General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: I'm looking for evidence that socialized medicine does not increase "frivolous" visits. [View all]Cleita
(75,480 posts)Actually, the opposite occurs. People who can't afford health care don't go to the doctor, so the doctor, who needs to fill his waiting room, will take all the hypochondriacs he can as long as they can pay. When everyone gets access to health care, doctors will treat those who are sick and send the hypochondriacs and frivolous visits on their way because they are too busy to cater to them and they won't need their money. Once upon a time, elective but often unnecessary surgeries, like tonsillectomies, hysterectomies and hemorrhoidectomies were routinely performed because it filled the doctors' and hospitals' income ledgers. The abuses somewhat abated because Medicare and the insurance companies questioned such surgeries. The same will happen with frivolous doctors' visits.