I am completely disgusted by this NPR article:

The Telltale Wombs Of Lewiston, Maine

the article’s conclusion:

For most Americans this is an incredibly difficult idea to accept: It’s hard to understand that more care isn’t necessarily better for you.

But study after study has borne out the truth of this completely anti-intuitive conclusion. In fact, Fisher and other researchers estimate that almost one-third of the care given in our country today is that kind of care — care that isn’t really helping people.

The United States spends more than $2 trillion on health care every year. So the cost of that 30 percent unnecessary care annually? $660 billion.

I am not at all arguing that people are only getting care that is necessary. I, myself, hesitate before going to the doctor, am wary of most medical procedures, ask tons of questions, do my own research, and pay attention to how this or that drug may be affecting me or my children. But I think many people probably do go to the doctor more than necessary and take medicine that isn’t necessary and try procedures that aren’t necessary. But since I’m not a doctor, that’s not for me to decide.

The point of this article was that doctors are in it for the money. They can’t help themselves. Yes, they want what’s good for the patient; yes, they want to avoid a lawsuit. But when push comes to shove, they will lean toward this expensive procedure over that cheaper one simply because it lines their pockets.

So, we, dear citizens, need somebody to protect us from evil doctors and their greedy eyes. We can not trust doctors to give us the best care – and, really, it is silly that you should be able to get in to see a doctor every time little Junior gets a fever. You are just a nervous mother, and the nurse can tell you over the phone the best treatment for the next 48 hours (because we can’t see him any sooner anyway).

No, listening to your doctor and doing research on your own is not a good way to manage your health, either. You are too stupid to be able to differentiate between good medical advice and uneducated guesses by lay people. And you are too stupid to know if something is wrong with your body or not. We need an independent group – not you or your doctor – to tell you what should be done about your health.

Can we not understand that we are wasting money every day by going to the doctor needlessly? We all need to tighten our belts a little. If we all just gave up one doctor’s visit a year, one unnecessary prescription, a few fewer physical therapy sessions for that broken hip, a few days less in the hospital after heart surgery, we could afford universal health care. We need somebody out there to ensure that everybody sacrifices equally.

Of course, we will not short anybody on vaccines. Vaccines are in Merck’s our country’s best interest.

Seriously, why do I suspect that I’d have to wait less for an appointment to get my daughter on the pill than to get her a physical? One-third of the care currently provided is unnecessary? Expect to receive one-third less care if this plan goes through. We, dear citizens, are getting too much of a good thing, and it’s time to stop.