One of the selling points of Obamacare was mandating insurance companies to cover “preventative” care as a part of every single policy. While prevention is a great thing, remember, these tests are not free. They have to be paid for by someone, some way, some how. The administration says they will be paid for by savings from eliminating fraud and waste, the same savings that so far have more than doubled the cost estimates for implementing the law. In other words, the preventative care will be payed for by nonexistent savings from folks who are paying anything to start with. Now there’s some government logic for you. Realistically we are already seeing how these new mandated coverages will be paid for, by increased premiums! Insurances have already jacked up premiums 50-75% in some areas in anticipation of the demand for new prevention services, and I can say as a provider they have also cut reimbursements to providers for preventive services. So, follow this now, the government says every body has a right to a “free” colonoscopy, so docs will be doing a whole bunch more, but at a much reduced rate. In other words, your “free” colonoscopy will actually cost you more (ala higher co pays and premiums) and because of the volumes, you will have to wait months to get it. So for 85% of the population that were already getting screenings, you will now get your “free” screenings at a higher cost and with a longer wait. This bureaucratic ballet will apply not only to a light up your behind but also various other mandated screenings. A partial list of such is from the Task Force on Preventative Care website:
Pap smears
tobacco counseling
mammograms
obesity screening
diet counseling
depression screening
high blood pressure screening
diabetes screening
All these things are good things. I hope that by identifying at risk
folks we can eventually head off some morbidity. But don’t forget,
“free” is never free!
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