What if the Doctor is Wrong?

In the Health & Wellness section of 1/17/2012 Wallstreet Journal, the front page article is “What if the Doctor Is Wrong?” According to the article, evidence is mounting that second opinions – particularly on radiology images and pathology slides from biopsies- can lead to significant changes in a patient’s diagnoses or in recommendations for treating a disease. Some malignancies, including lymphomas and rare cancers of the thyroid and salivary glands, are notoriously tricky to diagnose correctly; test results can be inconclusive or return false results. A recent study found after a decade of annual mammograms, more than half of women will receive at least one false positive recall on a breast-cancer screening. And nearly half of malpractice claims at Harvard University’s medical institutions that resulted in serious patient harm or death in the past five years were diagnostic errors.

According to Thomas Feeley, vice president of medical operations at MD Anderson says, “When you get cancer, the first thing you may want to do is jump to get treatment with the first person you talk to. But, taking the time to get a second opinion about the diagnosis you have and a careful evaluation of what treatments there are can be lifesaving.”

The article goes on with more stories, facts and figures. But perhaps this is a wonderful affirmation of the Banner “Second Opinion Rider” and could help agents to be stronger in their commitment to their clients rather than focusing on just price?

All Banner policies include this valuable, free benefit and they are the only life carrier to offer MediGuide America's Medical Second Opinion program. A medical second opinion could change a dire prognosis for one of your customers by giving them access to an independent review from a leading medical center. http://www.mvp4me.com/documents/MediGuide-LAA1648-2012.pdf