AS the Pakatan Harapan government finds itself cash-strapped, cuts to government expenses, including healthcare expenditure, may follow.
After more than 30 years in the medical profession, we have seen patients and their families burdened with medical expenses, which have become a leading cause of personal bankruptcy in the United States.
What can people do to keep medical expenses down?
Arm yourselves with information. Informed patients are not only healthier but also spend less on medical expenses.
People should learn how to keep healthy and what treatments are available for medical conditions.
Wikipedia and WebMd give clear and reliable medical information.
After seeing doctors, ask for (i) the diagnosis, or possible diagnoses; (ii) recommended tests and procedures; and (iii) suggested treatment.
Every condition, test and treatment has a name and knowing the name allows patients to look it up and weigh the benefits and risks before making decisions about what to do.
Live healthily. Staying healthy is the best way to keep medical fees low.
Smokers not only spend money on cigarettes but are also guaranteeing multiple medical visits to treat heart and lung diseases that will come up in the future.
In 1990, in The Lancet, a healthy lifestyle of exercise, stress management and dietary restraint was shown by the Lifestyle Heart Trial to reverse blockage of the coronary vessels of the heart better than if patients were only on medication without lifestyle change.
In 2004, in the Circulation journal, exercise was shown to be better than the invasive stenting procedure in reducing the need for hospitalisation and subsequent repeat procedure among 101 patients with coronary heart disease.
For treatments to succeed, faith is essential, but seek a second opinion. In this day of profit-motivated medical services, getting a second opinion about serious conditions is important.
However, there is a right and wrong way to do so.
Understand what the first doctor has said by getting a written report with the name for diagnosis, tests and treatment recommendation. Keep a set of tests done.
When seeing the second doctor, present all these for him to see, but allow him to repeat them or do any other tests he wishes.
After that, get him to again name his diagnosis, test and treatment recommendation.
Ask any question you like, but please do not add in words like “this doctor says so”.
It is irrelevant who says anything, but it is always your right to clarify doubts.
It is also the right of the doctor to expect full attention and to hope you can be convinced when shown the reasons an opinion is offered.
Too often, patients show their distrust for an opinion and are preoccupied with something they have heard, sometimes even from non-medical sources.
And when being treated by doctors, patients must have full faith in them, for treatment
works only if patients believe it to.
This is not to say you have to forever be under one doctor.
If treatment is unsuccessful, or service poor, see another doctor.
Then forget about the previous one and give your full faith to the next.
DR ONG HEAN TEIK, consultant cardiologist, and; CHOONG YOKE LENG, pharmacist, Penang