Those of you who read my last blog on back surgery might be interested in an article posted today on Yahoo that asserts back surgery is becoming riskier due to kickbacks made to doctors.
A study of Medicare patients shows a rise in costly, complex spinal fusion surgeries related to lower back pain caused by aging and arthritis. The research is based on 32,000 Medicare patients who had one of three different types of back surgery.
"This is exactly what the health care debate has been dancing around," said Dr. Eugene Carragee of Stanford University Medical Center.
Dr. Carragee goes on to say that spine surgeons have a financial incentive to perform riskier, costlier operations, regardless of whether that surgical option is best for the patient. When you also take into account recent settlements by drug companies for offering kickbacks to doctors in exchange for pushing their products, we see a medical system in dire need of reform.
Stay tuned.
Being in this category, I agree totally. I have viewed the drug company reps going into the doctors offices and stocking their shelves, etc. I am certain there are financial incentives to doctors to prescribe medications that are pushed by these reps and that the surgeons are also financially inclined to perform more costly surgeries that they financially benefit from.
Posted by: Mike Shatzman | 04/11/2010 at 07:24 AM