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Show Health Care System xout of control' Guest editorial By SHERRIE EINFELDT There are probably very few of us who have not recently experienced experi-enced increases in our health insurance in-surance premiums. It is a reality that affects all of us. But while many fret about the current health care crisis in our country, there are a few people in Utah who are trying to do something to solve the problem prob-lem here at home. Dr. Quinn McKay, of the Utah Health Cost Management Foundation, Founda-tion, talks about the causes and some ideas that he believes are essential to stop the problem before it becomes catastrophic. He calls the present condition of the system "chaotic." For instance, there are 3 1 million people nationally (250,000 in Utah) who have no health insurance at all. Our health care costs more than the developed de-veloped countries of Europe, and yet our citizens don't live as long and our infant mortality rate is higher. This last statistic is a result of low birth weights and could be partially par-tially prevented with adequate prenatal care, which those without insurance usually do not get. While we criticize England for rationing health care according to need, we are doing worse: we are effectively rationing health care in the U.S. by income. In this country, our appetite for sophisticated health care is larger than our resources. In our capitalist society we generally gen-erally rely on the marketplace or regulation to hold costs down. But it doesn't work that way in the health care industry it isn't competitive com-petitive because the public doesn't have ready access to costs and so can't compare them. There just isn't enough public information available. Prices rise astronomically due to a couple of factors. New technology and new procedures cost a lot more than previous methods. Also, hospitals engage in cost shifting . (raising everyone's rates to cover costs of those who don't pay the bills). They also raise their rates to make up for low occupancy levels. (There are too many doctors and too many hospital beds in Utah someone must pay for the excess resources.) Litigation costs are a small factor in the whole picture. The problem is becoming so devastating dev-astating nationally that some corporations cor-porations (usually considered strong opponents to nationalized programs) are actually starting to advocate nationalized health care. One auto maker in Detroit claims that there is more cost involved in the price of a single car relating to medical expenses than the cost of the steel. The rivalry among hospitals to keep and attract doctors and patients, for instance, has led to an overabundance of multi-rnilliorr dollar equipment in Utah (i.e., 8 MRI scanners, when 2 or 3 will do). The hospitals are copying each other in excess of our present population's needs. We have good health care here in Utah, but we overdo some things (e.g., caesarean sections, cornea transplants, hysterectomies). An example of a costlier treatment treat-ment today is a case of kidney stones. A few years ago, a doctor may have just let the patient wait out the pain for a few days until the stone was passed naturally. The bill would have been around $100. Today, To-day, a doctor would be more apt to promptly remove the kidney stone by using a lithotripter...resulting in a $7,700 bill. The public must be aware that the more expensive route is not always the best or only option. op-tion. Unfortunately, as health care costs skyrocket, personal salaries do not increase sufficiently to cover those increased costs. Dr. McKay anticipates that by the year 2000, an average hospital stay will mushroom from $580 to $1,300 per day. What can be done? Dr. McKay suggests we quit band-aiding and j get some leadership who can solve the whole system's problems. That I will require the cooperation of hospitals, doctors, insurance companies... com-panies... no one segment of the industry in-dustry can accomplish it on its own. Individually, he says we must learn to change our lifestyles. Smoking, obesity and not wearing wear-ing seal belts are a few of the common com-mon causes of higher premiums. -Also, we must take the initiative to -become better informed about the health care we receive, ask questions, ques-tions, and shop around rather than just accepting every treatment and cost without researching alter- -natives. All too often our employers do not double check the claims made by their employees, and insurance companies do not check around to compare rates. So we need to put pressure on these parties to do their homework to make sure the higher costs are not passed along to the whole group of employees. The Utah Legislature has re- j cently established the Health Data Committee to gather information to disseminate to the public. Hopefuj- k ly, this will help in the education1 process on the grassroots level sufficiently suf-ficiently to motivate citizens to de- j mand action to their government officials and others in positions to resolve the health care dilemma. All segments of the health care industry, from patients to doctors to hospitals to insurance providers, must pull together if this "chaos" is to have a financially healthy solu-tion solu-tion for the state's citizens, and for the nation. |