trained in a specialty wanting to advocate for it.
© 2026 MedClient.com
Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