Comments for False positive: private profit in Canada's health care

Comment on Health Facility License Auction Health Cost Driver by Michael Riordon

Michael Riordon — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 18:42:15 +0000

Thanks for the alert. But yikes! Step by stealthy step, the Americanization of Canadian health care. What next, a lively trade in patients?

Comment on Methadone Clinic Limits Doctor’s Employment by Will That Be Raspberries With Your Rectal? « False positive: private profit in Canada's health care

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 15:37:56 +0000

[...] clauses? Are their restrictions on staff employment patterns, like the one imposed by a private methadone clinic? Are their benefits to staff for referrals to the Loblaws’ [...]

Comment on Missed Opportunity: Corporate Conglomerate Buys Shouldice Center by Quality Program Fee Increases and IHF Corporate Concentration « False positive: private profit in Canada's health care

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 00:31:14 +0000

[...] corporate giants, individual doctors’ practices are quickly becoming an historical artifact and IHF s are amalgamating into fewer and larger corporations. The dynamics of quality control and regulation among for-profit providers lead to long-term, [...]

Comment on Ontario’s Convoluted Genetic Test Funding by False Postitive: for profit medical labs

False Postitive: for profit medical labs — Mon, 14 May 2012 14:18:57 +0000

Thanks for the link. One point the authors make, when discussing some of the cost considerations on which tests to cover, is:

“….unlike non-genetic screening, for-profit corporations now hold exclusive patents on many genetic testing technologies. They have incentive to push for broad adoption of such tests and may pursue aggressive marketing practices to advance their economic interests. This may particularly be the case when organizations sell goods and services complementary to the genetic test (a practice already seen for non-genetic tests such as bone-densitometry and serum lipid testing).”

It is easy to find examples where companies aggressively market these products to the public increasing public pressure for their coverage regardless of their benefit. One example is the introduction to the APOE test on the Matrix Genomics web site which starts off which what amount to scare statement:

“The e4 form of APOE multiples risks of memory impairment, cognitive decline & Alzheimer’s disease
One in five women, and one in 10 men, develops Alzheimer’s disease by age 85. It is caused by many factors, both inherited and related to lifestyle. Memory impairment and cognitive decline share risk factors with Alzheimer’s disease.”

Matrix then offers a test to differentiate the APOE genetic components and ends with a small disclaimer that the test is not a diagnostic tool.

Comment on Ontario’s Convoluted Genetic Test Funding by dorfmanr

dorfmanr — Thu, 10 May 2012 17:44:33 +0000

I feel your pain! the MOHLTC policy was misguided and was looking only at the short-term impact of costs of “unrestricted” genetic testing without properly evaluating the socio-economic impact on disease management and prevention.
http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/public/pub/ministry_reports/geneticsrep02/chepa_rep.pdf

Comment on England Repeats Canada’s Lab Mistakes by Whitney

Whitney — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 21:13:10 +0000

Thank you for sharing such valuable content! Great read!

Comment on Secrecy Hurts Patient by Whitney

Whitney — Wed, 25 May 2011 16:14:27 +0000

Great and interesting read. Really insightful.

Comment on Why False Postive? by Doug Allan

Doug Allan — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 22:21:24 +0000

Great Ross — look forward to reading this. I was going to ask how to subscribe, but now I see a link