What Is Dangerous About A Fee-For-Service System?

What Is Dangerous About A Fee-For-Service System? (0:36)

One of the dangers of the fee-for-service systems is that doctors prescribe unnecessary tests and procedures, says HealthMaker and bioethicist Ezekiel Emanuel, MD, PhD. In this video, he explains why this is such a problem.

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If I get paid for seeing you in the office or running a task, if I get paid for only operating and you not stop not for swearing operation, I am going to do more of that stuff and even when it might be marginally beneficial and we have plenty of evidence that we are doing unnecessary tests and treatments all the time and of course we can come up with rationalizations why in this case it's really important, but has taken across the system it's both wasteful, unnecessary care and therefore harms people.

Ezekiel Emanuel, MD, PhD

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About Ezekiel Emanuel, MD, PhD

Ezekiel Emanuel is a Senior Fellow at American Progress, professor at the Diane and Robert Levy University, and chair of the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also a breast oncologist.

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What Is Dangerous About A Fee-For-Service System?