Doctors speak out on health care waste in U.S.

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Study: Pregnancy and drinking OK?
Study: Pregnancy and drinking OK?
Updated: Tuesday, June 18 2013 5:47 PM EDT2013-06-18 21:47:39 GMT
(CNN) - For most pregnant ladies, enjoying a drink at the local bar isn't an option, or is it? A study just released in the British Medical Journal found that when moms consumed a moderate amount of alcohol,
For most pregnant ladies, enjoying a drink at the local bar isn't an option, or is it?
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Updated: Tuesday, June 18 2013 10:03 AM EDT2013-06-18 14:03:28 GMT
(CNN) - Total costs for health care services are expected to rise 6.5 percent next year, when the Affordable Care Act fully kicks in. That's according to a report released Tuesday by PWC's Health Research
Total costs for health care services are expected to rise 6.5 percent next year, when the Affordable Care Act fully kicks in.
Sunscreen vital in summer
Sunscreen vital in summer
Updated: Monday, June 17 2013 12:25 PM EDT2013-06-17 16:25:52 GMT

No matter your skin tone, dermatologists say the best protection against the sun is putting on sunscreen, whether you're outside for 30 minutes, or three hours.
Unprotected exposure to the sun could lead to sunburn, or in some cases, skin cancer. No matter your skin tone, dermatologists say the best protection against the sun is putting on sunscreen, whether you're outside for 30 minutes or three hours.
Court says isolated human genes cannot be patented
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The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that companies cannot patent parts of naturally-occurring human genes, a decision with the potential to profoundly affect the emerging and lucrative medical and biotechnology...
The Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously threw out attempts to patent human genes, siding with advocates who say the multibillion-dollar biotechnology industry should not have exclusive control over genetic information...
Hepatitis A linked to frozen berries sickens 87
Hepatitis A linked to frozen berries sickens 87
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says an outbreak of hepatitis A linked to a frozen berry mix sold at Costco has grown to 87 people with illnesses in eight states.

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Facebook users really 'liked' organ donor option
Facebook users really 'liked' organ donor option
Adding an organ donation option to the average Facebook user's profile prompted a dramatic rise in potential donors, researchers report.
Adding an organ donation option to the average Facebook user's profile prompted a dramatic rise in potential donors, researchers report.
Could 'moderate' drinking be safe during pregnancy?
Could 'moderate' drinking be safe during pregnancy?
Children of women who drink moderate amounts of alcohol while pregnant don't appear to have any neurodevelopmental problems when it comes to balance, a new British study suggests.
Children of women who drink moderate amounts of alcohol while pregnant don't appear to have any neurodevelopmental problems when it comes to balance, a new British study suggests.
Concussion damage looks much like early Alzheimer's
Concussion damage looks much like early Alzheimer's
Concussion can lead to damage in the white matter of the brain that resembles abnormalities found in people in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, a new study suggests.
Concussion can lead to damage in the white matter of the brain that resembles abnormalities found in people in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, a new study suggests.
Many Americans want health care via smartphone
Many Americans want health care via smartphone
Plenty of Americans are eager to use their mobile phones and tablet computers to better manage their health care, a new poll finds -- though the nation has a way to go before we're all consulting Dr. Smartphone.
Plenty of Americans are eager to use their mobile phones and tablet computers to better manage their health care, a new poll finds -- though the nation has a way to go before we're all consulting Dr. Smartphone.
Scans uncover dangerous hardening of abdominal aorta
Scans uncover dangerous hardening of abdominal aorta
People with a "hardening" of the abdominal aorta are at increased risk for heart attack and stroke, according to a new study.
People with a "hardening" of the abdominal aorta are at increased risk for heart attack and stroke, according to a new study.

