Quote:
Originally Posted by 77T
That is a measure many doctors in US should adopt. They are the ones who eventually decide to operate. If the condition could be delayed a few months, without harm to the patient, it makes sense.
There are unintended consequences, of course.
It would reduce revenue disproportionately for dermatologists specializing in cosmetic surgery. That’s income they won’t make back.
It will likely increase insurance company profits in the short run for covered surgeries that don’t take place this year.
But it is a proactive defensive move to make the system less vulnerable to unpredictable spikes in demand for services that are critical.
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That’s the problem, harm is a relative term. Elective surgery might by definition not be life saving, but it is often life altering. Things like hip replacements for people in chronic pain; cholecystectomies for debilitating biliary colic; discectomies for sciatica etc etc.
Obviously the revenue and insurance issues don’t apply to the NHS and on balance I agree with the measure being taken on the basis of the anticipated demand about to be unleashed on hospital resources. Nevertheless assuming hypothetically the virus never hit at all, postponing all elective surgery nationwide for just a month would cause huge morbidity and seriously stretch the health service with the backlog created. Not to mention pissing a lot of people off.