As patients put up with pain, device sales suffer (Reuters)
Orthopedic surgeon John Tongue sees more patients these days who are in pain and deciding to do nothing about it.
As it gets harder for them to walk, some find hip or knee replacement surgery a compelling option. But many of Tongue's patients have another worry, one that is causing some to delay treatment and live with the pain awhile longer.
"We have more people who are anxious about losing their jobs if they have elective surgery. They are anxious about returning to work," said Tongue, who practices near Portland, Oregon, referring to the time they would need to take off to recuperate. He does up to 400 procedures a year.
With 14 million Americans searching for work, lack of health insurance is one reason some people are putting off medical procedures such as joint surgery.
For those who do have jobs and insurance, the fear of being expendable at work combined with sticker shock from rising out-of-pocket expenses is a deterrent to getting care. Some older patients are even waiting until they are eligible for the government-funded Medicare program at the age of 65.
"They are concerned about higher deductibles and c...
