Opinion
Health care facing similar economic breaking point as is predicted for oil
LETTER — Posted Feb. 6, 2006
Regarding "Financial trouble predicted for Medicare" (Article, Jan. 2/9): Federal Reserve Board Chair Alan Greenspan's comments on commitment of Medicare resources versus the economy's capacity to pay for them is ominous. Like "peak oil," our double-digit increases in health care costs are outstripping our ability and resources to pay for them.
When is "peak health care"? Will it be 2008 or when? Like oil, it will be sometime sooner rather than later if we don't practice in a cost-efficient manner.
I suggest that we admit we can't pay for everything, prioritize research on cost-effective care and stop rewarding inefficient care.
Michael J. Kitchell, MD, Ames, Iowa
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2006/02/06/edlt0206.htm.