Science Memes

11086 readers

3027 users here now

Welcome to c/science_memes @ Mander.xyz!

A place for majestic STEMLORD peacocking, as well as memes about the realities of working in a lab.

Rules

Don't throw mud. Behave like an intellectual and remember the human.
Keep it rooted (on topic).
No spam.
Infographics welcome, get schooled.

This is a science community. We use the Dawkins definition of meme.

Research Committee

!spiders@lemmy.world

Other Mander Communities

Science and Research

Biology and Life Sciences

Physical Sciences

Humanities and Social Sciences

Practical and Applied Sciences

Memes

Miscellaneous

founded 2 years ago

MODERATORS

Sal@mander.xyz

fossilesque@mander.xyz

SciBot@mander.xyz

1484

Breast Cancer (mander.xyz)

submitted 3 months ago by fossilesque@mander.xyz to c/science_memes@mander.xyz

219 comments fedilink hide all child comments

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] ilinamorato@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

A hospital, as a business, will make more money treating cancer than it will doing a mammogram and having a computer identify issues for preventative treatment.

I believe this idea was generally debunked a little while ago; to wit, the profit margin on cancer care just isn't as big (you have to pay a lot of doctors) as the profit margin on mammograms. Moreover, you're less likely to actually get paid the later you identify it (because end-of-life care costs for the deceased tend to get settled rather than being paid).

I'll come back and drop the article link here, if I can find it.

[–] ricecake@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Oh interesting, I'd be happy to be wrong on that. :)

I figured they'd factor the staffing costs into what they charge the insurance, so it'd be more profit due to a higher fixed costs, longer treatment and some fixed percentage profit margin.
The estate costs thing is unfortunately an avenue I hadn't considered. :/

I still think it would be better if we removed the profit incentive entirely, but I'm pleased if the two interests are aligned if we have to have both.

[–] ilinamorato@lemmy.world 1 points 3 months ago

Oh, absolutely. Absent a profit motive that pushes them toward what basically amounts to a protection scam, they're left with good old fashioned price gouging. Even if interests are aligned, it's still way more expensive than it should be. So yes, I agree that we should remove the profit incentive for healthcare.

Sadly, I can't find the article. I'll keep an eye out for it, though. I'm pretty sure I linked to it somewhere but I'm too terminally online to figure out where.