>one of the things that skews the figures that appear in these studies are many doctors that choose a 25,000-40,000 surgery charge over a patients welfare.
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>If this is true, perhaps you would be better served if physician income were not bound to their orders, including procedures performed.

I fired 3 different doctors, because they were trying to force me into unnecessary expensive treatment. They poo-pood information that I showed them, that I got from reputable volunteer doctors on the internet. I ended up locating 2 different doctors at 2 separate Universities that agreed with me and the information I presented to them. This was 1996. Since then, I have taken charge of all my treatments. If a doctor disagrees with an approach that has been working for me for 13 years.....I fire him and find another doctor.

To me, patient education is the only thing that will prevent this from happening, starting with going for a second opinion far enough away that the 1st doctor can not influence the second opinion.

I was told by one person in hospital administration that if I continued to make waves that I would be classified as a trouble maker and that it would affect my future treatment. How do you guard against this? I had reported them double billing the insurance company.