Thursday, November 07, 2013

Why Is It So Difficult To Obtain A High Quality Health Checkup In the US?

How Difficult Can It Be?

You are mistaken to believe that it is easy! Or you are ignorant at your own peril.

Recommendations By Others

How reliable is that? Just because e.g. someone visits the same doctor for a long time does not mean this doctor’s health checkup is of high quality.

Health Insurance Companies

Your health insurance will likely refer you to their in network physician directory. But which one to choose by what criteria? The one in your neighborhood? The one with the prettiest face (if picture available) or the one with the most impressive website (if available)?

Rankings

I googled for rankings of this service, but without much luck. Most purported rankings that come up in such a search are not much more but clever advertisement.

I wonder why are there no such rankings that are halfway reliable?

Strong Prevailing Presumptions

If your health insurance is of no help and Internet rankings are rather dubious does this mean it is perhaps safe to assume that any doctor will do. Or in other words, given the general high quality of doctors in the US at least by education and training it should not matter whether you visit a doctor in your ZIP code or across town?

Availability Of Sound Checklists

Well, you might think that in this day and age at least you as a patient can easily come up with a pertinent checklist for your health checkup. Again you are mistaken!

Here are some links to official information that somewhat resemble checklists by the federal government:

Most disappointing is that the CDC (Centers for Disease Control And Prevention) does not have a convenient, age-related comprehensive checklist on their website. What does the CDC actually prevent?

Hospitals

Call your favorite hospitals or the best hospitals in your city and you will find out that they likely do not offer a health checkup for individuals with regular health insurance.

Why is that? We know that hospitals (for profit or non-profit) have business acumen and look actively for new opportunities to make more money. Does this mean that government prevents hospitals from offering such services? Or is it the powerful AMA (American Medical Association) etc.?

Executive Health Screening

Well, if you are so fortunate to be in an executive role and your company is willing to pay for it, then there is e.g. the Executive Health program offered by the famous Mayo Clinic. It costs about $4,000 - $6,0000 (depending e.g. whether colonoscopy is included). Mayo Clinic actually provides a somewhat detailed checklist for their executive health screening.

I am certainly not envious, but how come executives are offered such a program while ordinary employees like me have to struggle.

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