Quote:
Originally Posted by Cajundaddy
As we get older, hospitals look to us as a cash cow. Medicare patients are a sure thing so they want to keep you and run lots of tests. Filling the schedule with MRI, CT, angiogram tests pays for the machines and fattens the bottom line. It's the equivalent of "would you like to supersize it" but with an added penalty that if you say no you have to sign out AMA to avoid a bunch of expensive and often unnecessary testing.
I am a pretty big advocate of modern diagnostic testing when you have clear symptoms of disease but if they want to go on a fishing expedition... no thanks.
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That's not really how it works. Many problems don't have clear symptoms but can piggy back on other issues. Hospitals don't order the tests, doctors and NP's do. They are trying to make sure they get a complete reading about your health. If they don't do the (standard) tests and miss something, it doesn't help anyone. You don't have to agree to the tests but at least ask why they are being ordered. It's not like the dr or nurse gets a cut.
The hospitals don't encourage the dr's and nurses to keep the beds full, it's actually just the opposite.