HealthMore>>
Many Americans want health care via smartphone
Many Americans want health care via smartphone
Plenty of Americans are eager to use their mobile phones and tablet computers to better manage their health care, a new poll finds -- though the nation has a way to go before we're all consulting Dr. Smartphone.
Plenty of Americans are eager to use their mobile phones and tablet computers to better manage their health care, a new poll finds -- though the nation has a way to go before we're all consulting Dr. Smartphone.
Sibling bullying can lead to depression, anxiety in victims
Sibling bullying can lead to depression, anxiety in victims
Being picked on by your brother or sister may seem like a normal part of growing up, but for some kids the bullying may be a source of depression and anxiety, a new study suggests.
Being picked on by your brother or sister may seem like a normal part of growing up, but for some kids the bullying may be a source of depression and anxiety, a new study suggests.
Dads who bond with kids help keep marriage strong
Dads who bond with kids help keep marriage strong
For dads aiming at marital bliss, a new study suggests just two factors are especially important: being engaged with the kids, for sure -- but also doing a fair share of the household chores.
For dads aiming at marital bliss, a new study suggests just two factors are especially important: being engaged with the kids, for sure -- but also doing a fair share of the household chores.
Volunteering may be good for the heart in more ways than one
Volunteering may be good for the heart in more ways than one
Anyone who has ever been a volunteer knows that it feels good to help others, but researchers have found a less obvious benefit: volunteering can help reduce older adults' risk of high blood pressure.
Anyone who has ever been a volunteer knows that it feels good to help others, but researchers have found a less obvious benefit: volunteering can help reduce older adults' risk of high blood pressure.
Tobacco ads spark teen smoking
Tobacco ads spark teen smoking
The more tobacco advertising teenagers see, the more likely they are to start smoking, according to a new study.
The more tobacco advertising teenagers see, the more likely they are to start smoking, according to a new study.

Latest Health NewsThe Latest from HealthDayMore>>
Facebook users really 'liked' organ donor option
Facebook users really 'liked' organ donor option
Adding an organ donation option to the average Facebook user's profile prompted a dramatic rise in potential donors, researchers report.
Adding an organ donation option to the average Facebook user's profile prompted a dramatic rise in potential donors, researchers report.
Could 'moderate' drinking be safe during pregnancy?
Could 'moderate' drinking be safe during pregnancy?
Children of women who drink moderate amounts of alcohol while pregnant don't appear to have any neurodevelopmental problems when it comes to balance, a new British study suggests.
Children of women who drink moderate amounts of alcohol while pregnant don't appear to have any neurodevelopmental problems when it comes to balance, a new British study suggests.
Concussion damage looks much like early Alzheimer's
Concussion damage looks much like early Alzheimer's
Concussion can lead to damage in the white matter of the brain that resembles abnormalities found in people in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, a new study suggests.
Concussion can lead to damage in the white matter of the brain that resembles abnormalities found in people in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, a new study suggests.
Many Americans want health care via smartphone
Many Americans want health care via smartphone
Plenty of Americans are eager to use their mobile phones and tablet computers to better manage their health care, a new poll finds -- though the nation has a way to go before we're all consulting Dr. Smartphone.
Plenty of Americans are eager to use their mobile phones and tablet computers to better manage their health care, a new poll finds -- though the nation has a way to go before we're all consulting Dr. Smartphone.
Scans uncover dangerous hardening of abdominal aorta
Scans uncover dangerous hardening of abdominal aorta
People with a "hardening" of the abdominal aorta are at increased risk for heart attack and stroke, according to a new study.
People with a "hardening" of the abdominal aorta are at increased risk for heart attack and stroke, according to a new study.

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 3 (HealthDay News) -- The basic assumption in U.S. health care that more is better is being challenged by a group of doctors who put the cost of unnecessary care at as much as $800 billion a year, according to a new report.

The report, which was published Oct. 2 in the BMJ, estimated that overly aggressive treatment causes 30,000 deaths among Medicare recipients in the United States each year and that unnecessary interventions account for 10 percent to 30 percent of health care spending ($250 billion to $800 billion) a year.

Examples include the overuse of imaging technology and screening tests, along with high numbers of questionable surgeries.

Many doctors have long warned about the dangers of overtreatment, but the growing awareness of the unsustainability of health care spending has brought the issue to the attention of politicians and the media, the report states.

Malpractice fears, biased research, patient demand, rapid adoption of unproven technology and the failure to fully inform patients about the potential harms of elective treatments are among the reasons for the growing problem of overtreatment, the group of doctors from the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada noted in a journal news release.

The group also pointed to the way doctors are trained and paid in the United States as major factors, and believe that significant changes in how doctors are paid are needed to correct the problem of overtreatment.

But changes to the health care system would face considerable opposition from the health care industry and the general public, who believe that any effort to reduce overtreatment is simply a scheme to ration care, the doctors said.

"Rationing means that you are limiting necessary care. What we are proposing is limiting unnecessary care -- harmful care," said Dr. Diane Meier, a professor of geriatrics and internal medicine at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, in the report.

More information

The U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has more about health care costs.

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Doctors speak out on health care waste in U.S. - KFVS12 News & Weather Cape Girardeau, Carbondale, Poplar Bluff

Doctors speak out on health care waste in U.S.

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