Should doctors or insurance companies make medical decisions?
On One Hand: Doctors Should Make Medical DecisionsOnly qualified doctors should make medical decisions for their patients. They are more likely to have the best interests of patients in mind, not the cost to the insurance company. Most patients have faith in their doctor and trust the doctor to make sound medical decisions on their behalf–not so with insurance companies.On the Other: Insurance Companies Use DoctorsWhen an insurance company makes a medical decision effecting a customer, a doctor that works for the insurance company often makes the actual decision. This is not acceptable because the doctor does not know the patient or the patient’s medical history and has an inherent conflict in that he works for the insurance company.Bottom LineDoctors should make medical decisions regarding their patients, not insurance companies’ financial interests. Doctors that work for insurance companies should not make medical decisions regarding insurance subscribers.Source:California Chronicle
