Posted: Sunday, 26 April 2009 7:33AM
Understanding Your Health Insurance and Subsequent Careby KYW’s Lynne Adkins
A local researcher has proved that the type of insurance you carry does a make a difference in the service you receive.
Doctors looked at records for more than 42,000 patients undergoing treatment for kidney cancer, where removing part of the organ is the preferred treatment. They found that patients with Medicare were more likely to have the entire kidney removed than patients with private insurance.
Study lead author, Dr. Robert Uzzo, chairman of surgery at Fox Chase Cancer Center, says he's not sure why but admits removing the kidney can be cheaper in the short run:
“Their recovery is quicker, their hospitalization is shorter so the cost of the care is less, the long term costs are potentially much higher because patients are more likely to develop chronic kidney disease and potentially need dialysis in the future.”
He says this information should be used by politicians and health care advocates working on changes to the current health insurance system.
http://www.kyw1060.com/pages/4272302.php?contentType=4&contentId=3890096
I Hate Dialysis Message Board
Author
