Colonoscopies: A Cost Case Study

The $2.7 Trillion Medical Bill by Elisabeth Rosenthal.  The New York Times.  June 1, 2013.

With this article, The New York Times begins a series of article on cost issue in health care.  It, if the following article is any indication, will be vital reading for anyone interested in health care as a patient, taxpayer, provider, policymaker, or administrator.

Use the following questions to test and improve your recall.  Since this is an important article I have included many questions.

(1)  The average U.S. price for the cholesterol drug Lipitor is __________;  The price in New Zealand is ____________.

(2)  In a list of drug, scan and procedure prices compiled by the International Federation of Health Plans, the United States was ____________ in __________ categories.

(3)  The cost of a hospital stay in the U.S. is about _________ of that in other developed countries.

(4)  ________________ are the most expensive screening test that health American routinely undergo.

(5)  _______________ began as an ________________ and moved to ____________ making it more _____________ than an in-office procedure.

(6)  True or False:  There are other cheaper, less invasive, and equally effective  tests to screen for colon cancer.

(7)  The high costs for colonoscopies result from ________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________

(8)  The U.S. spends about ________ % of its gross domestic product on health care, nearly _______ as much as most other developed countries.

(9)  Costs issues gain urgency with ________ baby boomers and ___________ of newly insured under the affordable Care Act.

(10)  Pushing costs higher are relatively high rates of obesity and limited access to routine care for the __________.

(11)  Unique among industralized nations, the U.S. does not ___________________.

(12)  In what ways is the health care market in the U.S. weird?

(13)  True or False:  Doctors generally know the costs of the tests or procedures they prescribe.

(14)  In the U.S. payments often depend on the relative ______________ of the parties involved.

(15)  True or False:  In medicine the more you pay the better results and services you get.

(16)  Trace how colonoscopy became the default screening for colon cancer.

(17)  Explain the role of "surgical centers" in health care costs.

(18)  What is a "facility fee?"

(19)  when gastroenterologists began to perform more procedures in surgery centers, the number of procedures ________________%.

(20)  How do those without insurance often face the highest bill?

(21)  Discuss the role of and need for anesthesiologists in surgical center colonoscopies.  How has lobbying played a role.

(22)  How do gastroenterologists in Austria view the payment rate for colonoscopies in the U.S.?

(23)  What groups have pushed back against colonoscopy costs?

(24)  People covered by Medicaid typically get _____________ than they need.