[breadwinner]

> Suggesting that the average person should be able to make medical decisions and override their health care provider’s recommendation is ridiculous.

The situation is similar to taking your out-of-warranty car to a dealer for repairs. Sometimes, you may suspect they’re not being completely honest with you. What do you do in that case? You get a second opinion before agreeing to a costly repair.

[voisin]

Sure, and that’s possible (at significant added cost) in a portion of cases. But not all - you might be on an operating table or in the middle of a psychiatric event, etc etc, where time does not permit second opinions, and if the system is set up to “gotcha” as a baseline, then only the most minor, time insensitive, situations will receive fair pricing.

[breadwinner]

> if the system is set up to “gotcha” as a baseline

This is what we have to change. When physicians and hospitals know that patients are scrutinizing care plans they will find a new fairer baseline. That cultural change will subsume older practices.

[toastercat]

I'm willing to take a risk there because if my car craps out, I'll buy another.

Wish I can say the same about health. If the doctor who has my entire medical history recommends x procedure, yes I'm not going to risk potentially having irreversible damage to my body.

[breadwinner]

> If the doctor who has my entire medical history

You think your primary care physician is the one that recommends surgery, and not a specialist?

[toastercat]

Huh?? Did I say that?? The specialists I see also have my medical history.