Kinsley on Undercover Patients

http://www.futureofcapitalism.com/2010/02/kinsley-on-undercover-patients

Michael Kinsley, writing in today's New York Times, says the "best moment" of the health care summit was Senator Coburn's suggestion that the government send "undercover patients" to root out Medicare fraud and abuse. Mr. Kinsley writes, in apparent sincerity, "An entire nation thinks: 'Huh! Is there some reason we don't do that already?'" As we wrote here the day of the summit, there are plenty of reasons not to do it. It veers close to entrapment. It involves the government lying to and spying on its own citizens. It could lead to longer waits and perhaps greater mortality among genuinely sick patients kept waiting while doctors are occupied with "undercover patients" pretending to be sick.

by Ira Stoll  |  Feb 28, 2010 at 12:50 pm Related Topics:  Health Care receive the latest by email: subscribe to the free futureofcapitalism.com mailing list