Sunday, March 17, 2013

Exactly.

" Economics is not brain surgery." So says rising conservative star and John Hopkins pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson.

 Exactly, Dr. Ben.  You're a brain surgeon, not an economist. And how would one know Dr. Ben ain't exactly brainy when it comes to understanding the complexities of anything other than his profession? Consider this analogy from Carson during a recent conversation with Tom Ashbrook of NPR's " On Point."

30 minutes into the broadcast Carson draws a comparison between the food stamp program and health savings accounts. He argues that people learn quickly not to buy porterhouse steak the first of the month with their food stamps because they'll go hungry the rest of the month.

Huh? What in the hell has that got to do with health care? What's the health care equivalent of porterhouse steak? Does he think people with health savings accounts will learn not to run down to Mayo Clinic for an expensive MRI whenever they've banked a good wad of cash in their HSA? Is there a lot of that going on right now? Recreational medical vacations where the irresponsible welfare frauds among us are wasting our tax dollars on unnecessary expensive procedures?  " Let's see, give me the CT Scan, lab work and hot tub/buffalo wild wing combo! "

Where do these guys come up with this dumbassed stuff? Shouldn't a neurosurgeon know better than to say something that nakedly stupid on National Public Radio?

Is frivolous over-utilization really the core of what's wrong with the American health care system?
 " Skin in the game " is what we need? Sweet Jesus, Dr. Ben. I'm embarrassed for you.

"Economics isn't brain surgery."

Indeed. Physician, heal thyself!

2 comments:

  1. We have a saying in the Nuerosurgical ICU where I work: "Nuerosurgery ain't exactly brain surgery"

    which is to say it has always drawn the biggest zeros along with a few decent and skilled types. The vast majority of nuerosurg attendings are freakin' sociopaths who are much more into cutting and self promotion to actually manage their patients. One can only imagine that if this guy is staff and he has time for politics as well as nuerosurgery that the chain of comand wherever he works is seriously screwed up and some level of mayhem is ensuing. I pity his patients as I do most people who find themselves under the care of nuero surgeons

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  2. His credibility went out the window, as he opened up about his economic healthcare ignorance. SCARY.

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