Coding deaths from cancer: How it's counted

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-02-20-cancer-deaths_N.htm
reports a rise in the US deaths from cancer in 2005. But the numbers are not perfect. Years ago it was discussed that changes in coding what cause of death is change and impact statistics on death from a certain ailment. Examples include deaths from Aids that were included in cancer statistics, that perhaps led to a drastic decline in cancer stats once they were recoded. Further issues involve deaths from treatments for cancer or consequences of death from treatments for cancer.

The reliance on statistics is used by the insurance industry. So what will this mean for the greedy insurance and health care provider industries? My guess is it will be used for more "preventive" testing. While preventive testing may or may not be helpful in disease detection and cure...there have been enough errors in this area to fill several volumes, it's an easy money-maker for physicians and insurers and it gives people peace of mind.

The issue is not whether someone should have preventive screenings, if that's what you do, that's what you do, there's certainly enough justification for such activity, the issue is cost/benefit. If the current "empowered" craze of prevention distracts consumers away from the 43% rise in medical care costs in the last five years, or the higher premium/less coverage model of insurance, then our prevention happy model will end with continued rises in illness and death because what happens if preventive screenings indicate you need medical care? Then what.

It is the frightening prospect of illness and treating that illness that perpetuates the medical field and the health insurance field. If we erode the availability, affordability and quality of that medical care so that fewer individuals can benefit from treatments, what is the point of screenings? The preventive care craze has legs. Boomers are trying to avoid the knowledge that they're old and will die and have supported the craze with their fifty is the new forty reasoning, and young people will be able to afford health insurance that provides for preventive coverage (an oxymoron) until they begin actually needing health insurance coverage for medical care.

However, we would do ourselves a favor by looking in the mirror. We will get sick and we will need medical care. How will we pay for it? That is the question and the answer comes back the same for the new 60 is the new 50 crowd and for the up and coming generations: We need an effective vehicle for containing costs of medical treatment and for helping us pay for that treatment.

Task a day insurance: Look at your list of health care providers and determine how many testing centers are available for you, how many pharmacies, how many radiology outfits, now check out how many oncologists are participating providers and then contact your insurer and ask them about that.