Letter: Cutting physicians’ fees won’t cut health costs

Don Fernandez correctly pointed out that the Affordable Care Act has not achieved what it was supposed to do — namely, to lower overall health care costs (“Obamacare is quickly becoming unsustainable,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, July 18).

This failure can be traced to the misconception by its proponents that controlling health care costs would be achieved by restricting physicians’ fees and services, which make up only 10% or less of the overall health care costs.

Furthermore, recent changes to the method of payments for primary-care physicians to a capitated payment system jeopardizes the goal of optimum care.

Steadily increasing administrative costs and pharmaceutical costs were not included in Obamacare. Drug costs are, at least, 25% of the health care costs. Hence, it should not be any surprise that the cost of health care is still escalating.

Malcolm Ing, M.D.

Nuuanu

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