The Good of The Many Outweigh ... ?

For-profit healthcare just makes me tired. And it just made me tired enough to kick my butt into gear to start writing about it. In this situation, the author discusses the pro's and con's of publicized doctor report cards. The latest finding is that less "risky" procedures are being performed on heart patients, meaning that the level of care for critically ill patients is going down. It also means that insurance companies and the government are paying less. Yes, the American public is paying less, and yes, more people are dying. How can people make these choices as "business decisions"?

I'll let you read for yourself, though ... there's definitely argument for and against, but here are the points that resonate with me:

The Covert Rationing Blog » Blog Archive » Physician Report Cards and the Designated Driver:

"All the while, payers can stand upon the altar of altruism, proclaiming transparency and the patient's right to know." ...

and, about the decision whether performing these procedures is "good" or "bad:

"The point is, we don't know. The point is, under covert rationing, it does not matter that we don't know. In fact, under covert rationing it's better that we don't know, since, if you're already getting away with the rationing, why look to see if it's the right thing?"