More ideas to reduce cost to health care

Topaz · January 22, 2012

One doctor in Toronto is visiting his patients at their home rather than the hospitals or nursing homes. I see nothing wrong with this idea, the costs in the article seems to be cheaper, the only question is, does the doctor absorb the cost to travel? In the 60's, I remember our small town doctor visiting homes in the winter, if the patient was too sick with a cold which turned out to be pneumonia. Waiting for hours for a doctor can raise one blood pressure and that's not good, and I've seen people wait about 1.5 hours to see the doctor and then just walk out. The medical community has to include the "natural" health care. There are foods and herbs, spices etc. all natural not the side-effects ones has to man-made drugs. Drug companies are now starting to produce their own natural medications, now if the provinces would allow these to be treated like the regular medication and cover by insurances, every bit helps the patiencts and the cost. http://ca.news.yahoo.com/house-calls-remedy-rising-health-care-costs-132219870.html

Bryan · January 23, 2012

Some doctors still do house calls. The very first time we saw our current family doctor, he came for a house call. That was only a few years ago.

fellowtraveller · January 23, 2012

Dr. Nowaczynski and his team look after about 250 frail seniors every year. The average age is 87. Most, if not all, would qualify for a nursing home, which costs about $50,000 a year. Through House Calls the tab is more like $2,000 to $5,000.

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I don't understand how having a doctor come to a seniors home saves anything, since he would have to be paid an amount equivalent to whatever he earns in an office setting. And of course he could see many more patients in a day without all the travel, which means that the shortage of GPswould not get worse.

And what is the relationship between $50K for a nursing home and $2K for a travelling doctor? Just because a doctor is sitting in your kitchen doesn't mean you will be cured of dementia or heart disease. Nor will he keep you one day out of a nursing home if you cannot dress, feed or toilet yourself.

I do understand having doctors on hand for people that need care but are not too sick to be in hospital, but they already have that service in all the nursing homes I've been in. NUrses, doctors etc- nursing homes.

Edited January 23, 2012 by fellowtraveller

Topaz · January 23, 2012

I think if a person has to be in a Nursing Home before the age of 65, then they have to pay, at least in Ontario. Many seniors don't have the money and I'm sure it will probably get worse as companies get rid of benefits and pensions. Another reason a doctor may visit the homes could be the patient has problems getting there. I know when my relative die, the doctor stressed the patient would be better off at home then at a hospital because the reduction of nurses being able to look after them. The spouse did have medical coverage from work and a nurse was brought until the relative died. You'll see more home care for certain patients in the future.

fellowtraveller · January 24, 2012

You'll see more home care for certain patients in the future.

That has nothing to do with cost of home visits by physicians, or your premise, which is apparently that home vists by dopctors will somehow save money for the health care system.

Are you going to tell us why it will save money, or how?

I understand that is is ore convenient for some people, but how does it ssave money? It won't be from some magically reduced fees for physicians. If a doctor sees 40 pateints per day in clinic and 20 in their homes, he will want twice as much for the home visit as he does for the clinic visit.