Cheap Medical Care Can Kill

Granted, we’re talking about cosmetic surgery, a procedure that typically is not covered by health insurance. But cosmetic surgery is still a medical procedure. And while reducing the costs of medical procedures sounds pleasing to the pocketbook, it doesn’t sound pleasing to the soul.

Donda West died last month at the age of 58 after paying Dr. Jan Adams of Beverly Hills, California, to give her a tummy tuck and a breast reduction. It turns out that Dr. Adams has more than a dozen charges of malpractice pending against him, and he’s now the subject of an investigation by medical officials in California. Dr. Jan Adams reportedly is not board certified.

Dr. Adams reportedly told the “Dr. Phil Show” that competition has driven prices down and that’s something that shouldn’t be done with cosmetic surgery. This begs the question about competition in the medical world. We understand that you get as good of medical care as your money can afford to pay for. We also understand that many Americans out there can’t afford medical insurance or medical care because of the high costs of such care. But will competition drive not only the cost of care down but also the quality of that care?

Cheap Medical Care Doesnt Need to Be Dangerous

It’s important that a system be put into place that requires a standard of care at a more affordable price. The profit margins in the pharmaceutical and medical industries are much greater than the profit margins of just about every other industry in the United States. The answer to solving the problem of the high costs in the medical industry probably lies with the government or another oversight agency declaring that profit margins be lowered in these industries. If profit margins can be drastically cut, the quality of care can remain the same while saving money for those who need the care the most.