I didn't focus on "why" they deemed it experimental, that is a whole other issue. And I didn't attempt to answer why. The fact is it was deemed experimental.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by dkl
You guys got to stop listening to the news media. Who is to decide whether a surgery is experimental? Sure, liver transplant is relatively new compared to lung and heart transplants, but still have been around for years. The doctors themselves said in the released statement that the liver transplant is NOT experimental. Researched have shown that the success rate for liver transplant is between 70% to 95% depending on the hospital that performed the surgery. This was measured on survival rate of 1 year or longer post-operation. Would you take that chance when put in that situation? The fact of the matter is NOT the initial cost of the $250,000 liver transplant procedure, but the associated costs of the aftercares which can run into the millions and the insurance company took this into account on deciding the life and death of an individual. I definitely agree with Eric that it should be left to the doctors to decide in the patient's best interest, NOT some bean counter sitting thousands of miles away running a cost/investment analysis.
Before, you say I'm full of it; my mom just went through the entire liver transplant operation ordeal, so we've done some research on the topic. Luckily for my mom, she was poor enough to have both medi-cal and medi-care, which beared the brunt of most of the bills. The doctors specifically told her to NOT do anything stupid like enrolling into any medical supplemental insurance prior to the transplant knowing that similar fiasco with the insurance company would occured had she enrolled. I know that government run agencies isn't the solution to this complex health issue, but it definitely beats any HMO plans out there at the moment. During my mom's ordeal, never once, did we had to get permission from medi-care or medi-cal to do anything. The doctors need to perform a procedure, we sign the consent, and the procedure gets done. That's it and that's the way it should be with HMOs - get out of the way and just let the doctors do their job. Afterall, there's no time to waste when you're dealing with a life and death situation.
|
__________________
An unwavering defender of those I see worth protecting.
"promote the general welfare, not provide the general welfare"
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
|