Too many treatments
Contrary to popular opinion, having more medical tests and scans will not be good for you in the long run. If they’re not necessary, you may end up with more anxiety, larger bills and greater risk of misleading test results, leading to more invasive procedures and more serious side effects.
Now there are calls for urgent action to save the health budget, as a major global initiative arrives on our shores that aims to cut back on tests and treatments that may be unnecessary, such as expensive imaging scans on people with a crook back.
Last year the Department of Health pointed out that nearly one-third of the money people spend on their health goes towards over-the-counter vitamins, supplements and the like. “That is, as much as a third of current spending by consumers on health can be considered to be discretionary,” the department says. For discretionary, read unnecessary.
Australian 1/05/2015
“Doctors and patients alike have raised various issues from over-testing and outdated or unproven treatments to unnecessary referrals, duplication, inefficiencies and systemic waste,” Health Minister Sussan Ley says, ahead of this month’s budget and follow-up reforms later in the year.
The department’s strategic policy unit has examined large-scale savings, including disinvestment in low-value programs, drugs and therapies, most notably the use of antibiotics when bed rest and a healthy lifestyle will do. It also wants Australia to get serious about combating avoidable side effects, mistakes and infections, which blow out costs.
Some experts believe as much as 10 per cent of the health budget — up to $15 billion overall — could be saved or reinvested elsewhere. Additionally, the department engaged the National Health and Medical Research Council to examine natural therapies, such as Rolfing and iridology, funded by health insurers with the benefit of a government rebate.
The NHMRC noted homoeopathy couldn’t be shown to work, and privately found 16 other therapies were also unproven.
Australian 01/05/2015